What Is The Cheapest Way To Restore Headlights?
Among the numerous options to restore headlights cover toothpaste, wd40, vinegar, baking soda, and many more. While most of these can clear your headlights, it is momentarily and within a short period, the fading will revert.
For restoration to occur, there are three stages that must take place:
Table of Contents
Sanding
Sanding gets rid of oxidation and creates a new surface to work on. This is the most effective way of removing all of the oxidation. Check this post on the best way to sand your headlights; feel free to check it out if interested. Sanding will make your headlights seem hazy; this results from the sanding marks left on the headlight. We must now restore the headlight and move to the next stage to get rid of them.
Restoration
This stage is where the magic happens. This is where the headlights become clear and good as brand new. You can either polish them or apply a clear coat or sealant to restore headlights effectively.
Polishing will eliminate the sanding marks and get the headlight as good as new. Spraying the headlight with a clear coat or sealant will restore the headlight and will also have protection against UV light. After spraying, you only need the let the coating cure, and the job is done.
If you polish the headlight to restore it, you must move on to the next step.
Protection
This stage is normally overlooked, yet it is one of the most important. If not done, the results will not last, and you will have to repeat the process.
Applying wax is the simplest form of protection. Advanced forms include ceramic coatings, paint protection film (PPF), and sealants.
If you decide to spray the headlight with a clear coat, then do not polish the headlight. This is because the polishing compound will make the clear coat not stick. Secondly, sanding marks help with the adhesion of the clear coat; polishing the headlight gets rid of the sanding marks and might make the clear coat come off sooner. If you still want to use a polishing compound ensure that you wipe the headlight using rubbing alcohol/ isopropyl so as remove oils from the lens
Conclusion
To restore a headlight, one must sand, restore and protect it. Any other form of restoration that does not include these three steps is merely clearing a headlight in which the results will not last. Sometimes to be cheap is expensive in the end. Please ensure that the job is done correctly to restore your headlights properly.
