Plastic lenses can become dull, damaged, and yellow with time. Polishing them will remove the haze. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars to repair your car’s headlights, you may restore them in 45 minutes for about $15.
Tools Required
- Flannel polishing cloth
- Latex gloves
- Masking tape
- Wet & dry sandpaper (1000 to 2500 grit)
Materials Required
- Plastic polish
Project step-by-step
Step 1: Wash and Sand Horizontally
- Clean the hazy headlight with warm soapy water.
- Rinse thoroughly with clear water and let dry.
- Then, mask the area surrounding the lens to avoid scratching the paint.
- Soak the sheets of sandpaper in water, then begin with the grit that best suits your needs.
- Sand moves in one direction.
Step 2: Rinse and Sand Vertically
- Rinse and change direction with the next grit. Keep doing this until you’re finished with the 2,500-grit paper.
Step 3: Buff the lens with Polish.
- Wash the headlamp well with clear, cool water, then dry it.
- Wet one corner of the flannel cloth with polishing compound.
- Use forceful pressure to polish the headlamp in a circular pattern until it is smooth and clean.
Step 4: Polish the headlight lens.
- Allow the polish to dry completely before buffing away any remaining polish with the clean end of the cloth.
- Repeat the polishing process.
- Depending on the extent of the headlamp’s damage, small portions may remain cloudy. Try repolishing only those areas with a polishing product.
- Buff the area again and inspect. The lens should appear completely clear! If you’re looking to buy a headlamp, the Fenix HM65r is ideal.
