Can You Restore Headlights with WD40?
WD40 is great when used for lubrication and as a water repellant, it is also surprisingly good at removing glue residue from surfaces. As good as it is, it is not one solution for all. There are suggestions that WD40 can be used to restore headlights. While that might seem so at first, this is not the case. The results are temporary and will end back where you started. In order to restore your headlights successfully, you have a holistic approach.
WD40 will clear your headlights but it will not restore your headlights. WD40 was made as a lubricant and rust preventative none of which are headlight restoring properties. Most people apply wd40 and once the headlights are clear they leave it at that. The reason why this won’t work is that headlights are plastic, not glass. The Sun’s UV rays will eventually break down the plastic and oxidation will occur. Over time the protective coat on a headlight when new will get weaker and finally it will oxidize. This presents itself with the haziness normally seen in headlights.
To restore a headlight, you must first get rid of the oxidation (yellowish deposit on your headlight). To do this effectively you will have to wet sand the headlight. I also have an article on this here. Once you have sanded down the headlight you can now work on a fresh surface that will get your headlight back to new again.
There are several ways you can restore your headlight effectively. This means it covers sanding the headlight, restoration, and finally protection. They include:
- DIY Restoration kits
- Restoration by polishing and then finally applying a sealant or ceramic coating
- Permanent Restoration
These by far are the best option you can have to fully restore your headlights. I have written on the topics as well and you can check the blog here.
Conclusion
WD40 does not restore your headlights it clears them. The results will not last as long because it does not solve the issue of oxidation effectively. To restore your headlights, you will have to choose other options which include sanding the headlight, restoration, and finally protection. Only then will your headlights be fully restored and the results will last longer.
