How to Polish Headlights

How to Polish Headlights

The sun, the hard weather,the passage of time... there are many factors that lead to damage of our car's headlights and cause them to lose their normal appearance, turning them opaque and matte. This is not only unsightly but causes less shine and therefore it also becomes a matter of security. To overcome this problem, at OneHowTo we will now share some tips on how to polish headlights and bring back their shine.

You'll need:
  • Masking tape
  • Soap and water
  • 100% cotton rags
  • Liquid polish
  • Sandpaper (optional)
  • Or use a headlight cleaning kit
Steps to follow:
1

The first step to polish the headlights worn out by the sun and corrosion consist of placing masking tape (the same used by painters) to protect the metal sheet around the headlights.

2

Likewise, those who know how to may opt for removing the headlight cover making polishing easier; though in truth removing these is not strictly necessary.

3

Then we will clean the headlight with a cloth dampened with soapy water to remove all dirt and impurities. Failure to do so may result in scratches to the the headlight while we polish.

4

Once cleaned, apply some liquid polish over the headlight or a similar product from a headlights polishing kit. The use of gloves is recommended for handling these kind of chemicals.

5

With the help of a cotton cloth, spread the product over the headlight being cleaned and always move in a circular motion.

6

You will see that as you rub circularly on the headlight with the rag, the appearance of the light will change and become more transparent. For best results we recommend applying the product at least twice.

7

You can also use water sandpaper of 2000 or 2500 to completely polish the headlights. This is included in some cleaning kits.

8

When we see the headlights of the vehicle are no longer dull and opaque but have recovered their initial transparency we will change the used cloth (now wet and full of product) for a clean and dry cloth and proceed to complete the polish and get shine , again doing so with with circular movements.

9

Note that this operation requires patience as it will take at least 25 minutes to polish a headlight; longer if it is severely damaged.

10

If the problem of your headlights comes because your bulb is burnt out, read this article and find out how to change headlight bulbs at home.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Polish Headlights, we recommend you visit our Car Maintenance and Repair category.