Buff out dull headlights

So my girlfriend’s ’97 Honda Civic’s headlights were real foggy and didn’t project well onto the road.
Sound familiar?
Here’s the fix. It worked for a composite plastic lens. I don’t know about glass.
I read in Popular Mechanics that you can wet sand then buff them out to a shine.
Start by cleaning the lenses real well. I mean real clean, because one speck of dirt will scratch the lens.
Get a bucket of water and put a little dish soap in it. Keep your paper real wet while sanding. The soapy water helps lubricate the paper and helps it last longer.
I like to back the paper with a foam sanding block because it forms to the contours, or you can use your hand or an old abrasive sponge. I wouldn’t recommend a hard block because you’ll sand flat spots in the lens.
Start with around a 1000 grit “wet or dry” paper. Then 1500 and finally 2000. Napa has a good selection of these, at least in Chico.
The key to the wet sanding is, having good lighting and alternating directions with each grit.
Starting with 1000, go horizontal only, then 1500 vertically and 2000 horizontally.
The reason for this is so you can tell when you’ve sanded off each grit’s fine scratches.
I skipped this step and went straight to the buffer, starting with a heavy compound and finishing with a light compound, both were Turtle Wax products from the parts store.
Then move to the buffing.
You can do it by hand, but it only took me a minute with a machine.
Start with a heavy compound then move to a lighter compound for a perfect finish.
Wet sanding can be intimidating. It seems counter-intuitive to take sandpaper to a plastic lens, but it is not hard. I’ve done it brand new automotive paint plenty. It will appear dull at first and less dull with each grit, but the buffing really brings it out.