Real car enthusiasts constantly care not only about the external and internal (interior) beauty of their “iron horse,” but also take care of the working parts and mechanisms. To a greater extent, the safety of driving a car will depend on the serviceability of lighting devices - headlights, which will be kept in proper condition by a special substance - polish. Car headlights should always be clean and transparent.
Polishing paste for metals
No, we didn’t mix anything up: in a separate frame there is a message: “Can be used for polishing plexiglass headlights.” Yes maybe. And even with convenience - thanks to the simple compact packaging in the form of a jar. That's where the advantages end.
It is difficult to rub, the surface remains somewhat cloudy, small visible scratches cannot be removed. However, the improvement in illumination measured by our device was 20 lux.
NANOX Perfect Shine, “Polish for transparent plastic” , art. NX8344
Declared manufacturer - Doctor Wax, USA
Approximate price - 290 rubles.
Polishing with paste-like substances
This polishing method is usually carried out by car enthusiasts themselves and for this it is possible to use:
- Regular dental toothpaste (powder) - it is perfect for the most common type of flashlights - made of plastic (plexiglass), which have not received serious damage during wear. Polishing them is extremely easy, so there is no point in purchasing professional cleaning products - it is quite possible to get by with a product that is widely known among the people. Toothpaste contains tiny particles - abrasives, which do an excellent job of removing minor scratches and helping to restore the original shine of all optics. However, to carry out full-scale work, you may need not one or two tubes, but preferably three or four, coupled with soft, clean rags or old towels. The paste must be rubbed into the surface in a circular motion for 15 - 20 minutes, then rinse off the applied composition with clean water, and then wipe the surface dry. You can also use tooth powder, the abrasives in which are somewhat larger than those of toothpaste, which means it can cope with denser stains. In any case, brushing with toothpaste/powder is an emergency solution; it will not help much with severe contamination and, of course, cannot be compared with professional polishing at a service station;
- GOI paste is named after the State Optical Institute, where it passed its first test as a cleaning agent containing chromium. The substance has a characteristic green tint, a dense microstructure and is used as a professional product both in workshops and by ordinary car enthusiasts. Its excellent performance and cleaning properties allow you to polish/sand the surface of headlights and glass, car bodies, and in general various objects that require transparency or shine. The product is made in the form of bars and purchased by weight. To work with it you will need a felt rag. It is always worth remembering that due to its characteristic green color, GOI paste should be quickly removed from the surface to be cleaned (using clean water and a rag) immediately after polishing in order to avoid its hardening;
- Special automotive polishing pastes - there are a sufficient number of them on the modern market, they can vary in purpose, features of use and quality of processing. The process of their application may also vary, but only slightly. The possibility of using each sample of such paste should be considered in the context of each specific case.
Advantages and disadvantages of using paste
The undoubted advantages of using paste-based polishes are:
- The method is relatively cheap - a rare tube will exceed the price of 1000 rubles, and to polish all lighting fixtures you will need no more than 4 of them.
- Economical consumption - a small amount is enough to treat a relatively large area;
- Efficiency - with its help it is possible to achieve the desired level of transparency and brightness of the lighting fixture without spending extra money on service station fees;
- Time savings - the treatment can be carried out independently, without wasting time on visiting a service station, and the entire procedure will take no more than an hour.
The real disadvantages of the above method include:
- The need to apply sufficient muscular and physical effort;
- The effect is short-lived - however, this drawback only applies to cases of emergency use of toothpaste/powder. Specialized substances - GOI paste or special car polish paste - have a long-term effect.
NANOX Perfect Shine, “Polish for transparent plastic”
According to the annotation, it contains nano-sized functional components that instantly penetrate the microrelief and provide a quick effect.
It’s a pity that the size of the particles cannot be checked, but the polish is convenient to apply and easy to rub, after which small scratches and clouding disappear. Illumination improved by 40 lux.
PlastX, Clear Plastic Cleaner & Polish , art. G12310
Declared manufacturer - Meguiar's, Holland
Approximate price - 310 rubles.
PlastX, Clear Plastic Cleaner & Polish
The composition is designed specifically for cleaning and polishing transparent plastic. The packaging is convenient, there is a dispenser, but for some reason there was no Russian annotation.
The polish is easy to apply and rub in. If the haze is minor, it can be removed and the illumination improved by 30 lux.
Headlight Lens Restoration Kit , art. 09135
Declared manufacturer - Permatex Inc., USA
Approximate price - 730 rubles.
general information
All types of car headlights require maintenance. Glass, and especially plastic lanterns need protection from the negative effects of natural phenomena and road costs. The outer surface of these important auto parts is susceptible to dust, dirt, chemicals, mechanical shock, etc. To clean your headlights and at the same time protect the glass or plastic coating, you need to choose the right care products for these components. The product range offered by the domestic and foreign industrial market is so diverse that it is easy to get lost in it.
To correctly select the required headlight polish, you need to take into account the following:
- What material are the headlights on your car made of (glass or plastic).
- How seriously damaged are the “eyes” of your car (scratches, cloudy fragments, scuffed areas).
- It's a good idea to know which polish is suitable for your type of headlight.
Headlights can be polished either manually or using special devices.
If you decide to use a grinder, it is better to take one that has a power control function. This is necessary in order to prevent overheating of the surface of the headlights, especially plastic ones.
You need to pay special attention to the choice of abrasive pastes for polishing, having studied their composition and functionality.
The right paste and tool will return the headlights to their former brightness and cover them with a protective layer that truly protects the headlights from any damage. Polishing plastic headlights is an operation that service stations offer to repair even severely damaged lighting devices. Qualified specialists, a competent choice of the necessary tools and polishing compounds are the key to success when contacting a service station. The only significant disadvantage is that the cost of these manipulations, of course, is much higher than self-polishing.
You can safely polish glass headlights by hand, unlike plastic ones. Regular rubbing with polish is a time-tested and many car enthusiasts way to clean up glass headlights.
Sometimes external polishing is not enough; cloudiness can be caused by drops of condensation on the inner surface of the headlights. In this situation, internal polishing will be required.
Headlight Lens Restoration Kit
This is a whole kit for polishing headlights, containing a small bottle of the composition, four different sandpapers, a flannel cloth and even gloves (they, however, immediately tore). Instead of instructions, there is a link to an English-language video.
The test results could have been better: after removing small marks on the plastic with sandpaper, traces of its use remained - the polish did not eliminate them. The improvement in illumination was 15 lux.
Plastic Cleaner , art. 80183
Declared manufacturer - Permatex, USA
Approximate price - 195 rubles.
Rating of headlight polishing pastes
3M headlight restoration kit
3M is the number one choice for newbies and car enthusiasts around the world in one convenient package. You get 3M abrasive technology with a polishing compound to restore your headlights to their original condition.
You get sanding discs (which are nice, but the sandpaper is not) as well as a cloth to apply the polishing compound. You can save a lot by purchasing this set, saving about 10% of the price if you bought everything separately.
Turtle Wax T-240KT
Turtle Wax is amazingly versatile. This headlight restoration kit is sold at a fairly inexpensive price and works absolute wonders. You get three restoration wipes to improve precision restoration, as well as spray-on lubricant.
This kit promises to clear up and protect your headlight lenses.
Sylvania
This kit provides the best UV protection against yellowing and general discoloration of your headlights. Perhaps the biggest feature, besides the excellent shine and clarity, is the lifetime warranty. You will get better light output from your headlights, which is optimal for safety reasons.
Eliminate haze with this simple kit. You can add extra UV protection with a modified kit, but the standard one is more than enough to protect your headlights from sun damage. If you live in a dry, hot climate, such as the southern part of Russia, this kit will be a real savior for you against yellowing headlights.
Wipe New
Attractively priced and made in the USA, this killer kit comes with everything you need to clean and restore your headlights. This kit is designed to last 2-3 years after application and ensures your headlights pass inspection.
This kit is very easy to use and will only take 5-7 minutes of your time to significantly improve your headlights. Once applied, it survives winter, car washes, and anything else that tries to wash it away.
NuLens
Yellowing is the biggest problem facing our headlights and this kit will ensure that you see nothing but clarity when you look straight into your headlights.
Scratches that oxidize and cause damage disappear within seconds of application. You also get a comprehensive PowerPlastic 4Lights polish that will enhance your headlight restoration.
You will also receive car headlight polish, restoration discs and varnish. Designed to last for years, made to work seconds after application.
Meguiar's
Meguiar`s kit comes in six different versions to give you exactly what you need, no matter the circumstances. They restore your headlights to like-new condition and also repair scratches and other imperfections that may have resulted from damage to your headlights.
You receive a bottle of Plast-X Clear cleaner plus a polish that provides crystal cleanliness 10-15 seconds after application. Attach a drill to use a polishing sponge to restore your headlights in 1-2 minutes, removing all visible damage, marks and scratches. Our favorite part of this kit is the versatility, use it on taillights, boat windows, even your motorcycle helmet visor, all of which can be cleaned with this kit and it will instantly improve them.
CLT
SZ eliminates damage caused by ultraviolet radiation, as well as minor scratches. You don't need any tools, you can just open the kit and get started. Within 2-3 minutes of starting work, you get noticeably clearer headlights.
The service life is on average eighteen months. Throughout its life it provides maximum protection from UV rays, chemicals, exhaust fumes and airborne chemicals (insecticides, etc.), just clean, dry, coat and you're good to go. You will be able to “stretch” this set for a long time and after the first layer is washed off, you can apply it again.
Plastic Cleaner
According to the annotation, this product, a cleaner and polish in one bottle, adds shine to products made of polycarbonate glass and other plastics. Forms a hydrophobic film. True, it is inconvenient to apply the compound to the headlight: due to the wide jet, part of the polish ends up on the fender and hood.
It rubs off easily, but instead of the promised shine, a white coating remains. However, the illumination still increased by as much as 30 lux.
Clear Vue Glass Polish, “Super Clear Glass” , art. TC60R
Manufacturer declared: Turtle Wax, UK
Approximate price - 280 rubles.
Important nuances
Before you make a purchase and begin restoring the clarity and shine of your car headlights, you should carefully consider some issues:
- headlight material;
- the effect you want to achieve;
- degree of pollution.
These nuances will help you better decide which polish to choose. All car headlight polishing products are divided into 2 types. Depending on their base, they can be liquid or solid. In this case, pricing does not depend much on the type of product. The cost of different brands for products with the same base can vary greatly. Liquid polishing agents are based on oil or alcohol, while solid ones are characterized by a high degree of rigidity due to the presence of diamond or corundum dust in the composition.
Clear Vue Glass Polish
According to the owners of the “turtle”, it is ideal for silicate glass, but is also suitable for hard transparent plastic. It's a pity they didn't provide a dispenser. Small scratches remained on the headlights, as did a whitish coating. The illumination increased, but only by 10 lux.
Glass polish
Declared manufacturer - NPKF Kolorit-B, Russia, commissioned by Sapphire LLC
Approximate price - 70 rubles.
What types of headlight polishes are there?
The reasons that cause damage to car lighting fixtures are very different:
- dust;
- dirt;
- sand;
- ultraviolet radiation;
- mechanical damage;
- insects;
- fragments of road surfaces.
As a result of the influence of all the above factors, damage to both glass and plastic headlights occurs - microcracks, scratches, clouding, yellowing. Driving on roads with such headlights is not only unsightly, but also unsafe.
Chemicals can come to the rescue in this case by improving the appearance of plastic and glass headlights and improving their ability to transmit light.
There are the following types of cosmetics for car lighting care:
- restorative action - to restore the original properties of light diffusers (transparency, high-quality lighting);
- protective properties - to create a film on the surface of the headlights that protects against ultraviolet radiation and minor damage;
- combined purpose - for protection and cleaning at the same time.
The consistency of the processing agents used can be of two types - in the form of a paste and an emulsion.
Glass polish
And this composition is “ideal for glass, but can also be used for hard plastics, such as lamps.” The polish is in a convenient package, there are detailed instructions in Russian. But it took a long time to rub a napkin over the headlight to remove any remaining polish.
And still there are small scratches, abrasions and clouding - a slight matte coating. But the illumination increased by 30 lux.
Headlight polishes: Shine of burning eyes
Selecting the right cleaning product
To make the right choice of polishing agent for automotive optics, you should consider a number of important parameters:
- The material from which the headlight is made - some compounds are suitable only for plastic models, while others are intended exclusively for glass ones. At the same time, there are also universal multifunctional options.
- The severity of the damage ranges from serious chips and scratches, from which pastes cannot be saved, to small cracks and clouding, which can easily be removed with polish.
- The level of compliance of a particular headlight model with the cleaning agent used - in this case, you should pay attention to the manufacturer's recommendations - it usually indicates the best composition of the polishing agent with which its product will come into excellent contact.
