Cleaner wax for mild headlight oxidation

[mclasser]

I've got some mild oxidation starting to form on the top of my headlights. I'm thinking of using leftover Meguiar's Cleaner Wax to remove the buildup.

My question: Will the abrasives in the cleaner wax affect the headlight clearcoat and leave me with perpetually yellowing headlights that I'll have to either A) regularly seal or B) replace? I know cleaner wax is safe for metal clear coat but not sure about plastic.

Thanks!

 

[aquariuscsm]

Imo plastic headlights are like fighting a losing battle from the very beginning.

 

[shortyb]

Megs C/W is very mild and will not harm the headlight hardcoat. They use Kaolin clay as the "abrasive" which has an extremely fine polishing effect. Now, what you should also do is find bulbs that are UV shield coated to prevent light in that spectrum from degrading your headlights in addition to the natural elements that attack the plastic as well.

 

[CharlieJ]

Skip the cleaner wax and use Meguiar’s PlastX. If the oxidation is light, then you should be able to use a microfiber applicator and polish it away. If it’s heavy, then you’ll need a machine and a cutting pad.
Once I started to see my plastic headlights start to oxidize, I began to use PlastX and a microfiber applicator pad and go over my headlights by hand after every wash to keep them clear and apply a synthetic sealant wax as I do the rest of the car.
You will need to do this every few months to keep them maintained, as once the UV coating has failed, there is nothing you can do other than to polish it clear again.
Coming up on 15 years and still looking good and clear.