A buddy of mine just asked if i could help get rid of the yellow hazing on his headlights. I have also been dealing with this issue on my daily. I currently every other month rub toothpaste on them and wipe them clean. It usually clears them up well.

Is there any method people have found to work best? Is there any drawbacks from using the sanding and polishing method? I felt the toothpaste was a safe method that worked. I see many different kits at auto parts stores, and i have also read many different methods that people use. What do you guys use?

 

I've personally used this kit with good results.

3M Headlight Restoration Kit - Walmart.com

It includes enough compound to do one car, but if you but a bottle of plastic polish, the other supplies with last several cars. Use lots of water during the sanding process, and the sandpaper will last quite a while.

Made the headlights on my sisters Camry, which were damn near brown, look like new.

 

I used #0000 steel wool and a 5 gal bucket of elbow grease when I was in highschool once. Then you just wax the headlights ever time you wash the car to keep them from getting yellow again.

 

I used the same, or similar, as Joe, and since then I wax the headlights every time I wax the car, which isn't often. Admittedly, my car doesn't see the harshest use, but 3 years later my lenses still look like new.

 

You can use rubbing compound and a cloth, or buy a kit such as Joe listed. The thing is, unless you add back some sort of UV inhibitor, you'll have to constantly keep redoing it. With an inhibitor, you can get away with once every 18-24 months. Lots less effort, and the headlight bezels won't get all wavy on you from too much polishing.

 

Post 35

After a couple of months, looks like the day I did it.

 

I've used the 3M kit as well, but wet sanding and waxing works just as well. I have done a bunch of headlights this way and they stay looking great for 2+ years. The most important step is to remove all of the oxidized plastic on the lens before you start polishing them.

Wet sand 400, 800, 1500, 4K, 8K, then finish off with a good quality wax. Use rubbing compound and reapply wax every 6mos or so if you want to keep them looking perfect.