Do NOT use DEET on your headlights!!!!

1 SX

1 SX

Joined
Feb 19, 2009
Messages
1,486
Location
The Woods of NY
So a female friend of mine saw on a facebook 5 minuets crafts to use DEET on headlights to "restore" them to like new condition. Car in question is a Toyota with halogen headlights. They sprayed deet bug spray right onto the headlights, they turned 50 times worse to a extremely cloudy white haze after a rain storm. I could not remove the haze, as it felt like the headlights melted or something and became extremely tacky. But nothing i had in the shop would take off this white haze, So i had to use more deet on a microfiber to buff and remove the white haze, and they did turn back to clear, then used a headlight restore kit to with a buffing wax/cleaner, then finished it up with a coat of sealant, but im not too hopeful that the results will last. I think they now need new headlights, or a extreme sanding, and buffing, and spayed with a sealant.

Long story short do not use deet, esp sprayed directly to headlights to "restore" your headlights. You will be extremely sorry, and will have to either replace your headlights, or get a headlight restore kit and sand them down. The results will probably not even last because the headlights are damage from the deet.

🤔 🤔 🤔 🤔 🤔 🤔
 
Bug spray will really soften plastics if you aren’t careful. Apparently applying it directly to your headlights isn’t a great idea! Nice of you to fix for her.
 
Is Powerbait a real thing? never heard of it. im a believer in doing things right if your going to do it, and spaying bug spay is not the right way to fix headlights. They would of been better off asking me first, not after the fact, and i probably would've got a headlight restore kit, and wet sanded, and all that fun stuff, to at least get them clearer. Now they are shot, and i dont think even sanding them will fix it. They look acceptable now, but it feels like the headlights are still tacky, and its a matter of time before they turn to that bright white haze again.
 
RhondaHonda said:
Bug spray will really soften plastics if you aren’t careful. Apparently applying it directly to your headlights isn’t a great idea! Nice of you to fix for her.
Click to expand...
They turned such a bright white haze that you could not even see the blinkers!! It was now a safety issue. I tried my best with what i had on hand. Again they are usable, and you can see the blinkers, but that's one of those moments of "what were you thinking?" Just because its on FB, does not make it true! LOL.
 
RhondaHonda said:
www.google.com

This Is Why You Maybe Shouldn't Use Bug Spray To Clean Your Lights

The bug spray to clean your lights thing seems to be trending again, so it's worth looking into
www.google.com www.google.com
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PimTac said:
I saw it on Fascbook so it must be true, right?

Those headlights are cooked
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That's what i told them, anything i do will only be temporary.. New headlights are most likely in your future. Good thing is a pair of depot headlights off of Ebay are about $138 shipped, and the car will look alot better. they lived, and learned! and now new headlights are needed. :ROFLMAO:
 
Wet sand with 1000, 1500, then 2000 and buff with a good buffing compound. Nice new clean plastic when done. Everyone is out to do quick fixes and they never last/work well.
 
09 GLS said:
That's what i told them, anything i do will only be temporary.. New headlights are most likely in your future. Good thing is a pair of depot headlights off of Ebay are about $138 shipped, and the car will look alot better. they lived, and learned! and now new headlights are needed. :ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...
CAPA certified ones from RA would be my first choice. Worth it for a little more.
 
09 GLS said:
Is Powerbait a real thing? never heard of it. im a believer in doing things right if your going to do it, and spaying bug spay is not the right way to fix headlights. They would of been better off asking me first, not after the fact, and i probably would've got a headlight restore kit, and wet sanded, and all that fun stuff, to at least get them clearer. Now they are shot, and i dont think even sanding them will fix it. They look acceptable now, but it feels like the headlights are still tacky, and its a matter of time before they turn to that bright white haze again.
Click to expand...
Nah, do you remember the member engineer20 who used to be on here? He poured oil in his engine with a Powerbait bottle and a piece fell in.

Weirdo.
 
Did she leave it on the headlights and not scrub it off right away?

I’ve done it to my Camry a couple times. Have been meaning to do it again as it’s been a few years. Works pretty good, no sticky for me. Goes cloudy-ish after a few months but so do those kits.
 
As @Nick1994 said, the deet process works fine if done right. But the headlight should be cleaned first with a degreaser to remove the gunk. Then spray deet onto a rag and wipe the headlight. The deet reacts with the plastic to smooth the bumps. It's not perfect and does not work as well as the commercial products but does okay for mildly damaged lights. As mentioned it doesn't last very long, but adding a protective coating will make it last longer.
 
keep that stuff away from vinyl, my dad had a watch melt right off his wrist using the 100% stuff and I've seen it peel the vinyl right off the dash of several trucks.
 
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