How to Remove Windscreen Wiper Scratches Using CERIUM OXIDE With Results

We bought our family car as 20 year old car. Driving this car at night is a nightmare. Because windscreen gives poor visibility and headlamps at end of life. Reflector is not functioning properly. We retrofitted headlamp into HID Bi Xenon projector kit. Visibility slightly increased. But it wasn't enough. Windscreen also scratched due to wiper and dust. I researched about this matter in internet and came up with some solutions. But those were expensive. A lot of them. Also found Cerium Oxide as glass polishing compound that some people used to remove scratches. And it gave amazingly good results.

This is my first instructable so i will try my best to explain as much as i can.

• Cerium Oxide 500g is more than enough(16$/Kg)
• Reyon felt polishing pad(2$, bought from aliexpress)
• Drill attachement(2$, bought from aliexpress)
• Glass cleaner
• Clay bar
• Microfiber cloths
• Spray water bottle

This is not an easy task. Takes some time to get ideal polishing pattern and moving speed. Use lowest speed. Don't go over 2500rpm.

During polishing glass getting a little hot is okay. But do not allow to get high temperature. If temperature raised too much do not apply water or anything to cool down. Sudden temperature drops lead to glass cracking. So specially keep that in mind. To avoid this don't polish same position for longtime. Apply moderate pressure into glass and move along.

Keep spray water bottle near. Because cerium oxide easily get dry. Polishing surface always has to be wet. Not soaking wet. So try to do at under roof where sunlight not falling onto windscreen.

This method is not suitable for deep scratches. Which our fingernails can feel when wiping on glass.

Cover everything as much as you can. Polishing is easier than cleaning cerium oxide from your car. They are not sticking on to your car like glue. Just they are very tiny particles and highly insoluble in water. You can see the mess i created.

We have to superclean windscreen. Otherwise windscreen could get scratched from dirt while polishing. Firt using carwash we can clean basically. Then use your favoruite glass cleaner and if there are still left road grimes, debris are sticked onto glass use a claybar. Again use glass cleaner because claybar sometimes leaving some of it on glass. Use non ammoniated glass cleaners only.

Add about 100g into clean cup. Add some water and mix. Don't add too much water. We want a slightly thick paste. Otherwise mixture will flow out from windscreen when apply.

Add some of mixture onto glass and polishing pad. Mark about half squaremeter of windscreen. Work in that area only. Spray some water onto glass. Configure drill to it's lowest speed setting. Start polishing with applying moderate pressure on glass.Move slowly on straight line. Apply more cerium oxide onto glass and spray water. Don't let dry. Don't concentrate on same position for long time. Remember what i told in step 1. This takes lot of time to practice. make sure marked area is fully polished. Usually it takes about 5 minutes if you are doing properly. Be patient. Don't hurry.

Use single bulb torch. As in picture you can the difference in bulb's mirror image by comparing other places. If not, you have to change your polishing pattern .

After you have completely or only driver side polished you can test on road. in first two pictures you can see how it looked before. Next two pictures you can see those glare is gone.

(1st two and 3,4th pictures are taken by different phones, That is why there are different brightness level. After polishing i applied wax onto glass to improve water repellent strength. But there was no change. I used wrong wax type. That is why there are some small glare is producing.)

due to facing acid in rain for long time rear glass lost it's transparency a bit. And when cleaninf with microfiber towel you can feel the difference with windscreen. Rear glass has so much resistant when wiping microfiber towel. So i also polished rear glass. Now there is significant difference at night when looking through rearview mirror.

You guys must be curious about why there are two colors of cerium oxide. White color is high pure cerium oxide and red brown has some impurities. But it also get the job done.

Sorry about my poor english. Hope you guys have successful completion.