The Best Putty

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Adam Barker
Published on
May 3rd, 2019

Expert BioExpert Bio

Adam has a passion for cleaning from his youth growing up in England, and he has carried it with him to the US. Adam’s formal training and certifications in cleaning include the Advanced System Cleaning specialist (For HVAC cleaning / ductwork), through NADCA (this is the highest certification that NADCA has), as well as several other certifications from the IICRC. Adam has either advised, consulted, or done research with dozens of cleaning and cleaning related business entities. Adam holds an undergraduate degree from Oxford, a Master’s degree from Oxford, and a Master’s degree from Harvard Business School.

The Cleaning Institute

There are all sorts of uses for putty, but some of the most common are for helping affix objects in place, or to repair holes in wood, drywall, and/or similar surfaces. However, not all putty is the same. Ideally, you want a product that is strong and easy to apply, so that you won’t have to go patching up holes or replacing valuable items in the near future.

The The Cleaning Institute team is here to help you track down the very best putty brands available on today’s market. We have 35 years’ worth of experience in reviewing all types of household products and helping consumers find the best of the best. We’ve taken great care in selecting the most effective types of putty for sale, based on three distinct testing categories.

Testing Categories

Application – How easy is the putty to apply? Believe it or not, not all types of putty can be applied in the same way. We realize that most homeowners are looking for the easiest possible products to use, so we’ve kept that in mind while making our selections.

Strength – Putty shouldn’t just be easy to apply, but also reliable and sturdy—especially if you are using it to repair walls and other objects and areas around your home. We performed special tests to check for durability in every putty product we selected.

Drying Time – The ideal putty also dries quickly so that your wall or fixture can become secure as soon as possible. We timed the drying speed of each type of putty we reviewed to find the most effective brands.

Top Pick

3M Bondo Home
Solutions All
Purpose Putty

3M has composed a new formula for their all-purpose putty which strengthens its effectiveness on vertical surfaces. This permanent product can repair masonry, metal, and more.

Price Check

Bondo putty is most ideal for those in search of a strong and reliable bonding putty for their home repair needs. While it can be difficult to mix properly, it dries quickly and gives great results.

Most notable upside: One of the first things we noticed about this product is how easy it is to use. Simply mix and spread it onto your desired surface. Reviewers have used this product to repair a wide range of items, from furniture to doors and windows. It also dries extremely quickly, taking only between 15 and 20 minutes. However, if you need to, you can adjust the curing time by using less or more of the hardening solution. Bondo putty works well on metal, wood, and a myriad of other surfaces.

Biggest downsides: As effective as this product is, it does have a distinct odor that can make application unpleasant. It can also be tricky to know when the putty has been thoroughly mixed, due to the lack of color-changing or other “tells.” The instructions are also too brief to follow easily. The drying process is also highly dependent on temperature, so if you apply the product during cold weather, it will take much longer to dry than if you were to apply the putty in warm temperatures.

4/5
Application
5/5
Strength
5/5
Drying Time

Honorable Mention

Collectors
Hold Museum
Putty

The Museum Putty is designed to assist in the repair of antique items, and keeps most items secure. It can also be reused multiple times, and has a capacity of 40 items at once.

Price Check

While Museum Putty serves a different purpose from the other options we’ve listed here, we find that it accomplishes this purpose quite well. Use it to stabilize fragile items and gain peace of mind.

Most notable upside: This putty is ideal for displaying valuable items in the safest possible way. Most reviewers have used this putty to make the shelves they use to store their most precious display items more stable. Quakehold has truly engineered this putty so that it can last for as long as possible; it doesn’t lose its stickiness or dry out over time. Furthermore, should you decide to take an item off of the putty, you won’t have to deal with damage or stuck-on residue, and the application is also simple. This putty comes ready to use, and only requires pulling off a small piece, molding it into the desired length and shape, then sticking it to the surface of the item you want to hold in place. Even better, a little bit goes a long way.

Biggest downsides: Some found that this putty wouldn’t hold much of anything in place, no matter how much of the product they applied. This could be due to the texture of the putty, as it is very soft. In some cases, reviewers received a shipment of putty that was old and dried out.

5/5
Application
3/5
Strength
4/5
Drying Time

Green Pick

CRAWFORD PRODUCTS COMPANY,
INC. 31604 Quart Natural
Blend Painters Putty

Crawford’s Painter’s Putty is—as the title describes—meant to be used by house painters. Apply it to wood holes, then paint over it for seamless results!

Price Check

If you’re looking for putty specifically to repair holes in your walls or wood, Crawford’s Painter’s Putty is a great product to start with. We love its easy application and smooth, tough results.

Most notable upside: Many reviewers were pleased with this product and the overall results it produced. We personally enjoyed this product’s compatibility with wood stains and paint, which can be mixed into the putty to produce a more natural-looking patch for any holes present in your home’s wood grain. You can also use this putty to repair drywall with ease. Just don’t try to sand this putty down. Once it dries, it becomes unbelievably strong—too strong for a sander to contend with. You can apply this putty manually, inserting and smoothing it into holes like clay; however, you may want to give it an hour to harden a little first.

Biggest downsides: This putty is very prone to drying out, even if you leave it in its can. One reviewer recommended adding some water to the can before storing to prevent this from happening. In one case, the putty never dried, no matter how long it was left out, and in another, the putty arrived in a completely dried out state.

4/5
Application
5/5
Strength
3/5
Drying Time

All Our Picks

Tips for Effective Putty Usage

Always, always check the manufacturer’s label on the putty before you begin to use it, especially if you are planning to apply it to a porous material. By reading the label, you can learn which materials the putty can be effectively used on. Some types of putty can leave stains on porous materials, so be sure to check whether the putty you choose is stain-free and usable on stone surfaces.

A Note About Safety and Storage

Take care when storing putty, as most brands are highly prone to drying out over time, even while they’re being “safely” contained. Once you’re done using your putty, be sure to reseal it as tightly as you can. Never try to use putty that has already dried out, as it will no longer be effective. The best thing to do is simply order new putty.

The Best Putty

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Adam Barker

The Cleaning Institute

Testing Categories

3M Bondo Home
Solutions All
Purpose Putty

Application

Strength

Drying Time

Collectors
Hold Museum
Putty

Application

Strength

Drying Time

CRAWFORD PRODUCTS COMPANY,
INC. 31604 Quart Natural
Blend Painters Putty

Application

Strength

Drying Time

All Our Picks

3M Bondo Home
Solutions All
Purpose Putty

Collectors
Hold Museum
Putty

CRAWFORD PRODUCTS COMPANY,
INC. 31604 Quart Natural
Blend Painters Putty

Tips for Effective Putty Usage

A Note About Safety and Storage

Quick Links

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

The Best Putty

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Adam Barker

The Cleaning Institute

Testing Categories

3M Bondo Home Solutions AllPurpose Putty

Application

Strength

Drying Time

Collectors Hold MuseumPutty

Application

Strength

Drying Time

CRAWFORD PRODUCTS COMPANY, INC. 31604 Quart Natural Blend Painters Putty

Application

Strength

Drying Time

All Our Picks

3M Bondo Home Solutions AllPurpose Putty

Collectors Hold MuseumPutty

CRAWFORD PRODUCTS COMPANY, INC. 31604 Quart Natural Blend Painters Putty

Tips for Effective Putty Usage

A Note About Safety and Storage

Quick Links

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

3M Bondo Home
Solutions All
Purpose Putty

Collectors
Hold Museum
Putty

CRAWFORD PRODUCTS COMPANY,
INC. 31604 Quart Natural
Blend Painters Putty

3M Bondo Home
Solutions All
Purpose Putty

Collectors
Hold Museum
Putty

CRAWFORD PRODUCTS COMPANY,
INC. 31604 Quart Natural
Blend Painters Putty