Does insect spray with DEET 40 work?

Oils of any kind will make sun damaged plastic clear-er for a while. I've used a 2-part plastic cleaner/restorer for airplane and motorcycle windshields that worked pretty well. It had a mild polishing compound. Don't know how well the stuff advertised on TV for headlight plastic works.

When you re-finish a clouded headlight you need to put a UV resistant coating on it or it will cloud right up again.

You can buy kits that include everything you need to restore headlights. 3M makes one that I have used.

I spent a lot of my career working in the woods in the north lake states. Lots of mosquitos and black flies in early summer. Using DEET was a must and we used the govt. issue stuff which is strong. I was doing forest inventory and by the end of the day, my mechanical pencil was stuck to my hand as it had melted. I would not get any mosquito repellant with DEET anywhere near my car, or anything else that is painted or plastic.

Hi Bill. Thanks for your research. I buffed mine out a while back and as you say, "...not like new". I've been considering buying new ones. They'll look much better. And, it's only money! Hey PSW, we also have large skeeters in Louisiana (where I'm from) and have been know to kill them with shotguns. Thanks to everyone for their comments.

I tried it to see if it would work and it does... to a point. Sanding and buffing works much better but the repellant did make them better. Just not perfect.

Well, one thing we know for sure: skeeters in West Texas can be as big as a headlight.

DEET interacts with plastic - it melts it. Learned this from a Chemical Engineer who had forgotten about that while his wife sprayed the heck out of the bugs that had gotten into their rental car. They had some 'splaining to do about the condition of the plastic dash when they returned the car.

I don't know about the Deet, but I spotted a wasp going behind my headlight. Grabed a can of wasp spray and gave the area a good blast. I then thought I had better wipe off my lens that was real foggy. To my surprise it brighten up as if new. I thought that I was on to something so I sprayed the other and wiped it clean.

But..........It did not last. In a couple days, they both back to there original state. FOGGY.

I keep thinking that I will try the wasp spray again, wipe clean, then spray with some clear coat to see if that will keep them clear.

I did a google search and found this about Deet.

"DEET is a plasticizer and can damage certain rubber, plastic, vinyl, or elastic materials such as contact lenses, eyeglass frames and lenses, watch crystals,
combs, painted and varnished surfaces, and certain synthetic or treated fabrics.
DEET does not damage natural fibers including cotton and wool."