If your truck has an aluminum tailgate trim panel like many of these do, chances are it's hazy from the anodized coating aging. Well last week I found a solution to clean this coating by accident.

​​​​​I've been using a product called Plexus for years to clean and protect plastic mirrors, headlights and taillights and other transparent plastics. It was developed for use on airplane windshields. Well last week I sprayed my taillights with it and wiped them off and some overspray got on the tailgate panel. A few hours later, I noticed the tailgate panel still looked clean and shiny where the overspray had gotten. So I got the Plexus back out and sprayed the whole tailgate panel, let it sit five minutes and wiped it back off. I did this one more time to get an even application. The aluminum panel looked significantly better. It's not perfect, but much less cloudy and dull than it was. It's been one week and it still is looking good. Time will tell how long it will last, but so far so good. Here is a junk tailgate panel I had laying around that I also sprayed and wiped off. It's been sitting outside a week and you can still clearly see where it was and wasn't sprayed. Just thought I'd pass this on.

 

That's interesting. Pretty cool if it lasts. I've never found a good solution to removing the cloudy haze.

 

I don't expect it to be a very long term solution, but if it lasts a week, I don't mind reapplying it once a week.

 

Do you see such dramatic differences in headlight use?

 

I haven't ever tried it on really bad headlights, but I would think a headlight restoration kit would be your best bet there.

However, if you apply it to your headlights four or five times a year they will stay crystal clear for a long long time.