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Cleaning and Restoring Yellowed Vehicle Headlight Lenses by David Bynon
Are your vehicle's headlights yellowed, cloudy or scratched? You're not alone. Unless you provide your car's plastic headlight lenses regular attention, in 24 months or less they can cloud to the point of being completely opaque, making it very hazardous to operate your vehicle in the dark and in reduced visibility conditions. The solution is less complicated than you might think. The good news is that you can remedy this hazardous and ugly problem in thirty minutes or les. It's a piece of cake once you know the secret.
Are you wondering why headlights turn yellow and dull? The issue is not the result of abuse or neglect, as you might believe. It is an environmental issue. Without regular care, UV light from the sun, acid rain, salt and road debris degrade and dull all clear plastics, including headlight covers. If your car has halogen or another type of high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps, the issue can be more severe. These sealed beam units function at increased temperatures, further contributing to yellowing and clouding.
The solution is a simple restoration process. Headlight restoration is a plastic restoration process that takes away surface damage and returns a like-new finish to the lenses. Even hopless-looking cases of yellowing, hazing, and scratches can be fixed in less than thirty minutes.
You might be thinking why repair instead of buying new? Your headlights are a sealed unit, so you can't just replace the plastic cover. If you have a luxury car with high-performance lighting, replacement is expensive. Renewing versus replacement can save you $150 to $600 per lens, so it's well worth the energy. Besides, it's so simple!
What sort of results can you achieve? It may look hopeless, but most likely the damage is superficial. Even if your lenses are totally opaque, they can be restored. As long as the plastic has not yellowed completely, you have a very good chance of complete restoration.
Here's a tip. Try using a mild plastic polish first. If the damage is slight, you may be able to fix it with a common plastic polish from the auto parts store. I suggest trying this method before any other. It won't be wasted effort or cost, either, because you need to use the product regularly to maintain your headlights.
WARNING: Never use a household glass cleaning product like Windex on headlights. Household glass cleaners contain ammonia, which causes clear plastic to yellow.
If the polish by it self does not work, then you need to repair the damage with a very fine sand paper (2000 grit is very safe) and re-polish to restore a clear finish. While it may sound scary or complicated, it's not. Wet sanding is quick and easy.
TIP: You can check to see if your headlights will respond to hand polishing with a small dab of tartar control toothpaste. Toothpaste is mildly abrasive. If the small test area seems to get better, then you know polish alone may be all you need.
PROCEDURE
To restore the damage with wet sanding and re-polishing, you require the following supplies:
- Polishing towels
- Bucket of soapy water
- Latex gloves (if you have sensitive skin)
- Painter's masking tape (1" to 1.5" width is best)
- Plastic polish
- Wet/dry sand paper (600, 1200, 2000 grit)
- Sanding block (1" x 2" erasure works great)
- 2.5" Velcro backing plate for use with 3/8" drill or cordless drill
- 3" foam or wool polishing pad with Velcro backing
Here's the procedure:
1. Clean the headlamp lenses. A bucket of soapy water works best. Clean the surrounding area, too. Dry thoroughly.
2. Use painter's masking tape to mask around the headlamp. This will help protect your automobile's paint finish. This only takes a couple minutes, so don't skip this important step.
3. Wet sand each headlight. First determine the amount of damage to each lens. If your headlight lenses are scratched or if they are completely opaque, you will need to start with 600 grit sandpaper. Sand thoroughly, and then progress to1200, then 2000 grit.
If your lenses are not scratched and are only slightly yellowed, you can probably get away with using 2000 grit paper only. The first sanding step is where you will actually remove the scratched and cloudy layer of plastic. The finer grades of sandpaper are to remove the scratches remaining from the previous grit sandpaper.
As you work, your sanding water will turn milky. This is the damaged layer being removed. Use plenty of water for lubrication and to keep the sandpaper clean. Continue sanding until the surface feels perfectly smooth. The drippings will become clearer as the damage is taken away. Dry thoroughly between sanding steps to check progress.
4. Re-glaze headlight lenses using plastic polish on a 3" polishing pad (foam or wool). First connect the Velcro backing plate adapter to your drill.
Apply a small amount of polish to the pad and start polishing the plastic. As the polish begins to dissipate, add a bit more and continue polishing. Discontinue polishing once the lens is completely clear again. Finish with a final hand polish using a small amount of polish on a microfiber towel or applicator.
5. Seal to protect. Use a good auto wax to reseal the plastic and protect from the elements.
6. Maintain monthly with a quality plastic cleaner/polish. The products I recommend most are Plexus and Meguiar's PlastX.
If polished regularly, your automobile's headlight lenses will never need restoring again!
About the Author
David Bynon is the founder of the Autopia Forum and writes the Guide To Detailing blog. For a complete pictorial guide, visit Restoring Plastic Headlight Lenses on Guide To Detailing.
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Frequently Asked Questions...
Should I use paper or plastic tablecloths for the wedding reception?
I live in the Atlanta area. We have a small budget for our wedding reception. To rent a tablecloth for banquet size tables is $10 a piece. We have 15 tables. I am not about to spend $150 dollars for tablecloths alone. We are only using clear plastic plates.
What is the best alternative to using linen tablecloths?
Answer:
Between the two I'd say plastic will be more durable. The paper ones will be completely ruined as soon as someone spills a little something on them.

























































































