What steps should I follow to patch a tube? I was wondering if I'm missing something when I patch my wheel, because I patched it yesterday and it had low pressure today.

This is what I did:


Released the air
Used 2 screwdrivers to remove the tire from the rim
Removed the tube with my hands
Inflate the tube
Took the tube into a bucket with water to see where the bubbles came from
Identified the puncture point
Let the tube dry
Filled the zone around puncture with a half milimeter layer of glue
Let dry
Took out the transparent plastic from the patch
Put the patch over the glue layer
Put pressure using hands
Put the tube in position on wheel (looking at where the valve should go)
Put the tire in position
Inflate the tube


It happened to me once before, but other times worked ok.

I would like to have a complete procedure to patch a tire.
Somewhat generic instructions for using a patch kit:


Remove the wheel from the bike, check for obvious damage to the tire
Remove the tube from the tire

You can use tire levers to remove the tire from the rim. Be sure not to add additional punctures to the tube by pinching it with the levers.

Note the orientation of the tube within the tire so you can trace down the puncture point.
Find the puncture on the tube

May help to put some air in it and use your cheek/eye to feel for leaks.

Once you've located the puncture, find the point in the tire where the puncture occurred and make sure there is nothing stuck in the tire (like a shard of glass) which will re-puncture the tube.

Assuming it is a puncture and that the tire isn't actually torn/worn through, you can proceed to patch the tube. If the tire is too damaged the tube will just pop again, so there isn't much point.
Apply the patch

Typically this involves gently sanding/roughing up the surface of the tube, applying adhesive compound, letting it dry for 5-10 minutes, and then applying the patch. Most patches I've seen have a brown side, and a black/brown side. The black/brown side stays upwards, the fully brown side is applied against the tube. Wait another 5 to 10 minutes for the patch to bond to the compound.
Install tube in tire

Inflate the tube slightly to make sure it holds air. Insert it into the tire, then mount the tire on the rim, one wire bead at a time. The first bead should go on easily, the second may require tire levers or strong thumbs.  Be very careful not to puncture the tube if using levers.

I find it helps to completely deflate the tube to get the last bit of the wire over the rim. There are some good tutorials on getting the last bit of the wire onto the rim, which can be tricky to do without damaging the tube.
Inflate tube, checking again for damage/bulges/splits as you approach full pressure
Ride away