Affordable DIY Guide: How to Clean and Polish Car Headlights

Most car headlights are made of polycarbonate plastic. This type of plastic is susceptible to heat, radiation, dust, pollutants, etc. As a result, after a period of use, car headlights often become yellowish, hazy, dirty, and even develop scratches.

This will significantly reduce the intensity of the light emitted from the headlights, causing the light beam to scatter, posing a danger to nighttime driving. Therefore, if your car headlights are yellowish, hazy, or cloudy, you should pay attention to polishing them to minimize these issues and restore the clarity and brightness of the headlights.

Here are some inexpensive materials you can use to clean and polish car headlights:

Toothpaste

Toothpaste is a readily available material at home, making it a simple and cost-effective method that yields noticeable results. Toothpaste has a mild abrasive effect, allowing it to quickly remove dirt and polish the plastic part of the headlights.

First, spray water onto the surface of the headlight and wipe it with a clean cloth. Then, apply toothpaste to a soft cloth and rub it onto the headlight from the inside out. To achieve a polished headlight, repeat this step several times until the entire surface and headlight are covered with a layer of white toothpaste. Finally, rinse with water and dry.

However, be careful not to use toothpaste that contains cooling beads, crystals, or similar ingredients as they can create scratches on the headlights. Also, pay attention not to use a rough cloth to avoid scratching the surface of the headlights.

Avocado

Avocado has similar effects to toothpaste in terms of polishing and cleaning headlights. In fact, many people have applied this method successfully to restore the brightness of their headlights.

The steps are similar to polishing headlights with toothpaste. However, when polishing car headlights with avocado, you should cut it in half and remove the pit before directly rubbing it onto the surface of the headlights.

Sandpaper

Compared to the previous two methods, this method takes more time but has long-lasting effects. All you need is sandpaper, clean water, alcohol, and a dry cloth.

First, wet the headlight and sandpaper with clean water, and then start polishing the headlight in small circles and polish each section until the entire headlight area is finished. Note that during the sanding process, you should spray a moderate amount of water onto the headlight surface. After completing this process, dry the headlight with a clean cloth and clean it again with alcohol.

Remember to choose sandpaper with a low grit to ensure that the outer plastic layer of the headlight is not worn down into deep grooves that are difficult to repair.

Wax, specialized solution

Currently, there are many types of wax or specialized solutions available on the market for polishing car headlights. These waxes or solutions are specifically designed for restoring and polishing car headlights, so they have a high degree of smoothness and low corrosiveness. This is the most effective method for polishing car headlights, but it requires a slightly higher cost compared to the previous 3 methods to buy wax or specialized solutions.

The steps for polishing car headlights with wax or specialized solutions are as follows: First, thoroughly clean the surface of the headlights before polishing. Then, use tape to protect the car’s paint around the headlights. Next, apply wax or apply the polishing solution to the entire surface of the headlights. Finally, use a clean, soft cloth to polish the headlights in a circular motion until they shine.

Source: vtc.vn