Headlight polish: Glitter of burning eyes
The glass of most headlights has ceased to be glass - now they are constructed with polycarbonate. But such from abrasive exposure ver quickly become cloudy. Just how to polish them and restore transparency?
We checked the seven special-purpose polishes. The experiment is easy: illumination was measured on a wiped headlamp with a mild meter, then it was polished, the illumination was checked again and the percentage improvement was determined. To know more, check out: best headlight restoration kit
WHAT IS SUITE
Lux (lx) - a unit of measurement of illumination for the SI system. 1 lux is add up to the illumination of a floor of 1 m² with a luminous flux of 1 lumen. The illumination in the sea at a level of about 50 m is approximately 20 lux, the illumination in the family area is all about 50 lux.
Polishing paste for metals , art. DW8319
No, we didn't mix anything up: in a separate frame the message: “Can be utilized to polish plexiglass headlights.” Yes maybe. And even with convenience - thanks to a straightforward compact package in the proper execution of a jar. With this, the professionals end.
It is difficult to grind, the top remains unclear, small visible scratches are not eliminated. Nevertheless, the illumination improvement measured by our device was 20 lux.
NANOX Perfect Shine, "Polish for clear plastic" , art. NX8344
According to the annotation, it has nanoscale functional components that instantly penetrate the microrelief and provide a fast effect.
It is just a pity that the particle size can not be checked, however the polish is convenient to use and an easy task to grind, and minor scratches and turbidity disappear. Illumination improved by 40 lux.
PlastX, Clear Plastic Cleaner & Polish , art. G12310
The composition is designed especially for cleaning and polishing transparent plastic. The packaging is convenient, there is a dispenser, but for some reason there was no Russian annotation.
The polish is straightforward to use and rub. If the clouding is slight, you are able to eliminate it and enhance the illumination by 30 lux.
Headlight Lens Restoration Kit , art. 09135
This is a whole set for polishing headlights, containing a small bottle with the composition, four different emery papers, a flannel napkin and even gloves (they, however, immediately torn). As opposed to instructions - a link to an English-language video.
The test results could be better: after removing small scratches on the plastic with sandpaper, there were traces of its use - they didn't get rid of the polish. The illumination improvement was 15 lux.
Plastic Cleaner , art. 80183
According to the annotation, the product, cleaner and polish in a single bottle, gives shine to products made from polycarbonate glass and other plastics. It forms a hydrophobic film. True, applying the composition to the headlight is inconvenient: as a result of wide jet, area of the polish falls on the wing and hood.
It is straightforward to grind, but rather than the promised shine, a white coating remains. However, the illumination still increased by around 30 lux.
Clear Vue Glass Polish, "Super Clear Glass" , art. TC60R
According to the owners of the "turtle", it is ideal for silicate glasses, but in addition suited to hard transparent plastic. Sorry, didn't provide a dispenser. Small scratches on the headlights remained, like a whitish coating. Illumination increased, but only by 10 lux.
Glass polish
And this composition "is ideal for glasses, but can be useful for hard plastic, like, flashlights." Polish in a convenient package, there is reveal instruction in Russian. But rubbing a napkin on the headlight to get rid of polish residues took a lengthy time.
And still there were minor scratches, scuffs and clouding - a small matte coating. But the illumination increased by 30 lux.