Windshield Scratch Repair:
Top Rated DIY Repair Kit

Windshield scratches are an unfortunate reality of vehicle ownership, particularly those caused by worn windshield wipers.

While small chips and dings are common issues, long scratches across your line of sight can create dangerous visibility problems while driving.

For many drivers, a high-quality glass polishing kit offers an effective solution for addressing these scratches before they become a serious safety concern.

Can Glass Really be Polished?

Most car enthusiasts know you can polish out scratches in paint - it's a common DIY fix.

But when it comes to glass scratches, many people are skeptical. After all, if glass is tough enough to protect you from highway debris, how could anyone possibly polish its surface?

windshield scratch repair


Yet your windshield, facing forward and exposed to the elements, often becomes a target for various types of damage. Among the most common problems are scratches, which can occur in several ways:

  • High-speed debris impacts that leave distinct marks across the glass
  • Particles trapped beneath wiper blades that scrape across your windshield with each swipe
  • Deteriorated wiper blades where exposed metal components scratch the glass surface

The solution might surprise you: specialized glass polishing kits that contain unique compounds and buffing pads can effectively reduce or eliminate these scratches.

Better yet, these DIY kits don't require professional equipment. As someone who works with automotive glass, I was initially skeptical when faced with a customer's scratched windshield. However, I decided to test a consumer-grade kit before turning to my professional tools.

What makes these kits special is their active ingredient: cerium oxide. This unique abrasive compound is specifically designed for glass - you won't find it in regular automotive polishes.

Given glass's incredible hardness, this specialized formula makes perfect sense. While I have access to professional-grade equipment, I wanted to see if a DIY solution could deliver real results. After researching popular options on Amazon, I selected the highest-rated windshield scratch removal kit, which I'll detail below.

windshield scratch repair kit

Glass Polishing Kit on Amazon

  • Top rated glass polishing kit on Amazon.
  • Countless great reviews.
  • Super inexpensive.
  • Everything you need to remove and diminish the scratches on your windshield.
  • Attaches to any traditional household drill motor.

I ended up shooting a video tutorial using this kit which you can watch if you are interested in my firsthand experience with this specific kit.


Windshield Scratch Repair Kit:
What I Learned

Despite having been in the auto detailing business professionally for over 25 years, I had never tried to polish out any scratches from a windshield prior to this moment.

I had always remained very skeptical that any polish would be able to work on a material like glass that is so extremely tough.

Unlike car paint that can scratch so easily; glass is tough and is actually very hard to scratch.

I reach so many non-professionals through YouTube channel that I wanted to see if glass polishing and windshield scratch removal was actually possible for a typical car owner at home with limited resources.

Yes!

It is in fact possible for DIY windshield scratch repair!

I was actually able to polish away all the fine scratches and diminish the very deep scratches in the windshield to a very acceptable level. I have a very critical eye and therefore I am going to be an especially tough audience to make myself happy, but happy I was, and super happy was my customer!

But with that I wanted to outline some of the tips and tricks I learned in performing the windshield scratch repair to help you in your efforts should you decide to tackle this formidable challenge yourself.

  • You will need a regular drill motor. You will attach the polishing disc and spindle you will find in the kit.
  • The kit comes with two polishing discs that are made of a very dense, special polishing material.
  • The kit comes with cerium oxide based polishing compound.
  • The kit comes with a small micro fiber cloth to remove polish once you have polished your windshield.
  • It is best to work in a shaded area.
  • Have a step ladder handy as you will need to be high enough in relation to the windshield so the polishing pads remain flat against the windshield as you are polishing.
  • Based on how deep your scratch(s) are, you may not be able to remove them completely, but you will be able to improve them to acceptable levels.
  • This kit was able to remove the fine scratches completely.
  • Even if you are unable to remove the deep scratches 100%, you will be able to refine the edge of the scratch so the scratch is far less noticeable and less intrusive as you are driving.
  • Based on your determination and how deep your scratches are in your windshield, you will need to repeat each application of polish multiple times until desire results have been achieved.
  • There is no limit to how many times you can keep polishing the scratched areas. You will come to a one conclusion eventually: you have achieved the desired results, you run out of polish, or you will simply accept that the scratches are so deep that complete removal is unrealistic. 

Windshield Scratch Repair Summary

Between the info I have laid out for you on this page, along with my recommended windshield scratch repair kit, you should now have a great place to go if you find yourself needing to repair any scratches on the windshield of your own car.

Sincerely,

Darren Priest





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