If you have scratches in your car's windshield, perhaps caused by a bad wiper blade or other mishap, then you can actually remove them in many cases. All it takes is a few simple supplies and tools that won't cost you much more than a few dollars, and you can perform the work yourself in an afternoon. Below is what you will need and how you can remove light scratches from your windshield:

Tools and supplies

• Cerium oxide - This material comes in a fine, red powder and is used for polishing ceramics and a variety of other hard surfaces, including glass.

• Glass polishing pads and wheel - This set consists of a drill chuck-mounted wheel that uses replaceable, hook-and-loop polishing pads.

• Measuring cup

• Wooden spoon

• Small bucket

• Spray bottle filled with tap water

• Masking tape

• Garden hose

• Cordless electric drill

Step-by-step procedure

1. Move the car into a shaded location - Before beginning, move the car into a shady spot to help prevent sunlight from interfering with your vision of the scratch. In addition, keeping the car in the shade will also help prevent premature drying of the windshield during the procedure.

2. Mark the scratch locations with masking tape - On the side of the windshield directly opposite the scratches, place strips of masking tape on the glass. This will help you see the scratches better when looking down through the windshield.

2. Mix the cerium oxide slurry - Measure one cup of warm tap water and pour into a small, clean bucket or similar container. Next, add one-half cup of cerium oxide powder to the container and vigorously stir with a wooden spoon to mix the cerium oxide with the water. Once you finish mixing, the polishing media slurry should be the consistency of white glue.

3. Apply the polishing media - Dip the end of the glass polishing pad into the cerium oxide slurry and allow it to soak into the pad for a few seconds. Next, spray the windshield liberally with water, then begin polishing the scratch with the drill and pad. Keep the pad moving constantly during polishing and be careful not to scratch any trim or paint with the pad. Periodically pause and spray the windshield with more water if it dries out as you work.

4. Clean and inspect the windshield - After polishing for a few minutes, spray down the windshield with a garden hose to remove all the cerium oxide slurry. Carefully inspect the windshield to see if the scratches still remain. If there are still scratches present, then stir the cerium oxide slurry again and return to step number 3. If the scratches have been removed, then peel off the masking tape on the inside of the windshield.

For more information, contact companies like Glas Tek Windshield Repair.