You Can Naturally Clean Cloudy Headlights With This Common Kitchen Fruit

In the grand scheme of things, a car isn't that hard to make clean. Things like mud and dirt can be washed away with enough elbow grease, and, so long as there isn't any physical damage to your car's body or paint, it should come out the other end looking pleasantly sparkly. However, there's one part of a car that's a bit more stubborn: the headlights. With the general passage of time and the aging of the lights' components, your cars headlights may start to get foggy and turn a yellowish color. Not only is this generally unpleasant to look at, but severe clouding can actually make your headlights less effective.

Cloudy headlights aren't caused exclusively by contamination like a splash of mud on the body, so just rubbing them with soap and water won't completely fix the problem. There are a few DIY tricks to cleaning cloudy headlights, such as using WD-40 or a solution made with vinegar and baking soda, but there might be an even simpler option. Take a look around your kitchen and pantry, and you just might find everything you need for a quick cleaning job. All it takes is a box of baking soda and a single lemon.

In the last few years, a popular lifehack for restoring cloudy headlights has made the rounds on social platforms like TikTok. All it takes is half a lemon, a hearty sprinkling of ordinary baking soda, and a bit of careful rubbing, and your headlights should be restored to their proper clarity. To perform this cleaning trick, grab a lemon, cut it in half, and generously sprinkle baking soda all over the sliced side. You may hear a distinct fizzing noise from the lemon, which is a result of the chemical reaction between the baking soda and the lemon's citric acid. Bring this fizzy lemon out to your car and gently scrub the surface of one of your headlights in a circular motion. 

@christinanomura

Saw a hack and had to test it out. It worked! 👍🏽 Cleaned both lights within 5 minutes #headlights #headlightscleaning #headlightsrestoration #headlightshack #carhacks #quickhacks

♬ Time After Time – Paratone

Make sure the entire surface of the headlight is scrubbed, then rinse the fizzy residue off with clean water. Dry it with a soft towel, and voila: a nice, clean headlight. Repeat the process with the other headlight, and they should both be back to their full splendor. Cianna Garrison of Family Handyman verified this lifehack on her own car and confirmed that it does work, restoring her headlights to clean, sparkly status. She did caution, however, that this can be an abrasive process and should be performed sparingly so as not to damage the plastic of your headlights.