Cloudy headlights are a UV problem, not a dirt problem. That is why toothpaste tricks stop working after a month.
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Modern headlight lenses are polycarbonate, not glass. Polycarbonate is tough and light, but it degrades under ultraviolet light, so manufacturers apply a hard UV-resistant coating at the factory. That coating is what fails. Once it breaks down, UV reaches the raw plastic underneath, and the plastic oxidises to that familiar yellow haze.
Why South Florida is worse for this
UV intensity here is among the highest in the continental United States, and cars are often parked outdoors year round. Factory headlight coatings that might last eight years in a northern state routinely fail in four or five here.
Why the home remedies do not last
Toothpaste, baking soda and off-the-shelf kits work by abrading away the oxidised surface layer. That genuinely does restore clarity, briefly. But abrading also removes whatever remains of the protective coating, so the freshly exposed plastic starts oxidising immediately. Most home jobs look cloudy again within one to three months.
What a proper restoration involves
The difference is the final step. We wet sand progressively through several grits to remove all the oxidised material, machine polish the lens back to full optical clarity, and then apply a new UV-resistant coating that replaces what the factory put there. Without that last step you are just resetting the clock to zero and starting the decay again.
It is a safety issue, not just cosmetic
Oxidised lenses scatter light rather than projecting it. Testing has repeatedly shown that badly clouded headlights can cut usable light output substantially, which matters on unlit stretches of road and in heavy rain. Restoration is one of the cheapest safety improvements available for an older car.
How long it lasts
With a proper UV coating applied, expect one to two years before any noticeable change, and longer if the car is garaged. That is the realistic figure and it is what we quote.
Book a detail with True Wash
We are a fully mobile detailing service covering Miami-Dade and Broward County. Call or text (564) 428-5826 and we will come to you.
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