EASY and FREE Way to Clean and Restore Your Headlights
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- Опубликовано: 10 май 2024
- There are tons of products marketed to clean your foggy headlights but they are a total rip off. I've found a household product that works just as well! Check out the video to see the way I prefer to clean and protect my headlights.
Use the Amazon Affiliate links below to order supplies for restoring your own headlights. 
Хобби
OMG. that was amazing
thanks. iam a senior widow and so tired of getting ripped off. i will be sure to do my owm headlites. thanks.
You’re welcome. Just keep rubbing until they come clean.
Use Meguiar's Keep Clear Headlight Coating after this to prevent the yellow from returning. Clear cote will always flake off of plastic because its not designed for plastic.
This is real good for pedestrian safety too. Lots of folks get hit crossing roads thinking those dull headlights are far away.
It’s good for everyone!
Yes
WD 40 is CANCEROUS. Stinks like the exhaust muffler shops.
@@haroldreyes7549 do you know the main component of WD40?
👌👍
I actually tried this today. I am quiet satisfied with the results.
Sure, there are some dirt within the headlight, but overall, it did the job, and visibility has definitely increased.
Glad to hear it worked for you too!
Try mothers wheel mag in a red small tub.
@@shawnmyers1880 q😊😊a
I will try it
Incredible job. Thanks for the tips.
My pleasure!
I’m going to apply this method tomorrow. Quite excited. Thanks!
Did it work?
Iv known about this for years and great that it’s being put out there again
Nice!
Thank you for the information I'm going to use it I appreciate everything you went through this is perfect
My pleasure!
Excellent job! Fast and simple.
Thank you!
I used this cleaning method on my 2004 Toyota Camry recently. Although the car has lived in the garage since it was new, there still was some headlight cloudiness that the toothpaste method removed, and now the headlight covers are clear as new. Greetings from Dallas, TX, USA!
That’s great! I’m glad it worked for you too.
Yyyyyyypy uh
I'm in Dallas tx go cowboys🤠 I'm gonna try it brother
@@westmanyoung2708 Okay! My headlight covers are still clear. Didn't follow up with the wax recommendation though; guess I should have. Peace ✌️!
We tried it on my Mustang. It lasted for about a week then back to being cloudy again
I have a 2007 Chevy Malibu on which I will use this headlight cleaning method. If I can pull it off, I will give before/after shots to let you see results. Thanks for posting. This is very timely.
I have no doubts it will work!
Wow, I’m actually gonna try that. Thanks for the video my friend
You’re welcome!
I’ll try this on my 2011 tundra, very cloudy headlights! Thanks for making and sharing this video!
Noladude504 You are welcome. I would love to hear how it goes. How do you like your Tundra?
TightWadDIY, I bought it new in 2011 and it’s been a great truck! No issues just routine maintenance, couldn’t be happier with it.
Thank you for yr demo . THe method is simple but effective. I like it...
Thanks my man! Just what I was looking for! Much easier, cheaper, and quicker than spending the whole day with expensive cleaners, sand paper, sanders, etc! I don't have the time, money, or patience for a big project like that! This is much better. Thanks again! 🫡 😀👍
Exactly!
I’ll have to try this again on my 2007 Honda Fit. I did it last summer but it didn’t make much difference because I gave up when my arms got tired. In a pinch I’ve wiped on a little bit of wd40 if I’m going to do any night driving but that helps very little and very temporarily. This is why I’m a subscriber. Thanks for posting this!
OwnedByACatNamedC.C. I need to amend my comment. It appears that WD40 is a viable temporary fix for foggy headlights. It doesn’t melt the plastic like bug spray does. Sorry I mislead you.
TightWadDIY Will do - thanks again. I’ll put away the WD40!
If the yellowing is on the inside it cannot be cleaned unless you take off the lens which will than destroy the seal.
Just tried this on my 2013 Honda Civic.... WORKS great. Thx
That’s great to hear!
Worked great!
Inexpensive way to get the job done!
Definitely!
I did this back when I had my 2005 MR2. It wasn't perfect, but it worked at least as good as those $50 restoration kits. I got 2 tubes at Dollar Tree
I agree!
Dollar tree lol. Thanks for the store i forgot about that
Wow! That is amazing! We live in the country, so you can kinda guess what kinds of things hit our lights. But, I'm going to give this a try. I have Crest Prohealth ADVANCED Deep Clean Mint. That should work.👍 TU.😊
You’re welcome!
This worked well on a 2008 Transit. Some of the cloudiness is deep and will need a second go in time.
Glad it worked well for you!
This video is very helpful. Thank You 😃
My pleasure!
Thank you I'm an owner of a 99 Camry it did wonders for my fogged up headlight lenses
That’s great to hear!
I will definitely give this a try and see what happens. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
Great! Let me know how it goes!
Man oh man I got the 5 dollar answer . Easier than any of the “professional” methods . It’s called “Mothers” mag and aluminum Polish. It’s micro-abrasive is extremely consistent in grit# perfect for this. I Polish clear helicopter bubbles n shields with this awesome product. You’ll be a believer after 30 seconds of using. Crystal Clear in 4 or 5 minutes by hand. Wow!!!
@@tinypurplefishesrunlaughin8052 Good to know.
@@TightWadDIY You will be extremely happy with how well it works. Psssst take the label off if ya wanna be the wizard. HaHahahahaha
Wow I have 2014 Honda crv.. im gonna try this for sure! Also replacing a headlight bulb i got this🙌🏻
Yes! You can do it!
Did you get it done?
Thank you for your excellent sharing. Thanks bro!
My pleasure.
wow that actaully worked great, I was just about to order plexus plastic spray cleaner too, you saved me $40 Thanks so much!
Thanks. It lasts a couple of months and you will need to do it again.
A few years back, when headlights were made with glass lenses, one did not have to spend elbow grease and about an hour of time on a weekend buffing plastic lenses. The auto industry is pretty extravagant with my leisure time and elbow grease! if I were buying a new car, I would try to find one with headlights that did not waste my leisure time and elbow grease!
Good luck to find one
Your method really does work great , didn't have wax so I used WD 40 to fill in .. I buffed it off like wax then applied a second spray, still looks great ... Thank you!!! 👍👍
I’m glad yours look great too!
It will be back to be as foggy as before after you go to the car wash
@@Norita72cox Thank you for your reply, it did come back after 3 washes I sprayed WD-40 on it rubbed it in circles twice and it is all good again..👍
BINGO! that's exactly what I needed! Got toothpaste, no wax coating, but got wd 40 !! Aloha from Hawaii!
Me too, no wax, but i got wd 40😂Aloha from Palm Springs 😂@MK-su6eg
Great job well done
very good explanation, I will do the same process for my car. Thank you
You are welcome
I discovered this for myself when thinking I needed a mild abrasive to clean my Ford Fiesta lamps…Toothpaste naturally springs to mind, but don’t use the smooth gel. You want the toothpaste with the gritty texture. A few minutes hand polishing is all you need and rinse with water. Done👍
Yep!
What type of toothpaste pls?
@@ucheejiofor2145 Nongel
@@TightWadDIY 0:51 It doesn't really matter which kind?!
@@ucheejiofor2145 Whitening toothpaste.
I use Mother's aluminum polish / cream. Works better than anything. You'll need two soft cloth towels. One for application and another for polishing. I can clean my headlight plastics in 10 minutes to a clear plastic look. Last a couple months
Nice! Same concept for sure.
Dang! I’m on my way to the bathroom right now! Thanks so much. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
TMI! 😂😂
Thank you very much we love your RUclips !!!❤❤❤
You are too kind! I’m happy to have you!
And, the chance of your headlights getting cavities, is reduced dramatically. I once purchased two different toothpastes that I did not realize were manufactured by the same company. On the sides of the packages, one said "CAVITY PROTECTION", and the other said "FIGHTS CAVITIES". So I thought that was kind of weird.
Interesting.
👀
Protection..is for existing cavities.....so use that first.... then to keep them looking good use the fights cavities 😂
I'm in Ghana and unable to get some here.
Lmao!!!Good one lol
As an auto detailer I can honestly say this works BUT only for a few weeks.
An it will make the headlights look worse…
Best bet is to sand the headlights with 1500/2000 wet sandpaper then get rubbing compound an buff the headlights.
After, wax the headlights with your favorite wax. This will make an keep the headlights looking great for more then an year.
If you want to keep them looking newer for longer, ceramic coat the headlights after the wax an it will literally last you about 3 years before you have to repeat the process…💯🤓
Thanks.
👍 that’s what we did at the shop I used to work at
What do you mean by ceramic coat? Is it a spray......Paint. what form does it come in? Have you an example..
@@busdriver6278 it’s a spray, kinda of like a wax but just a little thicker…
Google it!!!!lol
cleaning is fun when you actually have something you want to clean.
and this is a perfect example.
Exactly! I hope you get great results too!
I feel the same when I clean around the house. The end result gives a lot of satisfaction.😊
Awesome 👌 I'm definitely going to try this this week
Let me know how it goes!
Can't wait to try this. Thanks
Let me know how it goes!
You saved me $270 and the hassle of removing the fender to replace the headlights. You rock!
You’re welcome!
to replace even a turn signal bulb on my cts you have to remove the fender inner liner, front bumper and grille and then take the lights out of the car. it is atrocious.
@@alanduverger4755 Wow. That’s terrible!
Works great on scratches on dvds or CDs so doesn’t surprise me ! Always some good hacks
Interesting!
Gonna try this tomorrow, thanks!
Let me know how it goes!
That is a great life hack! Thanks man!!!
You’re welcome!
Omg it looks so beautiful!!!😲
I hope yours look great too!
That was really good thanks. Another trick for removing sun screen around door handles is Brasso
Not sure you have that in the USA but its for brass and silver cleaning. My friend who valets cars was impressed because he had tried everything and this was the one that worked. We use it also to polish perspex.
That’s a great idea!
The winos where I live used to drink that when they were hard up
Does this actually work, just recently got a new car and it has some sun screen finger prints on the metal as well as the black plastic strip on the vertical side of the door above the handle and its annoying me
@@lukecarter1978 yes luke do you have brasso its a very fine cutting compound and doesn’t scratch paint.
@@geofftaylor7541 I do mate, I'm from the UK and remember using it to get a badge in scouts lol. Thanks if it'll work on the plastic too ill get some
Thanks for this brilliant information
My pleasure
Good idea 💡, thanks you for a great job ❤❤❤
My pleasure.
Now that's something to smile about! 😁
Yes! Minty headlights are a must for a happy car!
I just did this and it worked quite well. I was out of elbow grease so I put a foam buffing pad from a previous headlight kit, in my drill and buffed it on medium speed. I also had Crest with scope and the headlight smelled minty fresh after the buffing.
Nice! Did you taste it to see if it was fresh?
Thanks alot I am from south africa and it worked I wish I had tried this earlier before wasting money on expensive products
That’s great!
Thanks for the video and I am gonna try it on my husband’s car. 👍👍👍
Let me know how it goes! I do mine every few months. Keeps them clean!
@@TightWadDIY will do!
WOW!!!! Thanks for the tip!! I went and bought the 2 small tubes of Crest and did this this evening on my wife’s 2011 Honda Pilot EX. One tube actually did both headlights that were really glazed. Got some shop towels and did the wax on wax off!! LOL Worked like a charm, looks new!! The only thing I didn’t have was some wax to put on. I will have to pick up some. Also, our map lights are out and I watched your video on that. There is my next project!! Again thanks for posting these videos. One question have you had an issue with the third seat latch not working?? The 1/4 seat is down and the latch will not release so I can raise the seat. Again thanks!! Juddie - J & J TOA
I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the videos. No, we haven’t had any trouble with the rear seat latches.
Repent to Jesus Christ
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5 NIV
I
Can i use normal car body wax or there’s a special wax for headlamp
@@praisejesusrepentorlikewis6218 Hail Satan!! 👹🤘🤘
Yes, Hell and satan go together. That is where he is headed for eternity, and so will those who serve. Whether you believe it not doesn't make any difference.
So nice 👍 It looks amazing. I’ll try this for sure 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Thanks! I’m confident you will be happy!
Great job thanks
From Eritrea
Thank you!
Sooo cooool … thanks from Australia 🇦🇺
My pleasure, mate.
Thankyou for this, I now have have the brightest, mintiest smelling car in the car park.
Nice! Better keep an eye out for those scandalous cars. I bet they will be checking yours out!
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Works, but only mildly. And you still need to reseal with good anti glazing clear coat to make results last. Toothpaste is a very mild abrasive and won’t work on badly glazed plastic.
You need a clear coat no matter which method you use to clean them if you want it to last.
@@TightWadDIY What clear coat would you recommend, thanks?
@Cerebro Brother you want a U.V. Resistant clear. They make them but many auto parts don’t carry. Go on line and find. It will still yellow in time, just like the original clear did. Even waxing won’t stop the slow deterioration due to environment.
Awesome video! Very helpful
Thank you!
This actually works. Yes sir 👏
Yes!
Toothpaste worked pretty good. Used it on my Toyota and Nissan. Thanks for posting video. Will use it again.
Great! You will need to redo it every 3-4 months.
I have a 2003 4 Runner bought in November 2002, almost 20 years old, so I used Colgate last time with no wax or water, it didn’t last long, I’ll try this method tomorrow with the TP, water & wax. I’ll let you guys know how it works….
Nothing will keep them clear forever. It lasts a few months and you have to do it again.
Nice job thanks for sharing
You’re welcome!
Nice! Good cheap solution!😄👍👌
Thanks!
As someone who restored headlights professionally this is a stop gap temporary fix. Headlights have a UV coating to protect them from oxidation, to truly restore them you have to sand the plastic pretty hard with a 800/1000 grit wet dry sandpaper, working up to 2000 grit or better. Then you can seal them with a spray on UV coat or Wipe New.
Yep. This lasts a couple of months as mentioned.
Yep... Just bought my wife an 02 camry mint condition except for the valve cover and those hazy headlights lol.
Chris fixit agrees with you. The toothpaste deal is good but the dude said there no permanent fix. Chris fix it used sand paper and clear coat spray with UV protection. All these methods will clean but the deal is how long will it last.
ruclips.net/video/UEJbKLZ7RmM/видео.html😊
So could you do this method but just use uv spray at the end
Rather just do this every few months than have to sand them.
So you do a little more often not everyone can afford to have this done professionally I have been doing this for years no fading
I've done the wd40, headlight restoration products, Turtlewax Colorback, and toothpaste. As youve stated they're all only temporary fixes as that the clear coating and UV protection has all deteriorated. But, toothpaste is safer on your automotive paint than other products.
Correct. I do this every few months. It’s worth it!
I put some clear paint protection film on our new car headlights. Will see how it goes.
@@dearbulls I’d love to know the results.
@@TightWadDIY thanks. I use the Xpel PPF, said to be the best on the market with 10 years of warranty. I didn't put it over the paint tho, since I already got the dealer's ceramic coating and 6 years paint warranty
@@TightWadDIY
İncelip, matlaşması için değer! 👌🤠
Great job TW keep up the awesome job.
Thanks!
Bloody (damm) great, no, Fantastic outcome! A car wash joint in my town charges $50.00! This method didn’t cost me a Penney! Because I had everything on hand! Thanks.
Yes! It’s so easy!
I just did my daughters headlights. I have tried the toothpaste method, on my own car, it did last a few days. I used sandpaper, 800 stroking side to side and then rinse, then up and down, then side to side with 1000 grit. Then scrubbed with the Barkeepers friend, it's like Comet bath scrub. Then waxed, and the drivers side looks great, but as I was trying to teach her, she did the passengers side, which ended up less yellow, but still foggy. I heard once you get them clear, WD-40 will help seal and keep them clear? Great video BTW!! THANK YOU! I may try again on her passenger side, toothpaste. My daughters car is a 2004 Sonata. Her headlights are very dim, she is scared to drive at night. I drove her car at night and couldn't see well either. Scary! Trying to find the right headlight bulbs as well. Any ideas on that?
I don’t think WD40 will have any benefit. Just keep scrubbing with toothpaste until they are clear. They will stay clear for a couple months and you can repeat the process. To get the correct bulbs, go to an auto parts store. They will look them up for you.
I just bought the brightest headlights pair cost without being led
If you have the funds, swap out factory headlamps for projector type headlamps instead, can use factory bulbs and it still focuses the beam better and magnifies it, worked awesome on my 06 f150...
I drive a 2011 Sonata and have problems w dim headlights too. My brights are like reg headlights so I use those instead.
I need to try this. I have one headlight that is awfully cloudy, and one that is nearly clear. I think there was a difference in the one they used as a replacement after a deer collision five years ago. Does it have to be Crest? lol, I have several other brands in the cabinets, and travel bags. They need to be used for something, since I don't brush my teeth anymore. Thanks for the vid.
The coating on the headlights wears off overtime causing the cloudiness. That would explain why the newer light still looks good. Any toothpaste will work but I prefer the non gel type.
That's because you ,have headlights troubleshooting
Good information, good job.
Thanks!
this method makes my headlight actually better than before.
That’s great!
@TightWadDIY Nice Results!!! I don't know if someone asked this in a previous comment but I don't want to go through 600+ comments, so I'll ask: What kind of cloth did you use when first applying the toothpaste and does it matter?
It was just a regular wash rag. It doesn’t matter what you use.
@@TightWadDIY Thanks.
This looks like a great method and a cheap technique, just the way how I like. Since I brush my teeth every night, I know where the toothpaste is at
I’m glad you found it helpful!
good to me! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! I’m glad you liked it!
I will be trying this method on my wife's Hoda pilot and my dodge and my mother in law's truck Thanks
Let me know how it goes!
@@TightWadDIY for sure I will be doing a video on it here in my channel
Great video TightWad! Do you think rubbing compound would also work?
It should do the trick. I’ve actually heard that adding ceramic coating made as a wax substitute prolongs the polished look.
Love it, Thanks!
I used the method yesterday day and it worked!
You’re welcome!
That’s great! I’m glad it worked for you too!
@@TightWadDIY thank you very much I used it on my dad's car and my dad's headlight's are now strong and before I did the method my dad's car has only one light working and after I used the method both of my dad's headlight's starting work and they became stronger
@@TightWadDIY does toothpaste also fix --> not working headlight's 😂 it fixed my dad's headlight's!
I have use. On my cars. Transmission oil. It works well too. 👍
Interesting.
So I used Cif which worked amazingly. Then my mate, who has an alloy referb business, sprayed the clear alloy wheel protector over the lights so the UV doesn't make them fade again. Been 6 months and still no fading.
That’s great!
Jif peanut butter? lmao really?
@@tjgrafiks lol. Sorry I'm meant Cif
Thanks! If only I'd known. I paid €60 to get mine cleaned after car failed it's road test!!
We used toothpaste in the Army to shine our brass, I used on my headlights and beautiful👍👍👍
Nice! Glad it worked for you!
Thanks for tip, amazing!
Damn, never heard of this before... thanks mate.
You’re welcome!
Thank you God bless 🙏
Welp toothpaste will be used then happy this was recommended to me!!! Great video
Great! Let me know how it goes!
Thank you so much for the inexpensive way to clear this up. I was thinking I needed to replace my headlights which would be 1600.00 to 2,000 dollars.
You’re welcome!
This doesn't work. I have tried it and it scratches and causes problems with headlight.
@@lcruce I can’t imagine toothpaste scratching it. It’s a super mild abrasive.
@@TightWadDIY well it did. I used colgate.
@@lcruce thank you for your honesty:)
Good stuff, thank you!
My pleasure!
Great job 👍
Thanks! Hope it works for you too!
👍🏼
9 out of 10 Dentists recommend brushing your headlights at least twice a month. Plus, you get the added benefit of Minty Fresh vision on the darkest of nights! In between brushings be sure to use Colgate Breath Strips or Hubba Bubba! 😂
Joke's aside, I've used this method many times, and it works fairly well!
Thanks for sharing ✌️
😂😂Hubba Bubba brought back some memories! I loved the Watermelon flavor!
@@TightWadDIY 😂😆 👍 😂😆
😂😂😂
Thanks for the tip.
You’re welcome!
Awesome 😎 thanks for the video
You’re welcome!
I'm a detailer and I knew that toothpaste did that but I didn't know how good it works.
I was surprised too!
another trick is to use white vinegar and warm water actually for all type of windows, it also has the added bonus of no smear
I don’t think that will fix the micro scratches that are causing the cloudiness.
@@TightWadDIY i have just done it after , your thing is ok, but as you know its not the only way to clean it. I mean whats toothpaste made of ? i used warm soapy water along with vinegar to rub off somebodys useless attempt at tinting his windows, i had to rub off the bubble effect he made. so a good old steel wool worked. the vinegar is just for crispness and clean look not really sparkle
@@CoolCoyote I was saying you need some sort of abrasive so the steel wool took care of that. Toothpaste is a fine abrasive so that’s why it works.
@@TightWadDIY we were never in disagreement, i was surprised when i used it, really the film that was on there needed to be taken off more carefully, as you know, i guess thats why u used toothpaste, of course im sure u know of using a very smooth piece of sandpaper that also works
Vinegar will not work on oxidized plastic.
works well just did it THX!
Great! I’m glad it worked for you too!
That works great!
Agreed!
This only works for a few weeks and comes back. Same thing with wd40. Best way is to buff it out with compound and then polish.
Nothing is going to keep them looking clear long term. A clear coat may help but it’s not ideal either.
Ah, remember when we had glass headlights.
My first car had screw in bulbs!
That’s just what I was going to say lol 😂
I finally did this to one of my headlights. Toothpaste and Turtle 🐢 wax. Not perfect, I didn’t have as much elbow grease due one shoulder painful. Will do again. Didn’t do the other, it’s fairly new and not glazed. I drive rural roads and a large dog 🐕 committed suicide, so close and charging at the car, couldn’t miss it, broke that headlight. It ran off up a wooded hill, probably died. Had to order new headlight.
Repent to Jesus Christ
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5 NIV
U
@@praisejesusrepentorlikewis6218 lol are you still cheering on the end of the world?
work great thank you
Great! I’m glad it worked for you too!
For $20 you can get a meguiars headlight restoration kit from walmart. Made my headlights look like new and i have leftover product for more headlights (they recommend 2 coats and thats all i used). Been over 6 months and theyre still looking new.
In the long run the $20 is the better deal, just saying...
What is the final coat?