Headlight Restoration in Milwaukie & Surrounding Portland Metro
What we see in Portland garages
Milwaukie is a quick reach from SE Portland, and we book a lot of weekend details in town - driveways here are perfect for full ceramic days.
How we approach it
Cloudy, yellow, hazy headlights aren't just ugly - they cut your night-driving visibility almost in half. Sun, rain, road grit and UV slowly oxidize the polycarbonate lens until light can barely escape. The fix isn't replacement (which costs a fortune on most modern cars). It's a proper sand, polish and UV-seal.
What to expect on the day
We wet-sand through progressive grits, machine-polish back to clarity, and apply a UV-resistant ceramic-style sealant that protects the work for 2–3 years. The whole process takes about an hour per vehicle, and the difference is night and day - literally. Most clients can't believe it's the same car.
Where Tidy is different
Mobile to your driveway anywhere in the Portland metro. We can knock it out as a standalone visit or stack it onto a Full Detail or Premium Show.
What's included
Every job comes with the same checklist. No surprises.
- Multi-stage wet-sanding (typically 800/1500/2500/3000 grit)
- Machine polish to optical clarity
- Surface preparation for UV sealant adhesion
- UV-resistant ceramic-style sealant - 2–3 year protection
- Both headlights restored
- Surrounding paint and trim masked and protected
- Final inspection and testing under low light
How it works
Tape off
Surrounding paint and trim get fully masked - no risk of scratching anything but the lens.
Wet-sand progressively
Multiple grits to remove the oxidized layer cleanly without removing too much material.
Polish back to clear
Machine polish brings the lens back to factory-level clarity.
UV seal
Ceramic-style UV sealant flashes onto the prepped surface and locks the work in for years.
Why this matters in the Pacific Northwest
The PNW is brutal on paint
Portland sees more cloudy days than people realize, but UV still works on plastic year-round - and our long, low summer sun angles hammer headlights especially hard.
Why technique actually matters
Replacement headlight assemblies on modern cars routinely run $400–$1500+ each. Restoration is a fraction of that and lasts years when sealed properly.
City vs. backroad realities
Without the UV sealant step, restored headlights yellow back within months. We never skip it - and we warranty the result.
Resale & long-term value
Mature tree canopy means heavy organic fallout on parked vehicles year-round. Full decon plus ceramic is the long-term answer; full details on a maintenance schedule keep things looking right in between.
What affects the price
Every property is different. These are the things we look at when we quote.
- Vehicle make/model and lens material
- Severity of oxidation (stage 1 vs. severe yellowing)
- Whether one or both lenses need work
- Stacked with another detail vs. standalone visit
Related services
We service the entire Portland metro
We service every neighborhood in Milwaukie, including Lake Road, Ardenwald, Linwood, Milwaukie Heights. Same crew, same standards across the whole city.
Ready to book your detail?
Tell us your vehicle, your zip, and what kind of finish you're after. We'll come back same-day with a real quote and a slot on the calendar.