By indication, you find yourself on this page to learn how to remove scratches from a car. With very few materials and money, you can make your car shine again like when it was new.
Scratches in the paint of the car are almost unavoidable. It’s something that even the most foresighted of drivers cannot avoid. But they do not always require a visit to the workshop.
Before looking for the help of a professional, look here if any of the methods we present below help disguise that damn scratch you’ve noticed in the car lately.
Table of Contents
What To Consider Before Removing Your Car’s Scratches
Before starting the treatment, you should evaluate the severity of the scratch, to know what type of repair you will do.
Keep in mind that not all of the solutions presented here will make disappear all the vestiges of the damage. This is only possible with a deeper action. But these tips tricks will make almost invisible many scratches and marks in the painting.
For scratch removal, start by carefully washing the area where you have seen the damage. If there is dirt in that area, pay attention so that it does not damage the paint even more.
After this, check the depth of the scratch. If you see that it is only superficial you can continue. However, if it is deep, you will have to resort to scratch removal products or go to the workshop.
Note that there is a “layer” that surrounds the material of the chassis and to which the ink and varnish are attached. If this layer is damaged, no product that you put on it will be fixed.
Superficial or deep scratch, the importance of diagnosis
Mainly, there are two types of scratches: light/superficial/shallow and deep scratches.
- The first only occurs when the damage is in the transparent layer of the car.
- The second one happens when the rayon has more depth and involves deeper layers of the painting.
Therefore, you first need to know if the scratch on your body is superficial or deep. The light scratch only affects the varnish. It is discreet and can be confused with a stain. If the paint is damaged or if the streak turns white, it is deep.
Tip: To distinguish between a superficial scratch and a deep scratch, just put your nail on it. If you feel the scratch, it’s because it’s deep.
How to remove superficial scratches
For homemade remedies, materials such as toothpaste, cigarette ash, and clay stonework effectively but have their limits. They can only be used to reduce micro-scratches.
Toothpaste: wrap a thin, clean, dry cloth around your index finger. Apply toothpaste on the tip of your finger and spread it over the entire scratch.
Cigarette ash: take a clean, slightly damp cloth. Put it in a ball, sprinkle it with cigarette ash and apply on the stripe.
Claystone: As with toothpaste, place a clean, dry cloth around your finger. Apply some clay on the stripe and rub with your finger.
If you are skeptical about natural remedies, you can always turn to a product specifically designed to erase light scratches. The most used are polishes and scratch removers.
Usually sold in a bottle, the polish restores, protects and shines the bodywork. Pour a small amount of the product on a clean, dry cloth, and then gently apply it to the scratch.
The scratch remover is in most cases a kind of paste sold in a tube. Pour a hazelnut on cotton and apply the product on the stripe. You should make small circular motions while applying this product.
However, avoid rubbing and over-emphasizing. The operation can be renewed if the result obtained is not satisfactory.
How to erase deep scratches
A deep scratch should be treated as soon as possible because it can seriously damage your car’s body. If you wait too long, you will see traces of rust. In this case, you must first apply an anti-rust product with a brush.
The correcting pens have the advantage of being discreet and affordable. However, you do not have the right to the error. Your job must be perfect to be successful.
It requires skill and patience that are not available to all motorists. In addition, if the color of your car is out of the ordinary, you will not necessarily find the right pen for special retouching.
Tip: Before buying a correction pen, check that the color code of your vehicle indicated on the identification plate coincides with that on the product label.
The application of paint can also be considered in case of deep scratches. Lightly rub the surface to be treated with sandpaper to make it smoother before you start. Make several successive and uniform layers.
Keep in mind that a deep scratch is always difficult to eliminate. In case of failure, do not hesitate to hire a professional.
Recommended products to treat scratches on your car
Making varnish repairs
This is the simplest damage to solve and is the most common in areas such as locks, where hands and keys strike every day. You can buy a polishing kit, which includes product application, sponges and microfiber cloths, in specialized stores or on Amazon.
Tip/warning: You should not apply this type of product when the car is exposed to the sun.
When the scratch is a little deeper than the colorless layer of the varnish, you will need to use sandpaper.
Removing deep scratches with ballpoint pens
With common scratches that go beyond the varnish and reach the paint, the solution may be a ballpoint pen. You should contact the brand and indicate the color code or the chassis of your car.
Better still, you can buy a kit that, depending on the case, will include various products (ink, varnish or anti-rust, for example).
The Turtle Wax Scratch Pen is an effective tool for this purpose, as recommended by Consumer Reports.
Summary
Having scratches on your car is inevitable but solvable. Do not let the scratches accumulate on the paint of your car. The pleasure of driving your car while it is spotless does not have to end when it ceases to be new.
Remember to determine if it is a superficial or deep scratch.
References
www.wired.com/story/car-scratch-repair-kits/
www.caroutfitter.com/best-car-paint-sealant-reviews/
www.consumerreports.org/car-repair/car-scratch-repair-pens-review/
