If your car’s window or windshield has a shallow scratch across its surface, you can easily minimize its conspicuousness or remove it completely by filling the crevice. Here’s a basic guide on how to remove a scratch from the glass.
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Step 1: Inspect the scratch
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A scratch isn’t the same as a crack or chip. If your car’s glass has the latter, it could grow and worsen into a much larger problem. If the scratch is shallow enough that you don’t actually feel it when you run your finger over it, continue to the next step. But if it’s deep enough to feel, you should contact a professional.
Step 2: Choose your solution
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There are a variety of scratch-filling solutions you can use on glass, differing in cost, ease of obtaining, ease of application, and effectiveness.
- The most effective is cerium oxide (aka jeweler’s rouge), which you’d need to purchase. It requires careful application following the product’s directions and a buffing tool. It’ll last the longest and have the highest success rate if applied correctly.
- An easier solution is using a clear acrylic nail polish, applying a couple of coats, and wiping off excess with nail polish remover.
- The cheapest solution is a combination of baking soda and white, non-gel toothpaste, which you may have to reapply every year if the scratch reappears.
Step 3: Identify the scratch
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Make sure the damaged spot on the glass is obvious by marking it off with painter’s tape or a dry-erase marker on the opposite side.
Step 4: Clean the glass
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Start by preparing the surface for treatment. Spray it with a suitable glass cleaner and wiping it with a microfiber cloth to remove any dirt or residue.
Step 5: Apply the repair product
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Depending on the product you’re using, apply it properly and carefully to the damaged area. Apply multiple coats, letting the solution dry each time before reapplying, until you don’t see a scratch in the glass anymore. Keep the area around the glass clean, wiping up any unintentional drips or smears so no other spots become damaged.
There’s no guarantee that these solutions will work, so if you aren’t having success filling the scratch yourself, you should pay a professional to fix it for you.
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Aaron is unashamed to be a native Clevelander and the proud driver of a Hyundai Veloster Turbo (which recently replaced his 1995 Saturn SC-2). He gleefully utilizes his background in theater, literature, and communication to dramatically recite his own articles to nearby youth. Mr. Widmar happily resides in Dayton, Ohio with his magnificent wife, Vicki, but is often on the road with her exploring new destinations. Aaron has high aspirations for his writing career but often gets distracted pondering the profound nature of the human condition and forgets what he was writing… See more articles by Aaron.
