Polishing plastic headlights with toothpaste?

[The Hypno-Toad]

Obviously as an MX-5 mk2.5 owner I have noticed my headlights lenses getting cloudy as time goes by. I know that other makes have the same problem and I have seen online the suggestion that you can get them to looking clear again by cleaning them with toothpaste.

There are actually videos of this out on youtube but some of them have suspicious cuts between cleaning the light and it looking more like new again.

Has anyone tried this? Or if not, has anyone get any other method of improving the look?

[Sods Law]

Ive not heard of this, but I suggest looking on Detailing world forum, Ive found all my solutions to things like this on there.

[loose cannon]

i used a detailing mop and some g3 to sort out my sisters car
they came up like new

[KaraK]

My mum recently did this on here Micra and was very impressed with the results. It makes sense as toothpaste is a mild abrasive.

[LuS1fer]

Meguiars have recently brought out a polishing compound that is far less abrasive than T-cut so that may be worth a go.

[jhfozzy]

I used 1500 grade sandpaper and plenty of water finishing with a polishing mop (polishing mop on its own wouldn't cut it) on my Evo headlights. They cleaned up perfectly.

[4key]

Do you have to use a toohbrush too? Someone has told me to use brasso before. Cutting compound slightly improved mine when I first tried, but for the amount of effort involved you might aswell do it properly with some wet and dry and polish them up.

Dont they do replacement lenses for them?

[djt100]

I guess it would work its slightly abrasive, but you probably be better of with a normal paint restorer polish, and cheaper to.

[555 Paul]

does brushing your teeth with G3 have the same effect?

[MysteryLemon]

As above, toothpaste is a mild abbrasive but hardly the best thing you could use. Fair enough if you want to try it on the cheap with what you already have in the house but you will achieve better results with a proper polishing compound.

[FreeLitres]

Use Meguiars Plast-RX.

Before:


After:


Product:

Edited by FreeLitres on Tuesday 9th October 15:37

[psummers]

I used toothpaste on my lights. It took ages, didn't do a great deal and left white residue in the small gaps.

Minty fresh however

[smartphone hater]

I used Tcut once which seemed to work.

[eliotrw]

Plastrx or Plastx (Same Product) is very good.

As is the 3m headlight restore kit from amazon if you have lights in worse condition.

[Embryonic]

I read about this on an owners forum, so I tired it out of curiosity. It massively improved the headlights, and you don't need to use much toothpaste either.

[rds64]

I've tried toothpaste. I found it tended to dry out very quickly and didn't give enough "cut".
(By hand) I've had a lot of success with Autosol metal polish and a soft cloth. With about 5mins per headlight it gave a significant improvement. Its also great for exhaust tips too

[LuS1fer]

Toothpaste is, however, excellent for diving masks to stop them steaming up (wipe it off though won't you)

[vdubbin]

One of MX5 owners on Octane.ie did this a while ago:
Before:


After:



Colgate original is the weapon of choice.

[danyeates]

I think the headlights are the least of his worries!

Good thread though, was just wondering what to do about our, otherwise mint, Civic's headlights.

[Zad]

Squillions of years ago when I did woodwork at school, we used Brasso to polish our Perspex (acrylic) piles of crapworks of art. Very effective.