How To Clean Your Jeep Grand Cherokee's Headlights?

By Nick Marchenko, PhD

Updated: July 13, 2023

After some period of exploitation, the headlights of your Jeep Grand Cherokee gradually become cloudy and lose initial clarity.

Different reasons cause such occurrences, among them the influence of sunlight, the accumulation of dirt and debris, and the gradual degradation of the Grand Cherokee's headlight material itself.

As a result, once clear and vibrant, headlights become yellowish or have a completely opaque appearance, decreasing their effectiveness and compromising the general outlook of the car.
Apart from the aesthetic side, dull headlights can also be dangerous because cloudy headlights transmit light less well and therefore do not shine as brightly, which can be dangerous while driving, especially at night.

You may wonder: can you clean your Jeep Grand Cherokee's headlights and bring back their initial clarity?

The answer is yes. Various approaches and techniques will definitely make your once dull and dim headlights look clear and clean.

Keep reading to find out about different options for headlight cleaning; surely, you`ll find something that will help you.

How to restore Jeep Grand Cherokee`s dull headlights?

There are many different ways to restore the cloudy headlights of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Among them are folk methods, ready-made DIY options, and several professional solutions suitable for craftsmen with good equipment.

In our article, the ways to eliminate the problem of fogging headlights are organized as follows: from the simplest to the most difficult. It all depends on the degree of wear, and if one of the methods does not help you, you can try the next one.

DISCLAIMER/ATTENTION

All actions aimed at restoring the brightness of the headlights must be performed carefully. There is a risk that if the operation is performed incorrectly, the Jeep Grand Cherokee headlight can be damaged or even broken.

If you are still determining your abilities, it is better to entrust the restoration of dim headlights to professionals.

Try to Clean Your Jeep Grand Cherokee First

What items will you need for this:

• Car shampoo;
• Bucket of water;
• Microfiber towels.

It often happens that the clouding of the Jeep Grand Cherokee's headlights is not really like that. Perhaps the headlight was simply contaminated with a large amount of dust, dirt, or something else that stuck to it.

Before proceeding to more decisive actions, you must thoroughly wash the car. For this, you should use special foam and a rag for the car. Wash the Jeep’s body with water, apply foam, wipe with a cloth, and wash off all the dirt with water.

While washing your Jeep Grand Cherokee’s headlights, do not rub them when they are completely “dry.” In this case, the dirt and dust that lie on them will act as abrasives and leave scratches on the headlights.

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You May Need to Remove Bugs from Jeep Grand Cherokee Headlights

What items will you need for this:

• Bug and tar remover;
• Water;
• Rag(s).

Small bugs and insects will stick to the headlight during trips, leading to visibility deterioration. These contaminants are not easy to wash out, so one will need special washing products.

Jeep Grand Cherokee headlights cleaning algorithm: wash your headlights with water, then wipe them with a clean rag, apply cleaner, and rub them all over the headlight surface (but don't overdo it to prevent any unnecessary damage). 

Finally, wash everything with the help of a wet rag. All the contaminants should be removed for now.

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Cleaning Jeep Grand Cherokee's Headlights with Toothpaste

What items will you need for this:

• Toothpaste;
• Rag(s);
• Napkin(s);
• Microfiber 

First of all, wet your headlights a bit. Then wipe them with a rag, but don't let them dry. Using toothpaste with a whitening or plaque removal effect is advised. 

Apply a few drops of toothpaste to a rag and, using circular motions, apply it all over the surface of the headlight. Leave it for a while. 

Now wash the toothpaste out of the Jeep Grand Cherokee headlight. Wipe everything dry in order not to leave any stains or toothpaste traces.

Cleaning Jeep Grand Cherokee's Headlights With Vinegar and Baking Soda

What items will you need for this:

• Baking soda;
• Vinegar;
• Water;
• Rag(s);
• Napkin(s)
• Glass/ basin or bowl

Baking soda and vinegar are great and universal tools for almost everything. The same goes when one needs to clean headlights from fogging. 

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Take a glass, basin, bowl, or other convenient container. You need to dilute soda with vinegar in a ratio of 1:2–1:3.

Wipe the Jeep Grand Cherokee headlights with a wet rag. Wash your headlights with the prepared mixture. Finally, dry them thoroughly to prevent any stains.

Try to Polish Jeep Grand Cherokee's Headlights with Plastic Polish

What items will you need for this:

• Plastic polish;
• Microfiber;
• Rag(s)

Optional:

• Angle grinder;
• Polishing discs

Since Jeep Grand Cherokee headlights are made of plastic, you can try to polish them with plastic polish. To do this, you must wash the headlight, apply the product to a rag, and polish the headlight.

For these purposes, you can also use an angle grinder if one is available and you have the skills to use it. To do this, you must choose the necessary disc and work very carefully to avoid damaging the headlight.

Use Sandpaper to Clean Jeep Grand Cherokee`s Dull Headlights

What items will you need for this:

• Sandpaper (grain: 1500, 2000, 3000);
• Rag(s);
• Water;
• Polishing product;
• Silicon spray;
• Transparent varnish

Cleaning Jeep Grand Cherokee headlights with sandpaper is suitable for more experienced car owners, as it requires patience and tenderness to avoid deep scratches on the headlights.

ATTENTION! If you`re not sure you can make it, it is better to skip this step to prevent any unnecessary damage to the headlight plastic.

Sandpaper is used here in the case when the headlight outside the surface is oxidized, and there is a possibility of restoring it by removing the damaged layer.

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Before applying the sandpaper, washing out all the contaminants from the headlight is recommended. Seal the area around the headlight using adhesive tape; - it will prevent body paint damage while doing the polishing procedure.

If possible, remove the headlight from the Jeep Grand Cherokee - it will be much easier to polish it from every angle without being afraid of damaging the body paint.

Now prepare some sandpaper. Depending on the headlight wear, one has to start from 1500 or 2000 grain (If the headlight is too dull - use 1500 grain, if it's not very dim - resort to 2000 grain).

IMPORTANT! Wash the sandpaper before applying it to the Jeep Grand Cherokee headlight. Wipe every headlight surface and corner thoroughly. It is necessary to use one direction while wiping: move your hand in horizontal motions from left to right or in reverse for no more than 4 minutes for every headlight.

Make the same procedure apply to the second headlight. Then take another sandpaper grain, which is 3000, and wet it using vertical motions to wipe every headlight surface and corner carefully (from top to bottom; no more than 4 minutes for every headlight).

Now use some water to wash the abrasive's remains, and everything rubbed out of the headlights. After that, your headlights should become more transparent and clear.

However, after this procedure, one has to restore the peeled-off layer of the headlight. Here are three ways to do this:

Polish - apply several amounts on a rag and carefully wipe across the headlight;

Silicon spray - apply an even layer on the headlight;

Transparent varnish - apply a thin, even layer on the headlight surface.

Use a Headlight Restorer

What items will you need for this:

• Headlight restorer;
• Rag(s)

You can afford a complete Jeep Grand Cherokee headlight restoration kit at a local car shop or supermarket. Usually, it's a chemical substance that comes in a kit with all the necessary rags and abrasives.

In most cases, you only have to apply several amounts of headlight restorer to your clean headlight, rub a bit, and wait until it does its job. Then you just wash everything out and enjoy your crystal clear headlights.

While buying a headlight restorer for your Jeep Grand Cherokee headlights, carefully read and follow the instructions.

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Entrust Your Jeep Grand Cherokee to Professionals

What items will you need for this: Money.

The most proven way is to give the job of Jeep Grand Cherokee headlight polishing to those who really know how to do it properly. Many services offer professional Jeep Grand Cherokee headlight polishing services. Yes, it costs a lot of money, but you can be sure of the result - they will revive even the most deplorable headlights.

Consider Replacing Headlight Assembly

What items do you need for this: A new headlight assembly.

Over time, the Jeep Grand Cherokee headlights may burn out so much that none of the measures listed above will be effective. 

Moreover, other signs of wear may appear on the headlights, like cracks, chips, burnt areas ( if the head bulbs are inserted incorrectly or heated too much and melt the headlight from the inside), and a burned-out or damaged reflector or lens.

In this case, it is better to avoid bothering with repairs and replace a Jeep Grand Cherokee headlight with a new one. There are many options on the market, so it is easy to find a proper one that will satisfy all your needs.

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Other Problems That Can Happen to Grand Cherokee's Headlights

Headlight fogging

Condensation can form inside the Jeep Grand Cherokee headlight itself, which also fogs the headlight, harming the light's visibility. This happens due to damage to the tightness of the headlight - water simply flows into the formed gap or gaps.

After some time, the water evaporates, and fog is formed. To fix this problem, you need to remove the headlight from the Grand Cherokee, carefully disassemble its housing, find the place that causes water ingress, and repair it.

Burned headlight

Another reason for dimming Jeep Grand Cherokee headlights can be a light bulb. Incorrect placement of the light bulb or its overheating during operation causes the plastic to begin to melt. Because of this, unpleasant consequences, as mentioned before, occur.

The solution to this problem is to replace the glass/plastic on the headlight or replace the bulb with one that produces less heat or has a better cooling system.

Maybe something is wrong with your Jeep Grand Cherokee's headlight bulbs

If the headlights are clean, not dull, and without damage or signs of wear, but the light is still bad, then the problem is in the bulbs. 

Jeep Grand Cherokee headlight bulbs may wear out soon, so the dim light is one of the following signs. The solution here is to replace old or worn-out bulbs with new ones or consider the installation of brighter headlight bulbs.
 

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How to Protect Your Jeep Grand Cherokee's Headlights?

Dim headlights not only spoil the Jeep Grand Cherokee`s outlook but can significantly negatively affect driving at night. Due to foggy plastic, the focused light is scattered on cloudy spots, which deteriorates road visibility.

To prevent Grand Cherokee’s headlights from becoming dull, dim, or yellowish, you can do the following:

• Regular headlight cleaning: clean your headlights occasionally, so they won't lose their fresh and transparent look. Use special tools and chemicals, or leave this task to seasoned people.
• Parking in a shaded area: direct hot sun is to blame for why your plastic headlights from white turn yellowish. UV rays penetrate the headlight plastic and deteriorate its structure. Park your precious Jeep Grand Cherokee in a shaded area or a garage.

To Wrap Everything Up

Clean and transparent Jeep Grand Cherokee headlights provide you with efficient and far-reaching road visibility in any conditions. When you notice that your headlights lose their clarity, addressing the issue as soon as possible is important.

Using appropriate methods and techniques for Grand Cherokee headlight cleaning will help you restore their usual transparency and clarity and improve your driving experience.

If you are unsure that you can clean your Jeep Grand Cherokee’s headlights on your own, leave this task to the professionals. Yes, it costs a bit, but you`ll be provided with confidence that the headlight cleaning-restoring job will be done as it should be.