Headlights or headlamps are the lights in the front of your vehicle which will illuminate the road during the dark. It does not mean that only at night it can be used. They are also used during heavy rain or snow when it is difficult to see the road ahead. The primary purpose of the headlight is to light up the road so the driver will get a clear vision. In this article, you will learn how to clean headlights with WD40.
WD40 is a product available in the market that people use mostly to lubricate surfaces, prevent rust, and get rid of moisture. Some WD40 sprays will be a good cleaner for you on tiled floors, headlights, and many more surfaces. Some drivers don’t take due care and maintenance of the headlight, but it is essential to clean them regularly.
Suppose you are planning to wash the exterior of your vehicle and wondering how to clean headlights with WD40, then you are in the right place as this article will provide you with the necessary information.
Sometimes your headlights will look foggy and might contain dirt; hence it is better to clean the lights well before your drive the vehicle. Maintenance of the headlight is essentially similar to that of the windshield. You can use their DIY hacks to clean headlights without scratching or damaging them. This article will focus on how to clean headlights with WD40.
Driving with a cloudy headlight will be dangerous, and sometimes you will have to pay a fine as it is illegal. Suppose the bulb in the headlights is burnt-out, then you will have to replace the bulb, but in case the lights are dim because of the fogginess, then you can try cleaning them. When you have proper vehicle maintenance, including the headlight, you will not have to spend on repairing or restoring the lights.
Why Does Your Headlight Looks Cloudy
Suppose the headlights in your vehicle are not in good condition, then the main problem will be that they look hazy. You don’t have to worry about it, as this commonly happens to most vehicles. Here are a few reasons why you are witnessing cloudy yellow headlights.
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Oxidation
When you park the vehicle outside during the day, the headlight gets exposed to direct sunlight. This means the UV radiation that hits these headlights will develop a microscopic crack. As a result, you will notice the headlight turning cloudy and yellow. Hence you must ensure that you park the vehicle in a garage or under the shade to avoid such damages.
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Damages While Driving
When you are driving the vehicle, small stones, sticks, and other particles on the road might contact the polycarbonate lens of your vehicle’s headlights. These particles will cause scratches and mild damage to the lens, making it look foggy. Suppose you are driving the vehicle on a bad road, then this damage might be worse, so you must ensure the condition of the road before taking the vehicle on it.
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Chemicals And Dirt
Suppose if you park the car on the road for too long and do not maintain it correctly, the dirt and chemical will get into the lens of the headlight forming a cloudy layer. This layer will also affect the brightness of the headlight. As a result, you will notice that the lights are turning dim.
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Water Vapor
Water vapor will form inside the headlight box when the air outside contains more moisture than inside while driving the vehicle. This formation of water vapor will also create a cloudy layer in the polycarbonate lens. Ultimately you will not obtain a clear vision of the road when it is dark or gloomy even after you turn on the headlights.
There are several methods by which you can fix the cloudy headlights, such as sanding and polishing the lens, but you must do it carefully. To prevent such issues, it is better to clean the headlight often. If you don’t know how to clean headlights using WD40, you can learn by reading the article.
How To Clean Headlights With WD40
Following the steps are necessary to obtain a clean headlight.
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Cleaning The Headlight
Before using the WD40 on the headlight lens, you must ensure that the surface is clean. Therefore, using a clean cloth, remove all the dust and dirt on both the headlights. Some people ignore this step and try to use WD40 on a dirty headlight. If you do so, you will not obtain perfect finishing, and the cleaning will not last long.
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Using WD40 On The Headlights
After removing the dirt, you can use the WD40 to clean the headlight. You might have seen people directly spraying WD40 on the headlight’s lens, but the best way is to spray it on a clean microfiber cloth and clean the lenses using the cloth. When cleaning the headlights, you must make a circular motion. This avoids leaving line marks and will make the work neat.
During the procedure, sometimes WD40 might get into your vehicle’s body. In that case, you don’t have to worry as this product will not cause any harm to the paint. While using WD40 on the lens, you will notice the lens becoming clear while the hazy look vanishes.
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Clearing WD40
When you perfectly apply WD40 using the microfiber cloth, you must remove this product using water in the cleaning process. In a container, you can mix car soap with warm water, then in the solution, dip a sponge. Now you can use the sponge to clean the headlight by removing WD40. Thoroughly clean both the headlights. Once complete, you can pat dry both lenses using a clean and dry lint-free cloth.
To ensure that the clean headlight stays longer, you can apply car wax to the lenses after drying. Anyways after driving the vehicle again, you might notice the fogginess; hence you will need to clean it frequently.
Alternatives To Clean The Headlights
Suppose you don’t have WD40. You can use the product at our place to clean the headlights. Some of the DIY methods are below.
- Using a microfiber cloth, you can rub petroleum jelly on the lens of the headlights.
- Applying olive oil to the headlight will also help to remove fogginess and clean the headlights.
- You can also use toothpaste and baking soda to clean cloudy headlights.
We hope this article on how to clean headlights with WD40 was helpful.
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