toothpaste for headlight rejuvenation...yes, toothpaste

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Feb 14, 2017
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iowa
I tried them all...3m kit, mothers mag polish, and then toothpaste -ultrabrite old fashion white goo...I was pretty impressed about 70-80% better than beforehand....this was all hand rubbed so I can only imagine with a buffer results would have been better yet. one thing I noticed was when the tp was drying/hardening it had an incredible resistance on my cotton towel. iow, I had to use some serious elbow grease to get things going...but overall very happy with the positive outcome and dirt cheap too...
 
After the first elbow grease application, a gentle wipe every few months should keep them clear.
 
Getting them shiny is easy - start with 1000 grit sandpaper, then 2000, then 3500 or so to finish - wet sand.

The hard part is keeping them shiny - since all the factory UV protection is long gone. I use the Meguires lens protector - which is just clear laquer, because its super easy to apply. I am going to try a clear enamel next time to see how it works and if it lasts longer.
 
I used toothpaste on my daughters car in a pinch when I was visiting her at her school about ten years ago. It lasted about two months. Get a product made for the application
 
If I'm going through the trouble of taping and masking them off, I rather have them look 90-95% better after all that work and will stick to products made specifically for the job. I don't care about the cost if the results are better.
no trouble at all...took literally 5 mins per side...
 
I used to have a school project with acrylic sheet, that was pretty rough that I had to polish without any polishing compound. Dad told me tooth paste would work as it is just really fine polishing compound anyways, so with lots of elbow grease like 2 hrs, I was able to polish it to shine.

If you use it on headlight it is not about polishing but UV protection afterward. What do you have in mind after you polish it with whatever you choose?
 
I used to have a school project with acrylic sheet, that was pretty rough that I had to polish without any polishing compound. Dad told me tooth paste would work as it is just really fine polishing compound anyways, so with lots of elbow grease like 2 hrs, I was able to polish it to shine.

If you use it on headlight it is not about polishing but UV protection afterward. What do you have in mind after you polish it with whatever you choose?
aerospace 303
 
This does pretty good if you don’t wait until they look like snow

 
After the first restoration I just use a cleaner/polishing sealant, like Nufinish or I forget the other brand, Simoniz or Turtle Wax something synthetic. Same type stuff meant for paint. Once it's no longer crystal clear, just putting more of that on, restores the finish as well as a protective layer.

There's nothing wrong with using toothpaste as the abrasive except (depending on brand/model) it can take a lot longer than starting out with a more coarse abrasive then working your way down on successive passes. If you use a power buffer, don't leave it in one spot too long, as the heat can cause haze.
 
The only thing that last is to sand them with sand paper. Start at 400 grit and work your way up to 1500, polish then, and use a headlight sealant on them. There is a 2 part video on YouTube from Dallas paint works. It goes through this long process thoroughly.
 
I used to have a school project with acrylic sheet, that was pretty rough that I had to polish without any polishing compound. Dad told me tooth paste would work as it is just really fine polishing compound anyways, so with lots of elbow grease like 2 hrs, I was able to polish it to shine.

If you use it on headlight it is not about polishing but UV protection afterward. What do you have in mind after you polish it with whatever you choose?
Sylania UV Block Clear Coat.

 
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