How To Fix Scratched Glass

I keep hearing the same question over and over: how do I remove a scratch from glass? There is really only one main way, and that's with Cerium Oxide. Cerium oxide is a grit, fine enough to remove some scratches (it does scratch the glass itself, but the scratches are so small you can't see them). Cerium oxide can be found in jewelry supply catalogs, beveling catalogs, and is used as the final step in rock tumbling. And it's not terribly expensive either.

This technique will only work on very light scratches. Run your finger nail over the scratch (like scratching a bug bite, only lighter). If you feel a click, then the scratch is too deep. But if you don't feel much of anything, this might actually work.

All you need is a bit of cerium oxide, you really don't need much, a few drops of water, a soft cloth or your finger.

Clean off the glass with a glass cleaner or in the sink. This is to make sure there isn't any rougher grit on the glass.
Then put a small amount of the cerium oxide onto the glass. How much? It depends on the scratch, usually no more than a small 1/2" diameter pile is needed. Be sure to do this in a room that isn't too breezy; it's a very fine powder.
Put a few drops on the pile and mush it around. It should have a slightly looser constancy than toothpaste.
Using your finger or a cloth, rub the mixture into the scratch and over the surface of the glass. This may take awhile, and you may have to repeat it a few times.
Hopefully by now the scratch will be gone, or at least not as noticeable as it once was.

This method works pretty well on water marks on the glass also. When you wash a sheet of glass but don't dry it, and you get those hard water spots on the glass, this could take them off. (Crunchy toothpaste might also work on this.)

There are also commercial products available to remove scratches in windshields but since I have never used these, I really couldn't help here.

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Last modified July 13, 1997

Started on 9-22-98