Headlight lense polishing

My DS recently restored his with a piece of clay bar. I was surprised how well that worked.

I'll second the recommendation for the 3M product.

I did this restoration a couple years ago and the 3M product worked well.

As noted, it takes a lot of time. So, when my Dutch Star lights needed it, I bought new headlights and just replaced them.

Colgate baking soda toothpaste worked for me, although my lenses weren't too bad off.

Meguaire's makes a good kit, that includes a final UV protectant. I haven't used it yet, but plan to do so this fall. I have used the 3M kit, and at the time I used it, it did not include the final UV protectant. That's pretty important, or the headlights will oxidize again pretty fast. I found that out after mine clouded again in about a year.

The 3M kit was pretty nice, gave good results, and if I had known to use the UV protectant, it would have been great.

There is a product called "Blue Magic Headlight Lens Restorer" that is inexpensive (I think I paid $12 for an 8 ounce bottle that constitutes a lifetime supply for someone who just has one or two pairs of lenses to polish. If your lenses are really bad, you take some 2000 grit sandpaper to clear away the worst of it, then polish with the goo in the bottle. Works like a charm, but needs a quick repolish every 6 to 8 months. It takes me about 20 minutes to do both headlights on our 2001 Jetta when they get bad, about 10 minutes if I keep up with the chore.

I've tried those kits. They run around $20 for a single use, last no longer than the Blue Magic, take longer, and are more of a pain in the butt than I am willing to put up with.

I had excellent results with 3M 39045 Headlight Renewal Kit. The key is to take your time and be very thorough. I would recommend reading the reviews on Amazon for tips on how to end up with good results.