What to Do When Car Light Covers Turn Yellow?
2 Answers
When car light covers turn yellow, the following methods can be adopted: 1. Use a soft cloth to wipe off the dust on the car lights, avoiding rough cloths to prevent scratching the car paint and light covers; 2. Apply soapy water or cleaning wax to the light covers and wipe with a soft cloth to remove dirt; 3. Use polish for application and maintenance. Since most car light covers today are made of polycarbonate or polymethyl methacrylate plastic through injection molding, plastic products gradually age during use, manifesting as yellowing, reduced strength, etc. High temperatures, ultraviolet rays, and ozone can accelerate the aging process, causing the light covers to turn yellow.
My car's headlight covers have yellowed a few times. At first, I used toothpaste squeezed onto a cloth and gently scrubbed several times, which removed surface dirt but didn't completely fix the yellowing. Later, I bought a specialized headlight restoration spray. After spraying and waiting for about ten minutes, I polished it a few times with a sponge, and it instantly became much brighter. This yellowing is caused by long-term UV exposure leading to plastic oxidation. When parking, try to avoid direct sunlight, and using a car cover can help prevent it. Now, I clean them every six months to maintain brightness and improve nighttime driving safety. If DIY methods don't work well, spending around a hundred bucks at an auto repair shop for polishing is more cost-effective than replacing them.
