How I cleaned up my foggy headlights

Chances are you also have a car with plastic headlights. As they age, are exposed to sunlight, rocks, dirt, heat, etc., the factory coating that protects the plastic wears off. Then the headlights start to look foggy. Not only that, it disperses the light instead of aiming it straight onto the road in front of you. 

You can clean off the oxidation and smooth out the damage and make your headlights look nearly brand-new. The problem is that if you don't re-apply an OEM style protective coating, you'll have to keep polishing them every three to six months. But that's still much cheaper than buying a new set.

There are several ways to polish headlights.

1. Go buy a kit and follow the instructions.
2. Look around the garage and see if you already have the required materials.

Let's try option #2. Do you have any clear plastic polish? Meguiars makes a nice one. Don't have any? How about some Turtle Wax polishing compound in the green tub? I've even heard that toothpaste works.

If the plastic is rock-chipped and rough, you can smooth out the damage with some 2000 grit sandpaper and water. When you're done with that step, the headlight will be all hazy. But don't worry. Now use the polishing compound on a cotton terry cloth and it'll be clear as glass in a minute or two.

Update: I tried the Meguiar's kit, and it works pretty well. The protectant is not the same as original. You still have to re-polish them about every six to eight months or so. Without the protectant, I need to re-polish the headlights every 3-5 months.

One of these days, I'll try clear spray paint to see what it does. I've heard people get good results with it. Even if it messes it up, I can fix it with some 2000 grit sandpaper and water.

Here's my before and after:

Update 9/19/2022: Now I just wet sand with 1000 grit and then clean & dry. Mask off and then shoot with a high quality clear coat and you're done.