How to Restore Your Car Headlights Using Toothpaste

May 27, 2021

10 minutes

Over time headlights develop a layer of oxidation that looks bad and reduces the effectiveness of your headlamps. Cleaning them and restoring them to their former glory is extremely easy.

If you have damage outside of the headlight, you may need to check out our guide on how to remove scuff marks from your car.

rag	×	1
toothpaste	×	1

Howchoo is reader-supported. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no cost to you when you buy through our links.

This is a good excuse to wash your whole car ;)

Use the most normal toothpaste you can find. The only reason this works is because toothpaste is a mild abrasive. If it has special whitening or other nonsense, it won't work as well.

Using as much elbow grease as you can, scrub the headlight. Add toothpaste if it becomes too dry.

Using water and a dry cloth, wash and dry your headlight. The oxidation layer is known to come back every once in a while so you may need to repeat the process.