How to Restore Headlights (Dad, How do I?)

Dad, how do I?

Transcript provided by YouTube then edited with AI.

Headlight Restoration Project

Hey kids! Today I’m going to try something a little bit different. My van is a 2005 and the headlights are in pretty bad shape. The covers are cloudy and scratched.

I’ve seen all the different videos talking about toothpaste or Coca-Cola or other hacks, but I’m going to try a restoration kit. I’m not being compensated, so you’re going to get a real review. It had a lot of good ratings, so I’m giving it the old college try. Hopefully, it works!

Before we get started, here’s a dad joke for you: Did you hear about the apes that started a company? Yeah, it’s a bunch of monkey business. Now, let’s get started.

Unboxing the Kit

The kit comes with a few packets inside: step one, step two, and step three. Step two involves sanding, which comes with a small sanding unit. Step three is applying the final coating. I also found out you’ll want a spray bottle of water handy.

Here’s how my headlights look before starting. The left one is worse than the right, but both need work.

Step One: Deoxidizing

First, put on your gloves. Step one uses special wipes. You get four wipes per headlight, for a total of eight. As you wipe, the yellow oxidation comes off onto the wipes. Even after all four wipes, they still show some yellow, which is normal.

I went through the process on both headlights. After this step, my headlights were already looking better, though still scratched.

Step Two: Sanding

Next, squirt the headlights with water and wipe them clean before sanding. Attach the sanding pad (2000 grit first) to the handle, wet both the pad and the headlight, and sand in a back-and-forth motion. Don’t use circular motions—just straight back and forth.

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Keep everything wet while sanding. I spent extra time on the left headlight because it had deeper scratches. After working with the 2000 grit, I switched to the 3000 grit pad to smooth things further. Both headlights were sanded thoroughly until the scratches were uniform.

After sanding, I wiped them off and checked progress. Some fine streaks remained, but that’s expected. Before moving on, I dried everything completely using a blower to ensure there was no water left.

Step Three: Applying the Coating

With the headlights completely dry, it was time for the final step. Starting from the top, I applied the coating in straight, overlapping strokes with about 50% overlap each time. I worked slowly and methodically to make sure I didn’t miss any spots.

The transformation was immediate. The haze disappeared, scratches were filled, and the headlights looked almost brand new. It was pretty amazing to see the difference right away.

I started with the right headlight, then repeated the process on the left. Both turned out great.

Final Results

Once the coating is applied, you can’t let the headlights get wet for at least an hour. You also shouldn’t drive during that time to allow the coating to harden properly.

The before-and-after comparison is really satisfying. My 2005 Toyota Sienna headlights look like new again. Honestly, I was skeptical at first, but the results impressed me. The kit cost around $17 to $20 and was worth every penny.

Closing Thoughts

If the coating fades in a week or a month, I’ll try to update you. But for now, it’s looking great. If you know of another product you’d like me to try, let me know in the comments. If I have a project that fits, I’d be happy to test it out.

Hope this was helpful. Thanks for watching, and God bless you!

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This post was previously published on YouTube.

Welcome to “Dad, how do I?” Here you will find “How To” videos by a dad who has raised 2 adults (and we still talk). I will do my best to provide useful , practical content to many basic tasks that everyone should know how to do. On this channel, you will find a variety of content like How To’s, Story times, Dad Chats, and more!

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This video is produced by “Dad, how do I?” and it is provided for informational, educational, entertainment purposes only. Some of these projects, materials, and techniques may not be appropriate for all ages or skill levels. “Dad, how do I?” does not make any claims of the safety of the projects, techniques, or resources listed on this site including this video, and will not take responsibility of what you do with the information provided by this site. Viewers must be aware by doing DIY projects on their homes or vehicles, they are doing it at their own risk and “Dad, how do I?” cannot be held liable if they cause any damage to their homes or vehicles. “Dad, how do I?” assumes no liability for property damage or personal injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. “Dad, how do I?” recommends safe practices when working with tools seen or implied in this or any other video on my channel. Due to factors beyond the control of “Dad, how do I?“, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not “Dad, how do I?”.