Can Bug Spray Clean Dirty and Foggy Headlights?
Many times, your vehicle’s headlights become foggy, which makes it difficult to drive it during the night. Bug spray, especially one containing DEET, is considered the best and cheapest method to clean those foggy headlights. Below I am displaying the step by step process to clean headlight with bug spray.
STEP 1: Buy a bug spray, especially the one containing the DEET. You can easily buy it from your nearest grocery store. One bottle would be enough to last for the entire lifetime of the car.
STEP 2: Spray the bug spray onto a towel or some tissues. Never use it directly on the headlights since it can cause the thin film on your headlights to erode and can even damage the paint of your car near the headlight and bumper.
STEP 3: Now scrub the foggy headlight with your paper towel until all the frost condensed over the headlight is gone. You might have to scrub with a bit of hard strokes if the frost is old and difficult to remove.
STEP 4: Now clean the headlight with a clean rag or paper towel to remove excess bug spray from it. This is a very important step. If you leave it like that, it might erode the thin film of plastic covering your headlight and may damage it with time. Also, it is advised to clean the area near the headlight to avoid leftover bug spray to erode the paint on those areas of the car.
Bug spray is a super-efficient and cheapest way to keep your headlight clean. Although it is not as good as professional cleaning, it can be considered as a quick fix for your frosty headlights.
There are few other remedies for your frosty headlights other than bug spray, which you can try:
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1. Buy a Headlight Cleaning Kit
There are cheap versions of professional headlight cleaning kits readily available in the market. You can buy them for as low as $15. You can buy one and get a professional clean-up for your frosty headlight if you are aware of how to use this toolkit. This has better results than any other method, although it is not a permanent fix, and you might have to use it again in a few months.
2. Use Vinegar Solution
Vinegar solution seems to be the one-stop solution for your entire problem. And yes, they can clean up your frosty headlights, too. Make a concentrated mixture of vinegar and water in a bucket. Now remove the plastic shield of the headlight, dip it into the vinegar solution, and leave it for some time.
Take it out after around fifteen minutes. Scrub the headlight plastic to remove the frost. Now clean it with clean water and place it back once they are dry. This method is a bit time-consuming and labor-intensive since you should take out the headlight plastic and assemble it back.
3. Head to Your Kitchen Cabinet
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You can very easily clean the headlights by gathering some ingredients from your kitchen cabinet. Just gather some toothpaste and baking soda and mix them in a bowl. Now, rub your headlights with this mixture for a few minutes. Clean the mixture with a clean, damp cloth. See, if the results are not satisfactory, then repeat the step.
Once the headlights are clean enough, rub some vegetable oil on your headlights with a paper towel and wipe them with a clean paper towel after that.
4. Install LED Headlights
One of the efficient solutions to frosty headlights is to install LED headlights. The LED headlights come with lot many benefits that normal headlights do not have severe problems related to frosty headlights. Some of them are listed below:
- Investment in LED headlights is like an investment into driving more safely and efficiently, especially during the night.
- LED headlights provide clear visibility since they do not spread all over; it is targeted in the area where you require the most visibility and hence give you a clean and bright white light for your driving.
- LED lights last much longer than normal headlights and are much more durable. It might cost on the higher side of your pocket; however, they compensate that higher cost with their longevity.
- LED lights also keep the driver awake with their neon-like brightness.
5. Check Your Headlight Settings
Sometimes everything is fine, but still, we could not get the required strength of headlight power as much as needed while night time is driving. Here are a few tricks to turn on headlights that you must check before taking your car to the mechanic.
Photo Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iUNiaYrzFQ
Check the headlight settings in your car. If required, you can search the settings online for your make. Turn the headlight to the highest beam and highest strength. There might be more than just one control to do this setting in your car. You may also take the advice of someone who is already driving the car to help you.
Also, nowadays, there are warning symbols enabled in modern cars, which tell you if something is not right. Watch out for them and discover what they indicate. This way, you can ensure the safety of people inside your car and of people traveling on the road.
Headlights are the lifeline of a driver, especially when he is driving at night. It not only ensures that he sees the road and upcoming objects clearly, but it also indicates the other people on the road of your presence.
Your horns might not work as effectively during the night as your headlights, as during the night, most of our senses are less receptive than our eyes. We are already struggling hard to see the things on the road; hence, most of our brain is used to receive what our eyes perceive rather than what is coming to it through our ears. Hence, having a clear vision for your car during the night is of utmost importance.
Certain car experts have also reported that you should not use bug spray to clean your car. We would like to hear from you if you have any other home-based tips and tricks to clean the car headlights. Also, if you want to share your story revealing the importance of clear vision at night while driving, please jot it down in our comments section.
