Basic methods for removing scratches
Polishing your phone screen using chemical or physical methods will help remove even the smallest scratches. In the first case, special polishes or their substitutes are used, in the second - mechanical means. By the way, in some cases “mechanics” wins over chemistry.
Our task is to tell you about several ways to polish your phone display at home. Your task is to choose the most suitable option. If something threatens to cause even more scratches and roughness, we will warn you. At the same time, we’ll tell you how to polish not only the glass, but also the camera. The camera eye often protrudes beyond the body - when it comes into contact with tables and other objects, it gets scratched.
What scratches can be removed?
There are several proven methods that allow you to remove minor scratches and clouding on your windshield at home. You can cope with the work yourself using available tools.
The windshield is restored by polishing it. The existing options differ from each other only in the material used for this.
Polishing the glass helps remove scuffs and minor scratches.
To carry out the work you will need:
- grinder or drill with adjustable speed. It is not recommended to use a grinder, as it operates at very high speeds;
- felt circle;
- polishing paste or its folk substitute;
- spray bottle with water;
- marker, with its help problem areas are marked;
- soft cloth;
- masking tape. With its help, areas that do not need to be polished are protected.
For polishing you will need simple and accessible materials and tools.
Toothpaste
You can try to solve the problem with toothpaste. To do this, you need to take one that has a whitening effect, since it contains an abrasive. Using modern gel toothpastes to polish your windshield will be ineffective.
For polishing, use toothpaste with a whitening effect.
Toothpaste is applied to a cotton swab and rubbed in a circular motion into the damaged area. After this, the glass is washed well. This method will help cope with only very minor damage and abrasions.
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Fine sandpaper
If polishing with toothpaste requires a lot of effort and time to achieve results, then with sandpaper, on the contrary, you can easily overdo it.
To do this, use the finest and softest sandpaper. You must work carefully. If you press hard on it or move it in one place for a long time, there is a risk of new scratches or indentations appearing. This causes the curvature of the glass to change and will look worse than a small chip.
The process of polishing glass with sandpaper requires a lot of effort and time. To do this, use fine sandpaper from 600 to 2500. Start working with paper with the largest grain, that is, with the lowest number. Gradually change the sandpaper and reach the finest grain. The paper must be periodically moistened with water.
Sandpaper allows for rough processing, after which the glass is polished with diamond paste or GOI paste is used. The paste also has different grain sizes. They start working with coarse grains and finish with fine grains.
You need to work carefully with the sandpaper so as not to create new scratches.
Paste GOI
GOI paste contains chromium oxide and is a universal polishing and grinding agent. It can be used to polish metal, plastic and glass. Men who served in the army are well acquainted with it. There it is used to rub plaques and buttons.
GOI paste helps to effectively combat scratches on glass
At home, metal and glass products are polished using GOI paste. When choosing a paste, you need to pay attention to the degree of its abrasiveness. GOI paste No. 2 and 3 is suitable for polishing glass.
GOI paste is applied not to glass, but to fabric; it must be lint-free. Felt works best. To make the paste fill scratches better, you can melt it in a water bath and then apply it to the fabric. First, a paste with a large grain is applied to the glass; its number will be smaller. Polishing is carried out, after which they take a paste with a higher number, that is, with a smaller grain, and continue to polish the glass.
On sale you can find a variety of polishes for car windshields. Such products should only be applied with a rag or cotton pad; felt cannot be used for this.
After applying the composition to the problem area, rub it evenly to avoid sudden transitions. This is an effective method that allows you to completely remove small scratches and make deeper ones less noticeable.
Special polish designed for restoring car glass
Manicure polish
Some craftsmen use manicure polish. Only clear varnish is suitable for this. It is carefully applied to the scratch and wait until the composition dries. Remove excess using an eraser or rubber spatula.
This method helps hide deep defects. The disadvantage is that when exposed to sunlight, the refraction of glass and varnish will be different.
Minor scratches and abrasions are the norm on a car that has been in use for several years. They are not so much of a nuisance as to require effort, time and money to be spent on eliminating them. Usually the question of how to remove a scratch arises when a groove appears on the glass that cannot be ignored. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to remove such scratches on your own: even a service center will require you to work hard on them.
Then what can be polished?
- Muddy marks from the windshield wipers (but not the scratches left by them!).
- Small chips from sand.
- Small scratches that are difficult to see.
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By the way
It is the combination of chips, small chips and abrasions that spoil visibility the most. This is not so important on the side glass, but if this is the main problem, then polishing at home will give a positive result, although it will leave all the large scratches in their places.
That is, in fact, you can only do polishing with your own hands without fear, and then you will have to act carefully.
Restoring the screen using chemical means
We will not use caustic acids or aggressive chemicals. By “chemistry” we mean substances that are found in every home. And some of them are sold in household chemical stores and auto parts stores.
Vegetable oil
We start with vegetable oil - it can be found in every kitchen. It is not aggressive, cheap, and one bottle can restore thousands of glasses. Disadvantages - vegetable oil does not contain abrasive components. It simply masks minor scratches and roughness without removing them anywhere. After some time they will appear again, but they can be removed by repeated wiping.
In order to polish the glass, you will need a cotton pad (any other soft material that does not leave marks will do). Apply some oil to it and rub it over the display. The amount should be small so that the oil fills small rough spots and does not flood the entire phone. You should not use unrefined oils to avoid the formation of an unpleasant odor. Be careful not to let it get into the microphone hole or clog it. It is also necessary to avoid ingestion.
The use of soft, scratch- and rough-resistant fabrics is mandatory for all instructions in our review.
Using baking soda
Regular baking soda is a mild abrasive. It doesn't mask roughness, but actually removes it. A pack of soda costs 20 rubles, no serious expenses. For polishing you will need:
- 2–3 tablespoons salt;
- a small amount of water;
- soft fabric.
Take a small container, add baking soda, add water to make a thick porridge (slightly moist). Next, put a little paste on the screen and rub it in with a piece of soft cloth. Rub carefully and carefully - we do not press the display, but try to return it to its normal appearance by polishing. After 2-3 minutes, check the results by removing the soda with a piece of tissue. Repeat the procedure until positive results are achieved.
Precautionary measures:
- Do not rub the screen with dry soda.
- Make sure that soda does not get inside the phone.
- Do not use a paste that is too thin to prevent water from penetrating through the cracks.
If baking soda doesn't help, try an alternative polishing method.
Baby powder or talcum powder
The powder will be an alternative to baking soda. You can also use talc instead. Pour the powder into a small container, add a few drops of water, and stir the resulting mixture until a porridge forms. Now apply the paste to the scratches and polish the display until they disappear completely. If necessary, the procedure can be repeated.
Do not use other types of powders - many of them scratch glass and lead to the formation of additional roughness. Don't try to use sand - it's too rough for this purpose.
Applying toothpaste
The next method involves using toothpaste – it doesn’t matter whether it’s domestic or imported. Apply a small amount to scratches and rub in with gentle movements. After some time, the scratches will disappear, giving way to a flat surface. Due to the weak abrasive ability of toothpaste, it can only cope with light roughness.
People who have served in the army can recommend tooth powder. It has more pronounced abrasive properties, but for our purpose it is too rough. It’s better to limit yourself to toothpaste - it’s easier to find, and it’s inexpensive. Even if you use an expensive paste, polishing will not lead to serious expenses - a pea-sized amount is enough.
Car polishes
Evidence of the effectiveness of car polishes are reviews on the Internet. They remove both small scratches and larger ones. The effect of polish makes the car body shine. This is exactly the property we need. Take a small amount of polish, apply it to a soft cloth (we have already given recommendations), and polish the scratched surface of the phone in a circular motion. In the same way, you can go over the back cover and get rid of the scratches there.
Use of aluminum potassium sulfate and egg white
Quite a complicated method with a preparatory procedure. First, prepare a polishing cloth:
- Mix a teaspoon of aluminum alum with one egg white.
- Heat the mixture to +65 degrees (use a thermometer to control).
- Dip a small piece of microfiber into the mixture and dry it in the oven at 150 degrees.
- Dip the cloth in cold water and dry for 48 hours.
Repeat dipping in the mixture and water two more times. Now start polishing - take the scratched device and polish the damaged area using gentle circular movements.
Microfiber is a polyester fabric that does not leave behind fibers or lint, ideal for polishing. Find it at any fabric store.
How to avoid scratches?
To prevent the glass from being damaged, sharp impacts with hard objects should be avoided. There is no need to place heavy objects on a glass table or throw cutlery, rings and other hard things onto it, as this can scratch the surface and sometimes cause cracks. Pets with sharp claws should not be allowed near glass elements. It is important to monitor the actions of children and prevent situations in which they could damage the product.
It is important to properly care for glass items. There is no need to use rough sponges, as they can leave minor damage. You should also refuse to use dirty rags that were used to wipe other surfaces: grains of sand and fine dirt also scratch the material. Rough newsprint is not suitable for polishing. Using this method for a long time will lead to the appearance of large defects. Preference should be given to microfiber cloths. Water or special glass and window cleaners are suitable as cleaning agents.
If a person uses simple laundry detergent for cleaning, it is important to make sure that all solid particles are completely dissolved in the water. It is prohibited to pour the product onto the surface without first dissolving it, since solid particles will cause scratches and imperfections.
Gadgets can be protected from scratches and chips using special protective films. If a phone with such a product glued falls, its glass will most likely remain intact. Damaged film can be replaced with a new one. Glasses should be stored in a special case when not in use (including at night). This will help reduce the risk of damage from a fall and prevent dust from settling on the lenses.
It is better not to use fabrics with pile for treating glass surfaces. They are especially dangerous in cases where a person has just treated the product with hot water or chemicals. The surface will become more susceptible to the negative influence of external factors.
You can choose special products to prevent scratches. They form a thin protective layer, preventing small dust particles and dirt from getting onto the glass itself.
Mechanical means
We have dealt with chemistry, now we move on to mechanical methods. They involve the use of special polishing pastes and tools.
Using GOI or Displex paste
GOI paste was originally designed for polishing telescope lenses. It is a solid paste of tiny abrasive particles. They are so thin that they can polish glass to a mirror finish, a property used in optical telescopes. The same paste is used to rub plaques on army belts, as well as wind musical instruments - the surface is shiny, without visible traces of polishing.
There is nothing stopping you from using GOI paste to polish the glass on your phone. Displex paste is used in a similar way. Apply a little paste to a soft cloth and rub the scratched areas. Felt does this job well - rub a piece of fabric with the paste and start polishing. The same method will polish the glass covering the phone's camera.
Using sandpaper
Quite a strange method, completely ineffective. More precisely, it is effective, but leads to the formation of countless roughnesses. The surface will be smooth, but rough - even if you use a “null”, which has a fine grain. Don’t even think about using sandpaper – you’ll only make things worse.
We use a drill with a felt roller or a grinder with special attachments
These tools are convenient when using polishing pastes - the same GOI. We rub the felt roller with it, insert it into the drill, bring the roller to the scratched surface, and process until the scratches disappear completely. Believe me, this is much more effective than rubbing the glass with a cloth with paste applied to it. Grinding machines with special attachments can be used in the same way. They polish glass, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, plastic and other materials to a shine.
A grinding machine is an expensive pleasure. It is better to rent it - it will be much cheaper.
Glass polishing
Before starting polishing, it is recommended to apply a specialized polymer composition to the “affected” areas. After that:
- Apply polishing paste to the damaged area and to the polishing pad.
- Holding the machine at a slight angle of 5 degrees, carefully begin to process the surface (without strong pressure). You need to move in progressive movements, without holding the tool in one zone (the machine must constantly move along the surface).
- While working, try not to go beyond the boundaries marked with a marker. To make the job easier, apply tape along the boundary lines.
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After processing, it is necessary to remove any remaining paste from the glass and wipe the surface dry.
Healthy! Glass and plastic car headlights can be treated in the same way. For the latter, do not use specialized polishing paste and discs, but regular tooth powder and a soft leather cloth.
Polishing can effectively remove minor scratches. If the damage is deeper, it is better to contact a specialist and sand the windshield.
How to prevent scratches
Any doctor will tell you that a disease is easier to prevent than to treat. The same applies to scratches. Find a protective glass for your smartphone on AliExpress and stick it on the display. It costs 100–150 rubles including delivery to the Russian Federation, but provides full protection against scratches for 3–4 months.
Instead of glass, a regular protective film will help - original or compatible (the latter is cut with scissors along the contour of the screen). Simply carrying your smartphone in a closed case will also help. The sooner protection is provided, the fewer scratches there will be on the glass. For other cases, there are our instructions.
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