# Cleaning headlight lens

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/cleaning-headlight-lens/29556>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [April 23, 2009, 11:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cleaning-headlight-lens/29556 "2009-04-23T23:27:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DanCarolyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@DanCarolyn](https://community.cartalk.com/u/DanCarolyn)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 11:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cleaning-headlight-lens/29556/1 "2009-04-23T23:27:31Z")

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Our 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan with 185K is getting cloudy headlight lenses. How do we remove the lens and what is best to clean the plastic on the inside? Thanks

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**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cleaning-headlight-lens/29556/2 "2009-04-23T23:38:51Z")

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It’s usually the outside that gets cloudy. And you can use any polishing compound, headlight polish from the parts store, even toothpaste (I’m told) to restore them to almost new condition. I use a drill mounted buffing pad, water, and polishing compound.

Wax them after and the restored lenses will stay that way longer.

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**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cleaning-headlight-lens/29556/3 "2009-04-24T16:07:47Z")

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3M makes a kit for brightening up clouded headlights. [http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en\_US/Car/Care/Products/Maintenance/Headlight\_Lens\_Restore\_Sys/](http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Car/Care/Products/Maintenance/Headlight_Lens_Restore_Sys/) Check local parts stores for availabilty.

Tester

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**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cleaning-headlight-lens/29556/4 "2009-04-24T20:09:16Z")

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MacQuires has a product called Plast-X, something like that, that works pretty good. Those headlight buckets are usually sealed and it’s impossible to clean the inside…

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**Author:** ![wizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a87d85/32.png) [@wizard](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wizard)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cleaning-headlight-lens/29556/5 "2009-04-24T22:49:26Z")

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I saw a product for that in K-mart the other day, automobile section so I assume maybe you could find it in Sears also.