Keep Your Headlights Clean and Snow-Free As Much As Possible, Even If You Don’t Think You’ll Be Using Them. During the winter season, days generally become shorter. If it’s snowing pretty bad in your area, then you can expect inches of snow to cling to your headlights, limiting your driving visibility greatly. One of the downsides of snowy weather is how your surroundings can become dark as night in a matter of hours—sometimes even just minutes! You’re driving and just minutes after light snow coats your hood, it becomes more and more difficult to see oncoming vehicles. And we all know how difficult it is to trust your brakes when your vehicle is crawling through icy streets. This is why it pays to have fully-functional headlights which you can use during poor visibility conditions. (Fog lights are generally used during the winter, but it pays to have an awesome pair of headlights too.) Another reason why it pays to clean out your headlights before you travel is that it helps prevent the buildup of snow, sand, salt, and other debris which could cause long-term damage to your headlights. These harmful agents can easily diminish the effectiveness of your headlights in the long run, requiring you to replace both headlight assemblies come spring. Save more by keeping your headlights in tiptop condition instead. One way you can resist the temptation of ignoring headlight-maintenance during winter is by bringing out your shop rags and towels while you’re still at home. This way, you’ll be reminded to wipe the thin sheet of ice coating your tail lights before you pull off the driveway every morning. Another trick that works for me is to have my squeegee and towel resting on the hood—that way I’ll have zero excuses when it comes to cleaning my headlights.
