# Salt Residue on Headlight Covers **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [February 15, 2009, 1:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/salt-residue-on-headlight-covers/26475 "2009-02-15T01:04:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![maddie12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@maddie12](https://community.cartalk.com/u/maddie12)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 1:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/salt-residue-on-headlight-covers/26475/1 "2009-02-15T01:04:59Z")
What do you recomend to clean the salt residue off of headlight covers? ---
**Author:** ![meaneyedcatz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meaneyedcatz/32/692_2.png) [@meaneyedcatz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meaneyedcatz)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 1:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/salt-residue-on-headlight-covers/26475/2 "2009-02-15T01:39:09Z")
When you fill up at the gas station simply use the windshield sponge/squegee and wipe them off. ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 2:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/salt-residue-on-headlight-covers/26475/3 "2009-02-15T02:57:25Z")
Rain water or anything wet. ---
**Author:** ![galant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/77aa72/32.png) [@galant](https://community.cartalk.com/u/galant)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 5:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/salt-residue-on-headlight-covers/26475/4 "2009-02-15T05:03:40Z")
I think what you are referring to is just aging of the plastic headlight and not salt. There are kits for this and you can use all sort of abrasives, from toothpaste to plastic polish. ---
**Author:** ![thecarguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@thecarguy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thecarguy)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 5:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/salt-residue-on-headlight-covers/26475/5 "2009-02-15T05:11:25Z")
at autozone you an buy a lens polishing kit that brings back the lens to to like new again. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 11:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/salt-residue-on-headlight-covers/26475/6 "2009-02-15T11:58:25Z")
Water, salt dissolves very easily. Grime may take a little more water and some soap with a rag to clean it. That said a most modern headlight covers are plastic and will become hazy with time. You can use any of the materials available at the auto parts store to remove that haze. Some people have had good success with certain tooth paste or very very fine sand paper. ``` Frankly I believe the move to the fancy plastic (or even glass) covers was a big loose to car owners. The old one size fits all sealed beam headlights provided equal light and were easy and cheap to replace. Now replacing a light is a major job, cost far more and all for what? ``` ---
**Author:** ![bloody\_knuckles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@bloody\_knuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bloody_knuckles)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/salt-residue-on-headlight-covers/26475/7 "2009-02-15T15:01:39Z")
Style, Mr Meehan, style. Your car is now an accessory just like your wardrobe. For most car buyers that means that how your car looks is more important than how well it works or how cheap it is to repair. I love my new 08 Accord but I was reading the manual (yes, I actually read my car manuals) and the process to replace the headlights requires going in through the front wheel well. Oh for the days of reaching down into the engine compartment… ---
**Author:** ![maddie12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@maddie12](https://community.cartalk.com/u/maddie12)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2009, 11:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/salt-residue-on-headlight-covers/26475/8 "2009-02-15T23:23:50Z")
I guess I should have been more explicit from the looks of all the replies. Actually it is a combination of aging and the salt residue. I live close to the ocean and my car is kept out in the open. A detailer told me he would do it for $75.00 and I was looking for an alternative. I will check the auto stores. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![meaneyedcatz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meaneyedcatz/32/692_2.png) [@meaneyedcatz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meaneyedcatz)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2009, 3:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/salt-residue-on-headlight-covers/26475/9 "2009-02-16T03:49:02Z")
if you are talking about the cloudy effect that will not come off it is due to age, the uv protection is worn off. The lens can be polished but the uv protective would not be restored.