When you turn on your car’s headlights, they beam a strong, steady light into the oncoming traffic. But if you look closely, you’ll notice a bit of yellowish tint in the light.

It’s not your imagination. The light actually has that yellowish tint to it, due to the fact that it’s coming from a plastic lens that is slowly degrading due to sunlight exposure. This type of exposure not only causes the lens to discolour, but it also causes the plastic inside the lens to break down as well.

The only way to ensure that your light source is as bright and clean-looking as new is to periodically wash it with some common household detergents and water. Before you start hosing down your car’s lights, however, it is important to determine whether or not this is necessary.

The Brightness Of A Headlight Does Not Equal Cleanliness

It’s important to understand that while your headlights might be bright and colourful, this does not necessarily mean that they are clean. Many road side debris, dust, and pollution particles can accumulate on the surface of the lens over time, diminishing the brightness of the light emitted from beneath it.

When you shine the light from your car on a white surface, it will become apparent that the cleanliness of your headlight is directly proportional to the brightness of the light it emits. So if you want to keep your lights as clean as new, it’s important to wash them at least once a month with a simple cleaning solution and some soap flakes.

What Is The Degradation Rate Of A Headlight?

If you’re looking to keep track of how long it will take for your headlight to lose its shine and become outdated, you can use this simple equation:

• Time = Time To Rebuild * 0.9
• Time To Rebuild = [(Original Construction Date) + (Original Duration In Hours)] / 1000
• Original Construction Date = The Year, Month, and Day that your car was built
• Original Duration In Hours = The Total Number of Hours that your car’s headlights were on during the day

So, let’s say that your car was built in 2019 and turned on at noon on January 1st. The above equation would reveal that in order to have the same brightness as new, you would need to wash your headlight at least once every three months. But if you turned it on at noon on December 31st, then the equation would show that it will only take twice as long to lose its luster.

Is It Worth Washing Your Car’s Headlights?

It’s important to understand that whether or not you need to wash your car’s headlights is entirely dependent on where you live and whether or not there is excessive road side debris, dust, and pollution present in the air. Some areas of the country may not require you to wash your headlights as often as others.

If you live in an area where the air is clean and the road side debris is minimal, then you can probably skip washing your car’s headlights altogether. The only time that you might want to consider hosing down your car’s lights is if you notice that they are a bit cloudy or hazy due to accumulation of dust or pollution particles on the surface of the lens.

Ultimately, you might want to decide how often you need to clean your headlights based on how often you drive on dusty or dirty roads. If this is the case, then you might want to consider using an electric air pump to spray down your car’s interior and exterior, as well as the headlights themselves. This type of electric pump is ideal for the frequent task of ensuring that your car’s lights remain bright and clean, as it eliminates all the fiddling required to maintain a constant water pressure.

In less than one hour, you can restore foggy headlights and make them new again with the right equipment.

How To Clean Your Car’s Lights

In order to keep your car’s headlights clean, you will need to follow a simple routine. Start by wiping down all the exterior surfaces of the vehicle, inside and out. Next, you can use some mild soap and water to thoroughly clean all the interior crevices and cracks. And last but not least, it’s time to wash those beautiful headlights. Begin by ensuring that the area is well-ventilated by opening all the windows in the area and allowing some air to flow through to eliminate all the moisture. Next, pour in some water and add a few drops of liquid soap.

Soak the nozzle of the spray bottle in water for a few seconds before you start spraying down the headlight. Next, carefully direct the nozzle so that you are spaying water directly on the lens surface. Do not be afraid to wet the entire headlight in order to ensure that all the dirt, grime, and dust that has built up over time is washed away. When you are finished spraying, allow the headlight to dry for a few minutes before you begin the process again. Avoid using any type of oil-based product on any part of your vehicle, as it may cause future problems.

Hopefully, this info on how to clean your car’s headlights will help you decide whether or not to wash them often enough to retain their new aesthetic. And if you do decide to wash them, then you will have the added bonus of brightening up your vehicle’s interior as well.