[MasterWang]

I will be opening up my headlights and resealing due to condensation issues.
I noticed that the outside of the lens has minor rock chips and some stains that cannot be removed with regular car soap. My headlights aren't hazy so I'm not trying to risk damaging them by sanding them or using those restoration kits, I simply want to get rid of some stains and clean them.

Can I use claybar on our plastic lens?
Do I need to apply anything after I claybar to protect the plastic?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by MasterWang

I will be opening up my headlights and resealing due to condensation issues.
I noticed that the outside of the lens has minor rock chips and some stains that cannot be removed with regular car soap. My headlights aren't hazy so I'm not trying to risk damaging them by sanding them or using those restoration kits, I simply want to get rid of some stains and clean them.

Can I use claybar on our plastic lens?
Do I need to apply anything after I claybar to protect the plastic?

Not sure what kind of stains you have, but you can surely try a fine clay bar or some lens cleaner. However, any of the rock chips will only be fixed or improved with polishing or maybe even sanding.

On our Ask-a-Pro blog there are a couple articles on headlight restoration, one by hand (Clearing Hazy Head-Lamp Housings on a Budget) and one by machine and with sanding (Headlight Restoration Process).

If some light cleaner doesn't work, you may have to look into polishing at least by hand. Even if you remove it without polishing, coating it with a sealant or Optimum Opti-Lens would still be a great idea to preserve it and prevent it from staining and yellowing over time.

Let us know how it goes.

Ivan @ DI