Auto glass scratches just as easily as the paintwork of your car but it can be easily restored using a quality glass polish. They are available in several different forms that include complete polishing kits, compounds or a cerium oxide powder.
The best glass polish is the GP21005 Car Window Scratch Removal Kit. It’s the perfect answer for removing wiper blade scratches and other defects upon your car’s glass surfaces.
Many car owners don’t realize that you can actually polish defects from the glass fairly easily. However, before attempting to apply any product, you will want to ensure that the glass is cleaned to the best of your abilities beforehand.
Auto Glass Polish Comparison
Cleaners may not be able to remove the strongest of water spots, dirt or scratches. Therefore, the next step is to get a car window polish that removes these defects. Glass polishes have additional additives as opposed to a paint polish that provide superior glass cutting qualities.
The glass of your car is often neglected when compared to the bodywork, which opens up a huge opportunity to improve your detailing game. Auto glass that’s defect free can make a huge difference to the overall appearance of the car and it won’t go unnoticed.
Below is a list of the best glass polish compounds for removing scratches, water sports and bugs from automotive exterior windows.
The Best Glass Polish
1. GP21005 Car Windshield Scratch Repair Kit
It’s designed to be used with an electric drill, which works the polishing compound into the glass for the best results. Whether you the scratches are caused from the window wipers or maliciously, this glass polishing kit remove the defects with ease.
Other features of this GP21005 Glass Polish Kit include:
- Designed for use with electric drills
- 3 inch Velcro backing pad
- 2 polishing pads
- 7 oz polishing compound
- Microfiber cloth
- Suitable for all types of glass
- Comes with instructions
The GP21005 is the best glass polishing kit for the money that can save you plenty of money in the long run. It comes as a complete kit that’s suitable for tackling all auto glass defects. It’s important to note that you will require a standard drill for using the supplied attachment.
2. 3M 60150 Glass Polishing Compound
3M are a highly reputable detailing brand and well-known for their premium products. This 3M 60150 is their rated glass polish that’s comes in a bottled liquid compound and contains zero wax, chemical cleaner, fillers or glazing oils.
The formulation of this glass polish is made from a high quality cerium oxide mineral blend that’s designed to be used with a rotary or DA car polisher machine.
Other features of the 3M Glass Polishing Compound include:
- One step solution
- Precision-milled cerium oxide based paste
- Contains no wax or silicone
- 1 liter bottle capacity
- Leaves a bright finish
Although this glass polish formula comes with a premium price tag, it’s a worthwhile investment that won’t disappoint. The one-step process transforms defective glass with ease and leaves a bright finish upon exterior glass surfaces.
3. McKee’s 37 Krystal Vision Glass Polish Kit
McKee’s are another popular detailing brand in the USA and the Krystal Vision comes as a complete kit. It’s designed to restore cloudy and spotted glass whilst maintaining the clarityy of the car windows or windshield.
Included with this glass polishing kit is an applicator, microfiber towel, auto glass cleaner and polish, which are both in 16 oz bottles.
Other features of the McKee’s 37 Krystal Vision include:
- Alcohol and ammonia-free
- 100% safe on all glass surfaces
- Removes bug splatter, road film and water spots
- Restores and protects
- 5 piece kit with 16 oz bottles
- Pleasant citrus scent
- Application by hand or polisher
The McKee’s 37 Krystal Vision is an excellent all-round glass polish and cleaner kit that won’t disappoint. If you want an even more thorough application, the brand also offer a larger 11 piece kit if required.
4. Duragloss 755 Water Spot Remover
Other features of the Duragloss 755 include:
- Powerful yet gentle
- Requires no rinsing
- Application by hand or buffer
- Available as a 16 oz or 1 gallon bottle
- Contains lubricants for protection
For tackling bug splatter, tree sap and water spots, the Duragloss 755 is an excellent option that’s completely safe to use. It can also be applied by hand or machine to best suit your requirements with zero residue to clear after the application.
5. Griot’s Garage 11017 Fine Glass Polish
Griot’s Garage are a highly reputable detailing company and their 11017 fine glass polish targets road film and tough water marks on old or soft car glass.
The brand state that before using this formula, it’s essential that its completely clean. We advise that you use a clay bar kit to completely clear the glass.
Other features of the Griot’s Garage Fine Glass Polish include:
- Suitable for windshield, sunroof and side glass
- Removes mild water spots
- Application by hand or polisher
- 16 oz bottle
- Easy to use with excellent results
The Griot’s Garage glass polishing product is a highly rated car window polish that can be applied via hand or polisher with minimal effort. It’s also designed and tested by the reptuable Griot’s Garage brand for complete peace of mind.
6. 3D Detailing Eraser Auto Glass Polish
The 3D Auto Detailing Eraser glass polish is ideal for removing tough water spots on not only glass but also paint and metal. It’s a gel formula that’s easily applied and removed and designed to revive your car windows back to its former glory.
Other features of the 3D Auto Detailing Eraser include:
- Zero drip formula
- Suitable for glass, chrome and paint
- Revives the glass back to an OEM finish
- Best when used against water spots
- Results within 60 seconds
The popularity and the relatively cheap cost makes this one of the best water spot removers you can buy. When using this car glass polish, it’s advised that you only leave the polish on the window for a maximum of 60 seconds. Any longer than this can result in additional effort when it comes to removing the residue.
7. Cerium Oxide Car Glass Polish
In order to tackle stubborn defects, you may want to opt for a no-nonsense cerium oxide formula. It simply mixes with water and is applied to auto glass using the polishing felt attachment. According to the brand, it can even be used to restore headlight lenses.
Included with this glass polishing kit is 50 grams of the powder, 50 mm polishing felt wheel and a 5 mm shank.
Other features of the Cerium Oxide Powder include:
- Restores lightly scratches windows, mirrors and windshields
- Causes a chemical and physical reaction
- Not suitable for window tint film
- Restores to “like-new” condition
- Durable drill attachment
This glass polishing kit does come with a premium price tag but the brand promise superior results. In terms of the application, it mixes with water and is best used with the included electric drill attachment.
Car Glass Polish Buying Guide
As soon as you find any scratches, in your windshield, try to address them straight away. This prevents the scratches from getting deeper and causing more damages to your windshield. There are only a few items that you need to begin the process of repairing and removing scratches, and these items include:
- Glass repair kit
- Glass cleaner
- Dry soft cloth
- Rubbing compound that contains cerium oxide
If you have surface damage in the form of a chip or crack, you will require a windshield repair kit. Once you have filled the gap with an advanced resin formula, it’s then ready for glass polish for a smoother finish to the repair.
To help you make an informed buying decision, we have produced the below buying guide regarding glass polish for your car.
Type of Scratch
The first thing that you need to focus on is to determine what type of scratch it is that you are dealing with. You can do this my simply running your finger over the scratch and you will be able to tell if it’s a simple surface scratch or a much deeper scratch.
If it’s a simple surface scratch, it will feel smooth when you touch it and this is the type of scratch can be removed with ease. You will be able to remove these types of scratches with a basic glass polish.
For deeper scratches, your finger will go into the scratch and this requires a more specialized windshield scratch repair. This involves various fine sand paper and an abrasive glass polishing compound. Depending upon how severe the scratch is to the glass may result in a new windshield or side window.
How To Remove Scratches From Windshield
Removing scratches from your windshield is very similar to using a car scratch remover product. You may be lucky enough to remove minor scratches with a glass polishing compound but if not, you will require a complete glass polish kit. This kit will contain all of the items that you will need to accomplish your scratch removal process.
In order to remove scratches from your windshield, follow the below steps.
Clean The Windshield
Wash the windshield as thoroughly as you can before doing anything else. You will want to use an auto glass cleaner to thoroughly clean the glass. You don’t want to put the glass polishing compound on the windshield with dirt on it.
Once you have used the cleaner, make sure to rinse any residue left on the glass. You want to be sure that once you add the compound to the windshield, you don’t have any dirt trapped underneath it.
Adding The Glass Polishing Compound
Once the windshield is clean and dry, you can then add the compound to it. The compound should look like toothpaste and be easy to rub into the scratch. After applying the compound, you will need to spray it with water and rub the it gently with a soft cloth. Try not to apply too much pressure as you do this, otherwise, you may push the compound back out of the scratch in the glass.
After you have successfully applied the compound to your windshield and the scratch, you will then need to let it dry. Make sure to follow the instructions on the package to help you understand just how long you need to let it dry.
Once, it has completely dried, you will then need to wash the windshield and dry it with a car drying towel.
Assessing The Result
Once you have completed this process, you should have a scratch-free windshield. If the scratches remain, you can attempt to reapply the glass polishing compound but it may be that the scratch is too deep to repair.
Level of Abrasive Qualities
When researching through the different types of glass polish products, you will want to check the strength of the formula. Some may only be suitable for water spots and light scratches, which won’t be ideal for those tackling deep scratches to their windshield.
Conclusion
Depending upon the age of your vehicle, windshield scratches are something that’s fairly common. Whether they are caused by your wiper blades or even the use of windshield covers, most can be easily removed using a glass polish.
All of our recommendations cover basic glass polishing compound products to complete windshield scratch repair kits. Depending upon the severity of the scratch, you may or may not be able to remove it. Therefore, it’s important that you asses any damage before purchasing any polishes.