Topic

Hi All,

Does anybody have any experience/advice in cleaning headlamp covers with toothpaste, (lots of) water and a pad in an electric drill?

Alternatively, would I be better using a proprietary cleaning kit?

Many thanks in advance.

Ian

Whoever came up with the dumbarsed idea of plastic headlight lenses, needs shooting, rooting and electrocuting!
For those of you not familiar with the Aussie slang…. Rooting = fornicating.

Your probably better off use the proper stuff, start with some really fine wet n dry abrasive paper @2000 grit
Then go to ultra fine wet n dry abrasive paper @4000 grit before using the polishing paste.

I've always used finishing paste and a very fine mop on my rechargeable drill.

Toothpaste is ok but not very abrasive! I have used Brasso in the bast with good results. The kits you buy are generally overpriced but effective. Cobber has the appropriate answer (as usual). Just make sure you mask off the surrounding paintwork first, otherwise little slips can spoil your day, and paintwork.

Toothpaste is an abrasive, true, but it's not that great to revitalise badly fogged headlight lens. Sanding is the more constructive way to go, and you can find plenty of good and also not so great demonstrations on YouTube. The quick fix, magic solutions also on their forget about you will waste time and end up with a result that's frankly rubbish. No one I have known, with degraded lens, has ever said toothpaste was worth a shot.

The best result I had was to use wet & dry paper. Start with a fairly coarse grade (600 or 800, even 400 if they are bad) and gradually get down to about 2000.
This will leave them clear of the yellow, but a little matt.
Then spray with a 2-pack clear coat that will make them perfectly clear and they will not go yellow again because the clear-coat protects the plastic from further degradation.
This is only really practical if you remove the units from the car, which is not too big a job once the bumper is removed.

I used a combination of wet and dry paper on the 115, starting with 600, then 1200 then 2000 and finished with some G3 polishing compound. Good result, less than an hours work improved both the light throughput and the look.

Photos show nearside headlamp having just started after initial clean and offside headlamp nearly finished. A further 20 mins buffing with G3 compound paste would bring it up like new but the result is more than clear enough for an MOT and everyday use.