You can polish a car headlight yourself in several ways. A detailed study of each method will help you choose the best option. Additionally, you need to learn about the durability of the result after polishing and, accordingly, the frequency of the procedure.

With what you can polish the headlights

Headlight covers of car headlights are made mainly of plastic materials, on older models there is glass. The problem is that during operation, the headlights are exposed to pebbles and other small hard materials, after which scratches are formed. Another pest is the sun, under its influence the plastic becomes not transparent, but yellow. Polishing will help to solve such a problem, it is easy to perform with your own hands.

Cloudy yellowed headlight.

№1. Sandpaper.

For some methods you need a special technique, but it is quite possible and polishing headlights without a grinder. In such cases, you will have to work with your hands, and as a tool to remove the top layer will be sandpaper. It is better to prepare sandpaper of different grit sizes and soak it in water for 10 minutes before using it.

Which grit to apply depends on the degree of damage. If the lamp has deep scratches, then you should start with the finest 600 grit, if the damage is small, then start with 1000. After removing the protective layer, polishing and varnishing is performed.

Sandpaper removes the damaged layer.

The grit size should be changed gradually, too sharp transition can spoil the structure of the plastic surface.

№2. Special means

In addition to various folk and improvised methods of restoring plastic, there are also special means from well-known companies. They are sold in almost every car store and the choice is quite great, in the table below only the most popular options are described.

Name	Description	Package appearance
3M Headlight restoration kit	Complete repair kit that consists of grinding wheels, protective tape, polishing foam, paste, disk holder, finish and grading polishers. The grinding wheels in the kit are made as an attachment to a drill, so only that tool will be needed, the rest is in the kit. You can also use a screwdriver.
Doctor Wax - Metal Polish	The polish is originally designed for metals, but will work well for plastic as well. The composition does not contain coarse abrasive particles, so the polish will be soft, with the elimination of small scratches.
Turtle Wax Headlight Restorer Kit	This kit is designed to restore glass headlights. The kit even includes gloves, lacquer wipes and sprays. The product is quite economical and it takes about 20% of the contents of the bottle to polish two headlights.
Magic Liquid	The product helps to clean polycarbonate headlights perfectly, but it will not cope with deep damage. An additional advantage of Magic Liquid is that it is not only suitable for headlights, but also for other plastic elements.
DOVLight	Affordable product in the form of cloths. As easy to use as possible. At first, you should wipe the headlights, treat them with tissue #1, wipe them dry with a paper towel, and treat them with tissue #2. After that, leave the car in a place where it will be protected from moisture, in 30 minutes the remedy will set and you can drive out.

№3. Toothpaste

If you do not want to buy special products in order to save time or money, you can resort to improvised methods. An interesting option will be the use of toothpaste, because it contains silicon dioxide.

It is necessary to grind it with circular movements. It is important that the paste does not get into the joints or on the body. It is better to choose whitening pastes, they have the best effect.

Toothpaste will help with minor damage.

If there are many scratches on the surface of the spotlight, you can use tooth powder instead of paste, it is more abrasive.

№4. Abrasive pastes.

Factory abrasive compositions for polishing plafonds were mentioned in the subsection on special products. It is also worth mentioning that pastes are produced by Runway, Lavr, Sapphire, Arbo. They are selected depending on the headlight materials and the degree of damage.

There is also a folk method of cleaning with abrasive paste, it involves the use of GOI paste. It contains chrome oxide, so the mixture can cope even with mechanical scratches.

GOI paste is a universal tool.

№5. Grinder

No matter how hard a person works by hand, it is unlikely to achieve the effectiveness of the technique. Therefore, if there is severe damage, a grinder (or drill/driver with a special attachment) is used for polishing.

The advantage of the method is the ability to adjust the speed of rotation.

№6. Hot acetone steam

Such a liquid as acetone is very aggressive on plastic, so you can use it to remove the damaged top layer of the plafond. You should not use acetone in its pure form, the headlights will simply become unusable. It is necessary to heat it and treat the plastic surface with the steam produced.

When working with acetone, you must wear a respirator, goggles and gloves.

Step by step instructions of the 3 basic polishing methods

Sometimes the result of polishing may not depend on the effectiveness of the product itself, but on how the polish was applied. Therefore, it is important to adhere to the technology of the work when cleaning the plafonds with different means.

Preparation is almost independent of the chosen method. It involves cleaning the headlight of dirt, dust, and drying the surface. It is also worth considering that there are two methods of polishing:

Removable. The headlight is removed from the car before treatment. The method takes more time, but is more convenient.
Non-removable .. When using this method, body protection is important. All parts around the headlights are covered with paper tape.

Protective trim made of painter's tape.

Using sandpaper and polishing

Sandpaper becomes the most effective method, with the exception of a grinder, which helps to get rid of complex damage in the form of deep scratches. Polishing consists of 3 steps.

Step 1: Handling with sandpaper	To begin with a sandpaper with the lowest grit (in neglected situations to start with 600) and a gradual transition to the highest, up to 2500. Processing each sandpaper takes 2-3 minutes. After sanding with the coarsest grit, the surface of the plafond should be matte
Step 2: Processing with polishing paste	Depending on the material and the extent of damage, select the polishing paste. The surface of the spotlight is carefully coated with it, scratches disappear after the treatment, the headlight becomes transparent instead of dull
Step 3: Final polishing	For this purpose, paper towels, microfiber cloths and other similar materials are used. The goal is to remove all residual abrasive paste

The polishing procedure is complete. Additionally, the shades can be coated with with a special lacquer, it will create a protective layer, will give the headlights a shine, will increase the service life.

Using toothpaste

Another popular method, its advantages are cheapness and ease of operation. The disadvantage - toothpaste will help to eliminate only minor damage to the headlights.

For the work you will need:

toothpaste (any toothpaste will do);
toothbrush;
warm water;
clean rag;
polish.

The work process is outlined in the following table.

Step 1: Apply the paste	A toothpaste is applied to the cleaned headlight. The manual method uses a small toothbrush or other brush, or you can use a grinder. The toothpaste is applied in a circular motion, using a forceful motion.
Step 2: Cleaning	Rinse off all remaining toothpaste with warm water. Then the surface of the spotlight is carefully wiped with a dry cloth.
Step 3: Polishing	The final step is the application of polish and dry rag treatment of the surface of the material

Damage is usually on the outside, but it can also be on the inside. To clean the inner surface, you will have to dismantle the plafond.

We reinforce the information by watching the video.

Using acetone vapor

Acetone is an effective remedy, but it is only used to treat plastic surfaces, it is ineffective for glass headlights. You will need a special device that heats acetone, on which a cap with an extended spout is installed. You can make such a tool yourself, for this craftsmen use a piece of shock absorber, heating tape filters, tube and connections with melted plastic. As an alternative, you can buy a ready-made vaporizer.

Acetone polishing kit.

The room where acetone polishing will be performed should not have any sources of combustion, including cigarettes. You must wear a respirator and protective clothing.

Instructions for the steps are described in the following table.

Step 1: Acetone is poured into the heating device	The device is connected to the power supply. Wait until steam is produced from the tube
Step 2: Spray this steam on the plastic plafond.	Make sure that the device is as close to the headlamp as possible. It is important to "apply" the steam so that the treatment is even and there are no gaps
Step 3: After the treatment, leave the headlamp for about 10 minutes.	It is important not to touch it with anything, because a cloudy stain will form in the place of touching
Step 4: Airing	After you finish polishing, air the room for at least a few hours so that all the vapors can escape.

Treatment with acetone vapor allows you to achieve a transparent effect. To consolidate the result, the headlights are additionally covered with a special varnish or protective film.

You can visually study the method with the help of a video.

How long will headlight polishing last

How long the headlights retain their presentable appearance depends on many factors. It is influenced by the quality of polishing, car operating conditions, how carefully the care is performed, even the climate and quality of the road surface give an effect.

The longevity of polishing depends on the operating conditions.

Inside

After internal polishing, the surface will retain its appearance for at least 3 years. On the inside, there are few factors that affect the plafond. To maximize this period, the following recommendations should be followed:

Quality installation. It is important that once the headlight is installed, no gaps are left through which dust and dirt can enter.
Protection from weather factors.. The car should not be left under the direct influence of the sun. It is advisable that the vehicle be in a garage, or at least that the headlights be covered.
Use of appropriate lamps. Each vehicle's manual has recommendations for bulbs that can be used. You should not install lightening with heating, the increased temperature will damage the structure of the plafond.

Headlights with an additional lacquer coating.

Outside .

After polishing, the headlights retain their appearance for at least 12 months. To extend the period, you need to adhere to all the recommendations that are prescribed for the interior, and provide additional protection in the form of varnish or film.