A scratch on your car’s windshield can do a lot more than just ruin the integrity of your car. They can make it hard to see because the sun’s rays will reflect off the scratched parts and into your eyes, which could lead to an accident. If the scratches are deep, water can get stuck in the grooves and make it hard for the wipers to get all of the water off. To avoid any of these problems, as well as expensive repairs in the future, your car will need a full windshield scratch repair as soon as these scratches show up.
Now, a scratched windshield is a problem that you can fix at home if you have the right tools. But, depending on how deep the scratches are, this process can sometimes be very hard to do. So, now that you know that, this short guide will show you step-by-step how to fix this problem in the comfort of your own garage.
What causes scratches in a windshield?
Before we get started, we’d like to say a few words about what can scratch your car’s windshield. Now, the wipers are a common way for your windshield to get scratched. Most of the time, this happens when you turn them on by accident on a dry day. Here, you usually scratch the windshield by squeezing sand, dirt, and other rough things that have gathered between the wipers and the glass.
When you clean your car, you can also scratch the windshield by wiping it with the wrong kind of cloth. If you want to keep your car in good shape for as long as possible, you should clean the windows and windshield with a microfiber towel.
If your windshield has a scratch, you should definitely call professionals. Professional experts will look at your windshield and tell you if it has a scratch or a crack. Also, instead of getting rid of a scratch by polishing it, it’s better to call professionals who do windshield repair.
Can scratches be removed from windshield glass?
If the wrong person tints your windows, your car could get some really bad scratches. Now that you know some of the most common ways that your car’s windshield can get scratched. Let’s move on to a step-by-step guide on how to get rid of these scratches.
Step 1: First, measure how deep it is.
From what we’ve said so far, it’s clear that the first thing you’ll need to do is look at how deep the scratches are to figure out how bad the damage is. You can do this by dragging your fingernails over the places that have been scratched. If your fingernails don’t get caught in the scratches, that’s good news. It means that the scratches aren’t too deep and can be fixed at home.
But if your fingernails get caught on something, it means the scratches are deeper than 50 microns and can’t be fixed at home. In this case, the only option is to go to a professional repair shop since most of them have high-tech scratch repair kits that can fix the problem in a professional way.
Step 2: Get the parts you need to fix it.
So, if the scratches are small and not too deep, these are the things you’ll need to do this project yourself.
- Water
- Soft fabrics
- Glass cleaner
- Compound
- A spatula
- A tape
Now, you need to know that each of these rubbing compounds has its own unique qualities before you choose one. For example, nail polish works well on small scratches, while baking soda and toothpaste also work well, but they need to be used a lot. Cerium oxide, which is also called “jeweler’s rouge,” is cheap and the only “closest to perfect” rubbing compound you can use to get scratches out of your car’s windshield.
Step 3: Clean the front window.
Once everything is ready, clean your car’s windshield well to get rid of any dirt or other things that could get in the way. Here, you can clean the surface of the windshield with a glass cleaner and a dry microfiber cloth.
You can now clean the windshield in two ways. First, you can just spray the surface with glass cleaner and wipe it dry with a microfiber cloth. Two, you can clean the windshield by mixing equal parts water and white vinegar. You can also use a cleaner and degreaser that works for everything, but you must never use regular dish soap.
Note: When you clean your windshield, you should cover the edges with painter’s tape so that any splatter doesn’t get into other parts of your car. Also, make sure the windshield is totally dry before you move on to the next step.
Step 4: Mark the spots where you scratched.
Since you’ll be fixing different parts of the windshield at a time, it can be easy to lose track of where you are because the scratches are likely to get less obvious as you go. So, to avoid this, you should use a dry-erase marker to outline the scratched areas on the inside (back) of the windshield. If you don’t have a marker pen, you can also do the same thing with a piece of tape.
Step 5: Put the scratch remover together.
Now, if you’re working with acrylic, you don’t have to do this step. But if you’re working with cerium oxide, you’ll first need to mix the powder with water in a bowl to make a slurry that looks like Elmer’s Glue.
You can do the same thing with baking soda and toothpaste. You need to mix them well until a slurry forms.
Step 6: Now, you can use the Rubbing Compound.
Since the rubbing compound is now ready, you can start putting it on the windshield. But before you start, you need to put on safety gear, like goggles, rubber gloves, and a dust mask, especially if you are working with cerium oxide.
If you are working with cerium oxide, just put the compound on the scratched areas to start. Rub the surface with a dry microfiber cloth as you put it on. If the compound starts to dry out, spray a little water on it and keep rubbing it with the microfiber cloth. Rub gently in a circle so that the compound can get into the cracks.
If you’re using a paste that doesn’t form a gel, soak the microfiber cloth in warm water first, then gently rinse it. Next, put a small amount of the paste (baking soda and toothpaste) on a microfiber cloth and use it to wipe the scratched surface. Since toothpaste needs to be used more than once, you have to do this process more than once while looking at the scratches. Wipe in a circle, just like you would with cerium oxide so that the paste can fill in the cracks.
To make sure that the scratches are gone for good, you can use a buffing machine or an electric drill. Here, all you have to do is hook up a soft buffing pad, turn on the machine, and wipe the damaged area back and forth a few times.
Step 7: Let the mix dry out.
Now that everything is done, the last step is to put your car in the sun so the rubbing compound can dry (dry up). This takes anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes most of the time. You can use the time the resin takes to dry to take off the painter’s tape and wipe off any extra paint before it dries.
Once the glue has dried completely, wash the windshield well and then wipe it down with a dry microfiber cloth. If there are white flakes on the surface, you can use a razor blade to get rid of them.
Final Words
If you’ve done the latter by following this step-by-step guide, then good for you! You just fixed the scratches on the windshield of your car. Now, all you need to do is sit back and look at the reflection on the windshield of your car.
One bad thing about rubbing compounds is that they don’t last very long. Since they tend to wear off over time, you have to put them back on often to keep the small cracks from getting bigger.