My reflector wont come clean!!!

Ok, so Ive read everything there is to read about cleaning reflectors here on cpf and usually I have good results using these techniques but this reflector is stubborn. No matter how many times I clean the reflector, or what kind of final rinse I use, there is always a white haze on the surface of the reflector. The worst part is that this haze manifests itself randomly every time it dries so I know its not just a damaged reflector. My methods: coat with dawn soap, gently rub finger inside reflector, rinse with warm water, rinse with cold water, dip in distilled water. Ive even tried dipping in denatured alcohol afterward but that made it much worse! I really dont know what else to try here. Has anyone ever had a reflector as stubborn as mine? I could really use some tips.

Is this a sputtered custom or metal store bought reflector? Usually it is not a good idea to even touch it too much.

It sounds like the surface of the reflector is worn out or somehow has lost it's "glaze".

I yield to others but it sounds like it IS clean and simply doesn't have the original finish texture anymore.

Personally as a home remedy I would consider trying to re'glaze the reflector with a clear heat resistant material. You willlose some efficiency over the stock, but you will gain from what you presently enjoy.

You basically want the "wet" look back.

Anything from clear nail polish to a urethane can give you that but you will lose some efficiency of light transmission and it will be a bit more diffused (not as bad as it is now though).

I am not sure what type of reflector this is or how much heat it has to handle, or what clear glaze would be the most efficient or heat resistant.

There might even be a heat resistant surface protectant that would give you the wet look and be stable enough to use in applications where heat and dust aren't an issue.

For some finish application of high heat might even restore the finish if carefully applied.

In short more information please? plastic, metal, what light/host, bulb /LED.

Note, I am not a reflector expert, these are my thoughts on what I would be thinking if it happened to me and I didn't want to shell out for a replacement, i.e. home cooked remedy.

I bought some towels from member waynejitsu that clean reflectors as good as anything else I have tried. But some just won't clean no matter what you do, live with it or replace it.

Edgy said:

gently rub finger inside reflector,

Click to expand...

Ok, while i do not know exactly what kind of reflector you mean in particular, this is a big bad red flag.

Normaly any kind of touch should ruin the aluminium coating.

I would also advice against using any kind of nail polish, etc.
It would only make things worse, especially if you end up getting uneven coating.

Maybe start searching for a new one, and keep your fingers off it to begin with this time.:nana:

I recently (yesterday) took a reflector I sputtered, and using 90% rubbing alcohol removed the clear coat and redid it. It can be done.

Yeah i think maybe its just a cheap reflector. Its a dealextreme xp-g reflector and it looked kinda weird out of the package so I think ill just use a different one. I never did touch the reflector though. I used a really thick dish soap to coat the surface so I just put soap on a clean finger and pushed the the soap inside the reflector around a little to dislodge some of the dust. My solarforce reflectors love this technique and look great once dried

Try using masking tape, not the blue kind, but the beige kind. Roll it around your index finger with the sticky side out and just dab the surface of the reflector. I use this method on cheap DX reflectors all the time. I find that the tape's adhesive takes the film off of the OP surface without leaving anything behind, kind of like using scotch tape to remove the film from a credit card backing before you sign it.

If that still doesn't work, try rubbing some WD-40 on it with a rag to restore the wet look. What have you got to lose?