Many of us with a broken windshield often look for an alternative to taking the vehicle to a garage for repair. Even with the car insured, the trip to the garage is pretty expensive.
The good news is you don’t have to make the trip every time you end up with a cracked windshield. There are some ways by which you can fix a small crack by yourself.
These solutions, however, only provide a temporary respite. You should take your car to the garage for a professional fix once you can manage the money. Till then, read on to learn how to fix a cracked windshield with household items.
How to Fix a Cracked Windshield with Household Items
There are some household items that you can quite easily use to fix a cracked windshield. The ways are discussed below.
Using Nail Polish
If you are dealing with a small crack, then using nail polish, if done correctly, can be a fine solution till you decide to visit the garage.
Since your windshield is clear, it is best to use clear nail polish. This will blend right in with the windshield.
The first thing you have to do is park your car in a shaded area. This will prevent the nail polish from drying up too soon.
Then, take a small brush, the one that comes with the nail polish will also work. Dip the brush into the nail polish and start painting over the cracked area.
Make sure to cover all the sides of the crack, as this will prevent it from becoming bigger. If you have a small piece missing, you will need to fill in the empty space with nail polish.
Once you are done, leave your car like that to allow the nail polish to dry. You can also take your vehicle under the sun at this stage.
As the nail polish dries, it seals the crack in the windshield and prevents further cracks from resulting in it. Make sure not to run the wipers until the nail polish is completely dry. Acetates in it can harm the wipers’ rubber, according to WindshieldWipers.
Using a Homemade Solution
In this method, you have to make a solution using household items. The solution works in a similar way as glue.
To make the solution, you will need simple items like water, salt, insect repellent, and alcohol. All items can be found in every household, and if by chance you have run out, then they are not hard to obtain from the supermarket.
Take a measuring cup, fill half of it with water, and pour it into a bowl. Then, add 1 tablespoon of alcohol and 1 tablespoon of salt to the water. Take 1 teaspoonful of the insect repellent and mix all the ingredients thoroughly in the bowl.
When you are done mixing and all the salt has dissolved, the solution is ready to be applied. Make sure your windshield is cleaned properly before applying the solution.
Take a sponge and dip it into the solution. Then paint the wet sponge over the crack covering all of it. Let it dry for about 2 to 3 hours.
Check if the crack has disappeared. If not, repeat the process until the crack can no longer be seen. This is a time-consuming process. A better version of this process is our next option.
Using Superglue
Using a pair of scissors, cut the glue pack. Take caution so as to not injure yourself with the scissors or get the glue in your hands. We all know how difficult and annoying it is to remove superglue from our hands.
When the glue pack is opened, press the pack to get some glue out onto the crack. Use a cotton swab stick to spread the glue evenly to cover all of the cracked areas.
Take some more glue if you need to. When you are done, use a fresh cotton swab stick to remove the excess glue from the windshield.
Next, all you have to do is let the glue dry. You can keep the vehicle under the sun to make it dry faster.
After the glue has dried, clean the windshield off of any unused glue by wiping the windshield with a cloth and glue removing agent.
The superglue will seal the crack and prevent it from increasing in size for some time.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned methods of fixing a cracked windshield are very easy to carry out, and they hold the windshield together for quite some time. However, these are only provisional solutions.
Leaving the windshield cracked in places can make it more vulnerable to breaking even under a small force, raising safety concerns.
You should always keep your windshield in check, even after fixing it using the above methods, and take your car to an expert for replacing the windshield when you can afford it.
