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Home / Cleaning Guides / House / Surfaces / How to Remove Scratches from Glass

How to Remove Scratches from Glass

Table of Contents:
  1. You Will Need
  2. The Removal Process
  3. Additional Tips and Advice

Whether it is your windows, mirrors, coffee tables or other glass items in your home, scratches can be a vexing problem and are often very difficult (or even impossible) to get rid of. Generally speaking, if the scratch isn’t too deep, it can be minimized (or possibly eliminated). If your fingernail can be inserted into a scratch, it is usually too deep completely remove. Removing scratches can be a difficult task and should be completed by a professional. If you have a small scuff you’d like to attempt to remove yourself, follow the steps below.

You Will Need:

  • Jewelers rouge
  • Electric buffer with polishing pad
  • Household ammonia
  • Warm water
  • Spray bottle
  • Lint-free cloth or paper towel
  • Rubber gloves
  • Safety goggles
  • Dust mask

The Removal Process:

  1. Apply a small amount of the Jewelers Rouge (cerium oxide) to the polishing pad. Lamb’s wool is the best and most effective choice for your polishing pad.
  2. Wearing your dust mask and goggles, use the electric buffer at medium speed (2000-2500 RPM) to buff the scratch with the polishing pad. Use a consistent speed for the best results. Be careful not to exert too much pressure on the glass while buffing, since the scratch may have weakened the glass and you don’t want to risk cracking it. If the scratch is very small, or in an awkward spot, you can try to do the buffing by hand using the polishing pad, but it will take quite a bit of elbow grease, and may not be as effective.
  3. Finally, clean the glass surface. In the spray bottle, mix ½ ounce of ammonia with 2 cups of warm water. Make sure to wear your goggles, mask and rubber gloves when handling ammonia. Even household ammonia is considered a dangerous chemical, it should be handled with care and should NEVER be mixed with other household cleaners or chemicals, especially bleach.
  4. Spray the area that you’ve just buffed with the ammonia/water solution, and wipe with lint free cloth or paper towel.
  5. If the scratch is still prominent, repeat Steps 1 through 4. If, by the third attempt, the scratch is still prominent, chances are, it cannot be repaired except perhaps by a professional.

Additional Tips and Advice:

  • This method is meant for glass with minor scratches and scuffs. Larger scratches require experience and expertise to remove. The buffing of a deeper scratch will heat the glass (particularly tempered glass) which must be cooled slowly to prevent shattering. These types of scratches should be left to professionals or those experienced with buffing glass.
  • Jewelers Rouge can be found at most jewelry stores, arts and crafts stores, and online.
  • As a feasible alternative to Jewelers Rouge, try using whitening toothpaste. Don’t use a gel, but only the white paste type.
  • NEVER use any type of abrasive cleanser as a polishing agent as it will only add more scratches to your glass.
  • Some types of glass may retain a dull sheen at the spot where you’ve tried to buff a scratch away. If this happens, and is not fixed by wiping it down with the ammonia/water solution, try applying a coat of clear nail polish.
  • To lessen the chance of cracking the glass during the buffing process, if the glass can be removed (i.e. a mirror), it is best to lay it on a flat, solid surface during the buffing.

Cleaning Guides, Surfaces, Windows

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About the Author

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Mark

Mark is the founder and lead content planner here at HowToCleanStuff.net. He spent 4 years as a professional carpet cleaner followed by a career providing professional cleaning services to businesses and residential homes.

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Comments

  1. Ravideep says

    October 1, 2009 at 10:46 am

    I used jewelers’ rouge on my car’s front windshield, but it added more scratches in it. Please help me to fix it, please.

    Reply
  2. Avatar photoSusan says

    October 4, 2009 at 7:18 pm

    Hi Ravideep,

    I’m sorry to hear about the additional scratches. It could be caused from uneven application or the wrong grade of jeweler’s rouge. To avoid further damage, I would recommend consulting a local windshield repair. There are windshield kits available to remove scratches. They will be able to give you an accurate assessment if the damage can be fixed and how. Good Luck!

    Reply
  3. Ravideep says

    October 7, 2009 at 3:48 am

    I used jeweler’s rouge with glycerin and water. and I rub the same with cotton cloth.

    Reply
  4. Wayne says

    December 29, 2009 at 8:17 am

    Does the use of this scratch removal have any impact on tinted tempered glass?

    Reply
  5. Jacques says

    September 8, 2010 at 8:58 am

    I have a Palm Pre with small scratches on the front of the touch screen. Can I use jeweler’s rouge on it?

    Reply
  6. Jeanneth says

    February 19, 2012 at 1:29 pm

    I am a south African and I have aluminum windows on my house with scratches. I am so frustrated; please help me.

    Reply
  7. T. says

    July 14, 2012 at 3:46 am

    I have severe wiper scratches on my wind shield. Please help me figure out how to clean them! I am from Delhi, India.

    Reply
  8. Thembi says

    November 13, 2012 at 9:38 am

    I recently built a house with a lot of glass aluminum. Unfortunately, my glass suffered some small scratches when it was cleaned. I need some urgent help. I’m a South African based in Gauteng Johannesburg. I see on the comments that Jeanneth had the same problem as mine.
    Hi Jeanneth, Was your problem sorted? Please advise.

    Reply
  9. Bajrang says

    March 6, 2013 at 8:40 am

    I have a scratch on the glass of my restaurant’s main-door, which is double tempered glass. How can I remove the scratch? Please give me a good suggestion as soon as possible. Thanks.

    Reply
  10. Anneke says

    June 8, 2013 at 2:37 pm

    Hi,
    Someone polished the inside of my oven door with a scourer. How do I remove the scratches from the glass?

    Reply
  11. Nick says

    July 17, 2013 at 8:31 am

    Can this method be applied to spectacles as well? My glasses are full of very fine scratches and it’s frustrating to see them when wearing.

    Reply
  12. Dean says

    January 19, 2018 at 2:07 am

    You can also use a liquid soap to remove the scratch on your glass. BTW, thanks for this tip, very useful indeed.

    Reply

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