If you're ever in a fender-bender, or if you are simply repainting or touching up a few scratches on your vehicle, there's the possibility that paint will end up on your taillights. If you are able to get it while it's still wet, you'll only need a dry cloth. However, if the paint has had time to dry, you must do a little more work. Fortunately, it can be removed. Since the tail lights scratch rather easily on most vehicles, removing paint from them takes a bit of care.
Wash the area around the tail lights with soap and water. Use a natural sponge to wash the vehicle so that you do not create scratches on the surface of the taillights or in the clear coat on the paint around the tail lights. Try to remove as much dirt and debris as possible from the tail lights.
Dry the area you just washed with a clean cotton towel.
Place a small amount of polishing compound on the pad of the buffer and work the buffing pad over the tail lights without turning the buffer on. Make a few small circles with the buffing pad. Then, turn the buffer on to the lowest setting and continue working the buffer around in a circular motion on the tail lights (specifically over the painted area). Do not apply pressure to the buffer. Instead, let the polishing compound and the buffer gently remove the paint.
Clean the area with a clean cotton cloth when you are finished polishing. There may still be flecks of paint that won't come off with the polishing compound and buffer, or areas that you cannot reach with a buffer.
Spray the detailing clay lubricant over any remaining painted surface on the tail light. Rub the detailing clay over the painted areas you could not get with a buffer. Rub the clay back and forth (not in a circular motion). At first, you may feel some resistance. This is the clay starting to remove paint from the surface. The resistance should lessen as the paint comes off the tail lights.
