DIY Headlight Detailing: Far From Home Edition!

If you love road trips and have a vehicle dedicated explicitly for the purpose, like an RV, you know they get dirty pretty fast. The worst bit is dealing with the fogged-over headlights from the abrasive dust and gravel from the drive. Headlights are the most crucial visibility feature in a vehicle.

The headlight lenses are usually polycarbonate plastic that can withstand harsh highway conditions without cracking up. Still, there is the sun with its plastic-deteriorating UV rays. So, the lenses come with a UV-protecting film. But the sun eats through that too!

Suppose you’re on the road in Salisbury, MD, and feel your headlights are fogging up too severely that you nearly hit a motorist at night, then Inside Out Car Care has just the list of things you ought to keep on hand.

Let’s begin your DIY headlight restoration, far from home!

Step 1: Get the Stuff You Need

You will find many headlights restoration kits, but if you’re a thrifty spender, the following items can be easily grabbed from a general pharmacist and hardware store.

1. Headlight Polishing Chemical
2. Headlight UV-Lens Sealant
3. Teeth Whitening Tooth Paste
4. 1000-to-3000 Grit Sandpaper
5. Painter’s Tape
6. Water Spray Bottle
7. Microfiber Towels

Step 2: Start Washing

Remember, conserve water on the road. Wet a car sponge with a spray bottle, and wipe away the debris from the headlights and the sides. Then wipe with a microfiber cloth to thoroughly dry the area.

Step 3: Tape-Off Then Sand

Use the painter’s tape to tape off the trims around the headlights so that the sandpaper will not scratch the paint when you begin. Start with the roughest grit (1000 grit), then work your way to the finer grit sandpaper. To start the critical process, wet the 1000-grit sandpaper & the headlight again, and sand the plastic lens in horizontal strokes. Give it a good 5-10 minutes of sanding with the surface kept wet. Repeat the process with 2000-grit diagonal strokes and the 3000-grit sandpaper in the opposing diagonal strokes. Wipe & dry when done.

Step 4: Polishing & Waxing

Squeeze out the polishing chemical onto a fresh microfiber towel and rub it onto the headlights in circular motions for a few minutes. Clean the lenses again, then apply the wax and polish again.

Step 5: Apply UV Sealant

You need a UV sealant because you just sanded away the old layers, and missing this step will mean your hard work is wasted. Wet a paper towel and apply the sealant in broad strokes, then leave to cure. One or two coats may be used depending on the manufacturer’s instructions.

Step 6: Visit Inside Out Car Care ASAP

If you did all these steps and feel your headlights can last a while longer, good for you. But if your headlights are too far gone to show any improvement after restoration, it may be time to cut your trip short and come over to our car detailing business.

Inside Out Car Care is based in Salisbury and has branches in Ocean City, Berlin, Ocean Pines, & Fruitland.

Need your travel vehicle detailed nearby? Browse our services and grab your free quote. Where DIY fails, Inside Out Car Care prevails!

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