Dull headlights – how does it happen and what do you do about it?

September 5, 2022

Why are my headlights dull?

Dull headlights do not occur overnight. It is a wear and tear phenomenon, which occurs as the car ages. This is because the car’s headlights get a lot of wear and tear during their lifetime. Consider, for example, UV radiation, brine and car wash chemicals. The coating that is on the headlights then discolors very gradually. So dulling of the headlights is a very normal phenomenon, which cars in every price range suffer from sooner or later. Unless a car spends its entire life unused in a dark garage of course.

Dull headlights dangerous?

It is important to take action when your headlights are dull. In fact, there are some dangers associated with dull headlights. For example, with dull headlights, you see less of what is happening on the asphalt in front of you and you are poorly visible to other motorists. This can create dangerous traffic situations. Also, in many cases, a car with dull headlights will not pass the MOT inspection.

Have your headlights polished

There are two ways to make dull headlights shine again. For example, you can work on your headlights yourself or you can have your headlights polished by a specialized company. If you have it done by a company, this is going to cost you about 70 euros per headlight. Quite a hefty price, but you can be sure that it will be done properly and cleanly.

For a cheaper do-it-yourself solution, you’ll spend about 30 euros. That’s because 30 bucks buys you a kit that includes everything you need to get started yourself. Read the instructions on the manual carefully and you should be fine and safe on the road again!

Polishing headlights with Cif

The cheapest option for polishing for your headlights, is to buy a bottle of Cif. This is an inexpensive cleaning agent, with a slightly abrasive effect. You can’t really call it professional when you stand around scrubbing with Cif, but this remedy does get rid of the biggest dullness from your headlights. However, the large scratches remain. So if you really don’t feel like spending pennies, consider using Cif. Below is a step-by-step plan for polishing your headlights with Cif:

Step 1: Clean the headlight well

Step 2: put a little Cif on a piece of kitchen paper

Step 3: polish your headlight in horizontal and vertical movements

Step 4: Repeat steps 2 and 3 if you are still not satisfied with the result