Issues With Plastic Headlight Lenses and How to Clean Them With a Headlight Cleaner

In the past, automakers designed headlight lenses made from glass so they were limited in the size and shape they could produce. Since then, auto manufacturers began designing cars with plastic or polycarbonate headlight lenses. This modification mainly occurred due to the change in the design of cars--cars became lighter and more aerodynamic, plus plastic was by far less expensive to produce than glass. Today this plastic material is the chosen choice because it is very light and can be transformed into unlimited sizes and shapes to satisfy new car designs.

Issues With Plastic Headlight Lenses and How to Clean Them With a Headlight Cleaner

Issues With Plastic Headlight Lenses and How to Clean Them With a Headlight Cleaner

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Issues With Plastic Headlight Lenses and How to Clean Them With a Headlight Cleaner

Issues With Plastic Headlight Lenses and How to Clean Them With a Headlight Cleaner

Polycarbonate has its advanTAGes but also has its disadvanTAGes---namely oxidation/discoloration. To the naked eye one cannot tell that these plastic lenses are actually aporous material that expands ever so slightly when it gets hot. Degradation of the lens occurs over time. Having your headlights on or being exposed to the heat of the day causes the pores to open allowing debris from the road to get in. Debris, together with a combination of environMental factors such as the sun (UV rays), smog, acid rain, car exhaust, and harsh chemicals used to wash you car can cause the plastic headlight lenses to become oxidized.

Plastic oxidation leads to lens discoloration, which transforms new, clear, bright, shiny plastic to a dull yellow tint that appears to be foggy, hazy, or cloudy. This process (oxidation), as described above, not only becomes an eyesore but also is unsafe. Because of the degradation of theplastic lens, less light passed through resulting in diminished visibility during night driving. The car owner either had to deal with these cloudy yellow, oxidized headlight lenses posing serious safety issues or purchase expensive replaceMent headlights costing hundreds or thousands of Dollars.

We feel it is necessary to inform the public so that they may know and learn how to restore, clean, polish, and clear those cloudy, yellow plastic headlight lenses on their own without putting more money into the car manufacturer's pocket. One can restore headlights to like-new condition by taking off the top layer of oxidized plastic. This can be achieved through polishing, wet sanding, or through the use of chemicals. Automanufacturers would rather you go to them for a headlight repAir (charging as much as $ 150) or headlight replacement ($ 100-$ 1,000). The top layer of plastic on the headlights contains a UV polymer that retards or slows down the aging of the plastic lens. Therefore, it is important to use a polish (containing UV polymers) or UV coating to slow down the oxidation or discoloration of the lens. Parking your car in the shade or garage, or maintaining the lens by washing, waxing, and polishing a minimum of every three months, could avoid damage to the headlight lens.

There are many companies that specialize in headlight restoration and one can easily find one by simply putting in a keyword phrase such as "cloudy foggyheadlights"into any of the popular search engines like google, yahoo, or msn. There are two types of headlight cleaners/ headlight restoration kits:

1. Basic Headlight Restoration Kit (for light discoloration)
2. Advanced Headlight Restoration Kit (for more severe discoloration)

Issues With Plastic Headlight Lenses and How to Clean Them With a Headlight Cleaner

Cleaning and Restoring Yellowed, Hazy Headlight Lenses

Are your car's headlights , cloudy or yellowed scratched? You're not alone. Unless you give your car's plastic headlight lenses regular care, in 24 months or less they can deteriorate to the point of being completely opaque, making it very dangerous to operate your vehicle at night and in reduced visibility conditions. The solution is easier than you might think. The good news is that you can restore this dangerous and unsightly problem in about 20 minutes. It's easy once you know how.

Cleaning and Restoring Yellowed, Hazy Headlight Lenses

Cleaning and Restoring Yellowed, Hazy Headlight Lenses

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Cleaning and Restoring Yellowed, Hazy Headlight Lenses

Cleaning and Restoring Yellowed, Hazy Headlight Lenses

Why Do Headlights Become Yellow and Dull?

The problem is not caused by abuse or neglect, as you might think. It is an environMental problem. Without regular maintenance, UV rays from the sun, acid rain, salt and road debrisdegrade and Parrot all clear plastics, including lens covers. If your vehicle has halogen or another type of high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamp, the problem can be worse. These sealed beam units operate at high temperatures, further contributing to degradation and yellowing.

What Is The Solution?

The solution is an easy restoration process. Headlight restoration is a plastic repAir process that removes surface damage and restores clarity to the lenses. Even severe cases of hazing, yellowing, scratches and can be fixed in less than 30 minutes.

You might be wondering why fix instead of replace? Your headlights are a sealed unit, so you can't just replace the outer cover. If you have an expensive car withhigh-performance lighting, replaceMent is very expensive. Restoration vs. replaceMent can save you $ 150 to $ 600 for lens, so it's well worth the effort. Plus, it's easy!

What kind of results can you expect? It may look hopeless, but most likely the damage is superficial. Even if your light covers are completely opaque, they can be restored. As long As the plastic has not yellowed all the way though, you have a very good chance of full restoration.

Try A Low Abrasive Polish First

If the damage is slight, you may be able to fix it with a simple plastic polish like Meguiar's PlastX. I recomMend trying this method first. It won't be wasted effort or expense, either, because you need to use the polish regularly to maintain yourlighting.

NOTES: Never use a household glass cleaning product like Windex on clear plastic. Household glass cleaners contain ammonia, which causes clear plastic to yellow.

If the polish alone does not work, then you need to remove the damage with a very fine sand paper (2000 grit is very safe) and polish to restore a clear finish. While it may sound scary or complicated, it's not. Wet sanding is quick and easy.

TIP: You can test to see if your headlights will respond to hand polishing with a small dab of tartar control toothpaste. Toothpaste is slightly abrasive. If the small test area vastly improves, then you know polish alone may be all you need.

Sandpaper & Re-polish Procedures

To clean away thedamage with wet sanding and polish, you need the following Supplies:

Polishing towels Bucket of soapy water Latex gloves (if you have sensitive skin) Painter's masking tape (1 "to 1.5" width is best) Plastic polish Wet/dry sand paper (600, 1200, 2000 grit) Sanding block (1 "x 2" erasure works great) 2.5 "Velcro backing plate for use with 3/8" drill or cordless drill 3 "foam or wool polishing pad with Velcro backing

Here are the correct steps for restoring plastic headlight lenses:

STEP 1: Clean the headlight lenses. A bucket of soapy water works best. Clean the surrounding area, too. Dry thoroughly.

STEP 2: Use painter's masking tape to mask around the headlight. This will helpprotect your car's paint finish. This only takes a couple minutes, so don't skip this important step.

STEP 3: Wet sand each headlight. First determine the amount of damage to each lens. If your headlight lenses are scratched or if they are completely opaque, you will need to start with 600 grit sandpaper. Sand thoroughly, and then progress to 1200, then 2000 grit.

If your lenses have no scratches and are only slightly opaque, you can probably get away with using 2000 grit paper only. The first sanding step is where you will actually remove the scratched and cloudy layer of plastic. The finer grades of sandpaper are to remove the scratches left from the previous grit sandpaper.

As you sand, your sanding water willturn milky. This is the damaged layer being removed. Use plenty of water for lubrication and to keep the sandpaper clean. Keep sanding until the surface feels perfectly smooth. The drippings will become clearer as the damage is taken away. Dry thoroughly between sanding steps to check progress.

STEP 4: Re-glaze headlight lenses using plastic polishes on a 3 "polishing pad (foam or wool). First connect the Velcro backing plate adapter to your drill.

Apply several dabs of polish to the pad and begin polishing the lens. As the polish begins to dissipate, add a little more and continue polishing. Stop polishing once the lens is completely clear again. Finish with a final hand polish using a small amount of polish on a microfiber towelor applicator.

STEP 5: Wax or seal to protect. Use a good car wax to reseal the plastic and protect from the elements.

STEP 6: Maintain monthly with a quality plastic cleaner/polish. The products I recommend most are Plexus and Meguiar's PlastX. If polished regularly, your car's clear plastic lenses will never need restoring again!

Cleaning and Restoring Yellowed, Hazy Headlight Lenses

Headlight Lens Restoration

Everyone would like to make their cars look great. The secret behind improving the looks of your car is taking care of the small things. Maintaining a car properly is an art.

Headlight Lens Restoration

Headlight Lens Restoration

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Headlight Lens Restoration

Headlight Lens Restoration

One among these small things is the look of your car's headlights. Many car owners are worried about the way the headlights of their car looks even after regular washing and waxing. However, there are some options available that can help you improving the look of your car's headlights-like headlight restoration kits.

Headlight lens restoration-why not replacing the lenses?

One option is totally replacing the headlight lenses. As this is a costly affAir, most people prefer not to do this. The major drawback ofheadlights replaceMent is the fact that you cannot replace just one lens. Many people might have already spent good amounts on their headlights. These people must be looking to get plastic headlight restoration by a professional restoration. The headlight lens restoration process involves cleaning, polishing and protecting the headlights.

Headlight lens restoration improves your night time vision

There are numerous reasons for preferring to use headlights lens restoration apart from the look of the vehicle. One reason is the safety factor. If the car's headlights are hazy, night-time vision on the roads can be reduced considerably. Being safe on road is dependent the wayyour headlight lens are. Therefore, for anyone who is concerned about the safety on the road, plastic headlight restoration is a great thing to do.

Headlight restoration kits can also improve the overall look of the car. The main reason for going to a restoration professional is the shiny appearance they can give to your car's headlight lenses. It also has a great impact on the resale value of the car.

Therefore, considering the benefits, plastic headlight restoration can be a great thing to do.

Headlight Lens Restoration

What Causes Blurred Vision?

Blurred vision can be an enTirely unpleasant experience. Not to Mention the fact that it can be a symptom of serious diseases and disorders. The most common causes of blurred vision is the weakening of muscles which misshapes the lens of your eyes. When the lenses also lose their elasticity, it can also occur. Loss of elasticity is quite inevitable with aging, but this process can be slowed down by antioxidants.

What Causes Blurred Vision?

What Causes Blurred Vision?

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What Causes Blurred Vision?

What Causes Blurred Vision?

Cataracts are another cause of blurred vision. Driving at night can be particularly difficult for patients with cataracts because the headlights of vehicles may blind or dazzle them. Another cause of macular degeneration is. Macular degeneration occurs when neurons at the back of our eyes lose their light. Unfortunately, blurring of this typecannot be corrected by glasses alone because the neurons themselves are damaged. Some patients still find some relief from this disorder when their doctors correct micronutrients such as zinc, selenium and magnesium in their eyes.

It can also be caused by myopia, which is the medical term of near or short-sightedness. This occurs when there is too much curving of the cornea or if the eye itself is too long. Myopia is when objects from a distance will seem blurry. They appear blurry because they are too focused in front of the eye's retina. Nearsightedness is a common disorder and affects approximately 25 percent of American adults.

Another mild eye disorder that can be a cause of hyperopia or farsightedness it is. This is the opposite of myopia and occurs when objects from adistance look clear while objects look blurry up close. In contrast to myopia, hyperopia happens when the eye is too short and when the images are focused beyond the eye's retina.

If you have dry eyes, you may also be experiencing blurry vision. Dry eyes occur when you don't actually produce enough tears, or when your tear reflex ducts.†sounds produces poor quality tears. This is an uncomfortable sensation, because it can cause burning, itching and even loss of vision in some patients. Eye specialists suggest using special eye drops, or "artificial tears" to treat dry eyes. A humidifier in the home can also help regulate your tear reflex ducts.†sounds. In some serious cases, surgery may be needed to treat this disorder.

What Causes Blurred Vision?

The Best Headlight Lens Restoration Kits

Headlight restoration kits are the best way to go when you're ready to fix your headlights on a car that you may own.  Instead of taking it down to a shop and spending more than $ 500, you can grab a kit that is only going to cost you around $ 15!  Yes, it's going to take up a little bit of your time, but you will find that it is well worth it.

With most kits on the market, you're going to find that all of them are really easy to use.  They come with detailed instructions and you're also going to find out that with the instructions, it's not going to take a rocket scientist to figure out how to use it.

The Best Headlight Lens Restoration Kits

The Best Headlight Lens Restoration Kits

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The Best Headlight Lens Restoration Kits

The Best Headlight Lens Restoration Kits

Generally with a kit, you're going to have to sand the surface, polish, and rinse afterward.  The whole process will usually take you anywhere from 45minutes to 1 hour.

With all of this being said, I wanted to point out a few kits for your consideration.  Listed below are the top 5 kits that I highly recomMend for your car.  All of them are under $ 25 and should get the Job done.

The Best Headlight Lens Restoration Kits

Anyone Can Clean Their Car, But What About Those Cloudy, Yellow Headlights?

It is a very common occurrence. Then We see every day. Its like a disease-yellow, cloudy headlight lenses in drastic need of repAir. I even saw them on cars at the local carwash. It befuddled me that these people would take such great care-washing, vacuuming the interior, removing the floor mats and even hand drying their cars, but they still had those yellow 'd, cloudy headlights. Its not just a problem on old, very used cars. It is prevalent on 2-3 year old cars also. It doesn't matter if it is a Dodge, Ford, Mercedes, or a Porsche.

Anyone Can Clean Their Car, But What About Those Cloudy, Yellow Headlights?

Anyone Can Clean Their Car, But What About Those Cloudy, Yellow Headlights?

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Anyone Can Clean Their Car, But What About Those Cloudy, Yellow Headlights?

Anyone Can Clean Their Car, But What About Those Cloudy, Yellow Headlights?

When questioned, most said they couldn't afford, or didn't want to pay the high prices of replaceMents from their local auto dealer. The average price for a pAir of replaceMent plastic headlights atlocal car dealerships was around $ 450-that didn't even include installation and alignMent (that would be another $ 60 -120). After market headlights do exist, but have received mixed reviews, and the savings aren't that great quality and fit is lagging, and then you still had to have them installed and aligned. And for what I know you can do it again in another year or two?

There is another solution, there are repAir, headlight cleaner and restorer kits available for under $ 30 (look up headlight cleaner and/or headlight restorer on Google), much less expensive than replaceMent lenses, and they work!

Plastic headlight lenses are the norm in the automotive industry now-every car has them. Some have fancy names like plexanand Lexan, but they all have the same problems. The sun, acid rain, harsh weather conditions, chemicals (brake fluid, power steering fluid, radiator fluids, hot water, harsh cleaners, etc. ..) will all cause the plastic lenses to degrade and weaken quickly. Some manufacturers have gone to including a protective film on the lenses. Regardless, they are all susceptible to this weakening and yellowing over time.

With these headlight repAir, cleaner and restorer kits even junk yard car lenses have been repaired and restored to brand new (as evidenced on some websites). These same lenses used to be discarded and now have become new profit centers for salvage yards. The treatments are similarly applied to the exterior of the> headlight lens where the damage is worst and it doesn't take a mechanic to repair it.

These kits can easily be found under headlight cleaner and headlight restorer on Google. So now you know there is a very economic solution to the problem of yellow, cloudy, worn headlights -repair, clean and restore them to new again. There's no excuse now to not have sparkling clean headlights. Car dealerships have been using these headlight repair, cleaner and restorer on their cars and you can too.

Anyone Can Clean Their Car, But What About Those Cloudy, Yellow Headlights?

A Great Gift-Fake Wine Glasses

If you're looking for a great gift for a wine lover, may I suggest fake drinking glasses?

A Great Gift-Fake Wine Glasses

A Great Gift-Fake Wine Glasses

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A Great Gift-Fake Wine Glasses

A Great Gift-Fake Wine Glasses

When I say "fake," I'm referring to the material from which they are made. These are real glasses in the sense that you can pour wine into them and drink from them, but they are not made of glass. The magic word is "polycarbonate."

Polycarbonate is a type of plastic--one of the most amazing ever invented. It's incredibly tough and shatter-resistant, and for that reason (among others) is used in eyeglasses, Sunglasses, greenhouse windows, car headlights, CDs and DVDs, and cell phone casings, to name just a few applications.

Nowadays you can also buy a huge variety of dining ware made from polycarbonate, including wine glasses, which is what we're interested inhere.

The main advanTAGe of polycarbonate wine glasses is their durability, which is in sharp contrast to the fragility of typical crystal stemware. If you serve wine at your table, you know how easy it is to break stemware, whether in the dishwasher or simply from normal handling. But even if you try to break them, polycarbonate glasses will last forever.

The main disadvanTAGe of polycarbonate glasses is their weight. Most of them are too light!

Light weight is an advanTAGe in eyeglass lenses and cell phones, but in a wine glass it just doesn't feel right. Part of the enjoyMent of wine comes from the heft of the glass itself--we don't want to feel that we are sipping our favorite vinTAGe from some cheap, throwaway cup.

The solution? Make sure you lookfor double-weight polycarbonate wine glasses. These are made specifically to replicate both the look and feel of good crystal stemware. Many people cannot tell the difference between them, in fact.

Polycarbonate wine glasses Double weight are not especially cheap, but as a special gift--to a friend, loved one or even yourself--they can't be beat.

A Great Gift-Fake Wine Glasses