First, it’s important to “Clean the hazy headlight with warm soapy water.” This will remove any dirt, grime, or loose debris from the surface. Make sure to “Rinse thoroughly with clear water and let dry.” Once the headlight is completely dry, take your “masking tape” and carefully apply it to the paint surrounding the headlight lens. This will prevent the sandpaper from accidentally scratching your car’s finish.
Next, prepare your sandpaper. It’s crucial to “Soak the sheets of sandpaper in water” for a few minutes before using them. This helps to lubricate the sandpaper and prevents it from clogging with plastic dust. Begin with the 1000-grit sandpaper (or a slightly coarser grit if your headlights are very heavily hazed). Remember to “Sand moves in one direction.” Work in even, horizontal strokes across the entire surface of the headlight lens. Apply gentle, consistent pressure. You will notice the water turning cloudy as you sand away the damaged layer of plastic.
After you’ve sanded the entire lens horizontally with the first grit, “Rinse” the lens with clean water to remove the plastic residue. Now, switch to the next finer grit of sandpaper (for example, 1500 grit). This time, “change direction” and sand vertically across the lens. Again, keep the sandpaper wet and use even strokes. “Keep doing this until you’re finished with the 2,500-grit paper.” With each progressively finer grit, you will notice the scratches from the previous grit becoming less visible, and the lens will start to look smoother. Remember to rinse the lens thoroughly with water after each sanding step.
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