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Not only that foggy headlights aren't nice to see on the car, but they can also reduce your visibility during the night drive. Today I decided to show you a quick guide for cleaning foggy headlights, and give them like-a-new look again. To clean foggy headlights on the car, you'll have to: Wash the lightsTape the area around lightsApply the surface activatorWet sand themPolish headlightsApply Clear Coat I'm going to show you the easiest way possible, where you don't need any special equipment such as drill, etc. I bet that you have seen plenty of suggestions to clean them with toothpaste, wd40, or some other house supplies, but that's not the way to clean headlights. If you don't clean your headlights properly, you will not get a wanted result. Even if you do get a better look, they will become foggy again in no time. Today I'll show you an easy way that anybody can do. Even though there are more professional ways to clean them, today I'll stick to the newbie way. I'll write a professional way to clean headlights in some other article then. If you'd like to know an easy way to restore the car's foggy headlights, this article is for you. Table Of ContentsshowWhy It's Important To Clean Foggy HeadlightsFoggy headlights may be dangerousYou may not pass the vehicle inspectionThey Decrease The Value of Your CarWhat Causes Headlights to Become FoggyHow To Clean Foggy Headlights: Easy WayStep #1 - Wash the headlightStep #2 - Tape the lightsStep #3 - Apply the surface activatorStep #4 - Wet sandingStep #5 - PolishingStep #6 - Clear Coat Application Why It's Important To Clean Foggy Headlights According to AAA study, foggy (cloudy) headlights produce only 22% of the amount of light a new headlight does when working on a full capacity. They also said that restoring a foggy headlight will improve the amount of light up to 70% comparing to a new headlight capacity. Of course, the best option is to buy a new original manufacturer parts, which can be pretty expensive. That's the reason why I recommend you try to restore cloudy headlights by yourself. Foggy headlights may be dangerous With the 22% that I mentioned above, you can imagine how dangerous foggy headlights can be during the: NightSunriseSunsetBad weather conditions (rain, snow, storm, etc.) Those are times when we need the full capacity of our headlights. Without a good amount of light, your visibility during the drive will reduce a lot. You may not pass the vehicle inspection If your headlights are moderate foggy, you may not be able to pass the vehicle inspection and extend your car's registration. I've got to admit, it's not a very common situation, but it can happen if you don't take care of your car's hazy headlights. They Decrease The Value of Your Car One day when you decide to sell your car, potential buyers will likely offer you less then you expect because of cloudy headlights. In the end, fixing hazy headlights is a profitable option, not only it will increase the illumination of your lights but will also stop someone from haggling the price of a car. What Causes Headlights to Become Foggy You may think that your headlights are foggy only because you're driving an old car. Well, the situation is not so simple. Yes, aging is a process that no one can stop, but there are several other reasons for foggy headlights: Bad Protection: I mentioned this first because not a lot of people know that they should also protect the headlights. New cars come with manufacturer protection, but it doesn't last forever. After some time, that protection layer wears off and your headlights become exposed and unprotected.UV Rays: Sun's UV rays are harmful to almost everything, so it's for the car headlights. With time, UV rays will destroy them causing them to oxidize.Rocks & Debris: When you drive, they are the most exposed part since they are positioned in the front of the car. All the rocks and debris flying on the road will hit them and make tiny dents. You can easily check it just by passing with your finger on your headlights, if they aren't smooth, you should protect them asap.Dust, salt, and other chemicals: With the little dents on your headlights made from rocks and debris, all the harmful substances will easily stick to your headlights. This will make your headlights harder to illuminate the road. How To Clean Foggy Headlights: Easy Way Trust me, anyone can do it! Before you can start cleaning hazy headlights, you're going to need the following: Image from: https://www.sylvania-automotive.com/ Check the price of this headlight restoration kit on Amazon now. Step #1 - Wash the headlight Your headlights should be perfectly clean before you can start the process. You can take the spray bottle with water, spray the water onto the headlights and remove any dust, grime and dirt. When you're finished, wipe the area off with a clean microfiber towel. Step #2 - Tape the lights Use an adhesive tape to mask the area around the headlights. If you don't do it, there is a big chance of scratching some of the car paint. It's very simple to do, cut tape in many tiny pieces, and tape it around the headlight. Step #3 - Apply the surface activator Now you can unbox the Sylvania headlight restoration kit, and take the Surface activator bottle from it. Spray the surface activator gently onto each headlight, just make sure to cover all the area. Wait for around 30 seconds for it to start working. You'll see that all the haze starts to break down. Now, wash the surface with water to clean the loosened oxidation. If you have, you can use a microfiber towel to wipe off the area, but kitchen paper will also do the work. Step #4 - Wet sanding Now it's time to wet sand the area. Wet sanding will help you to get rid of the corrosion on your headlights. In headlight restoration kit, you have gotten the following sandpapers: 400 Grip1000 Grip2000 Grip I recommend you to start with the 400 one since it's the most abrasive one. Split the sandpaper into two halves (one for each headlight). Spray the water on the headlight, as well as on the sandpaper. Start using sandpaper in small circular motions, and make sure you cover all the areas. Make sure to keep the surface wet all the time. When you finished with the 400 grip, clean the surface with water and a paper towel, proceed to the 1000 grip and repeat the process. After you wet sanded the area with the 1000 grip sandpaper, it's time to finish it with a 2000 grip. This will make headlights smooth and prepared for the next step. Step #5 - Polishing Now it's time to polish your headlights to get that perfect clarity and gloss. You'll do that by using the Clarifying Compound from the kit. Pour a bit of clarifying compound to the white towel that's included in the box, and apply it to the headlight in even circular motions. Rub it thoroughly with firm pressure for about 5 minutes on each headlight. When you rubbed headlights with firm pressure for 5 minutes each, it's time to wash the headlights and dry them. When you wash and dry them, apply the Surface Activator again, wait for 30 seconds, and rinse and dry your headlights. Before going to the step #6, you can remove an adhesive tape since you don't need it anymore. Step #6 - Clear Coat Application Now it's time to give your headlights a UV protection. You're going to do that with the UV Block Clear Coat included in the package. Remember, if you don't protect your headlights from the Sun's UV rays, it will become foggy and hazy again in no time. Before starting, use the second white towel included in the kit and dry the area again. We need to have perfectly dried headlights in order to apply the clear coat. Now, put the plastic glove on your hand, you need to make sure none of the hand oils, sweat, etc. comes in contact with the headlight. Take the blue paper towel from the kit, and pour a bit of UV Block Clear Coat on it. Now apply it to the surface in smooth, even applications. Always do it from the top to the bottom. Do this twice on each headlight to make sure all the surface is covered and protected. WELL DONE, YOU'RE FINISHED WITH CLEANING THE FOGGY HEADLIGHTS! Using the method I showed you above, you can get great results, something like in the picture below. Image by: Anthony Grathanelli Similar Articles: 9 Best Car Waxes For An Amazing Finish (2021)How To Wash Your Car The Right Way: COMPLETE GUIDE