How to Remove Scratches From Plastic Headlight Lenses

Most late-model autos have headlights with plastic lenses that protect the headlight bulbs from road debris. These lenses are much more durable than glass lamps, but they can become scratched over time. Sometimes plastic headlight lenses can become so scratched that their night-driving effectiveness is compromised. In cases like these, polishing the lenses restores them and saves you the cost of replacement. You can buy a kit at your local auto parts store with all the necessary equipment to polish your headlight lenses and remove scratches.

Polishing the Lens

• 1

  Tape off the headlight lenses using masking tape to cover the body panels around the lens covers. This will keep any compound from getting onto your paint.

• 2

  Clean the lenses with soap and water, then dry completely. Any surface dirt on the lens can cause additional scratching during the polishing process. To be on the safe side, you may want to wash and dry the lenses twice.

• 3

  Polish the lenses. Smear the rubbing compound from the kit onto the lenses and work it in with a microfiber cloth. Spend about 10 minutes on each headlight, polishing until the surface is shiny. Wipe away any excess compound with a clean microfiber cloth.

Deep Scratches

• 1

  Wet sand the lenses. Some deeper scratches and pits may need a little extra work before applying the compound. For these situations, use 1000-grit wet/dry sandpaper on the scratched area, making sure that the sandpaper is thoroughly wet. The wetter the sandpaper, the easier it glides over the lenses and the better it cuts into the surface.

• 2

  Switch to finer sandpaper. For this step, you will want to use 2000-grit or higher sandpaper. Again, make sure to keep the sandpaper wet throughout the process. This step should smooth out the scratches enough for the polishing compound to work.

• 3

  Apply polishing compound. At this point, you should be able to use the polishing compound to successfully restore the lenses' shine.