Scratches in car paint can have various causes. Car accidents, children who are not careful, poor parking and other mistakes in the parking lot are all common causes of scratches in the perfectly applied paint of your car. Scratches make your car look less beautiful, but it can be expensive to go to a bodyshop to have your car repainted or just touched up on a small spot. Use these steps to remove minor scratches without paying a professional.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Estimating the damage
Step 1. Determine if it is really a scratch and not just something on the surface of the paint
Take a closer look at the spot and see if you have a scratch on your car or if it's just dirt.
Sometimes you appear to have a scratch on your car, but it is actually a raised streak of paint from a collision. You get this when your car comes into contact with another bumper or object whose paint is softer than the paint of your own car. These irregularities are a lot easier to remove
Step 2. Check how deep the scratch is
After you have determined that you really have scratches on your car that need to be repaired, it is important that you look at how deep they are. That determines how you should remove the scratches. Scratches in the transparent outer layer can be easily removed by following these steps.
Your car actually has 4 layers, namely a transparent layer of paint, a colored layer of paint, primer and steel. If the scratch is only in the clear or colored coat of paint, it will be much easier to remove. If you can see a different color or sample, it's a deep scratch that you probably won't be able to repair on your own
Step #3. See if there are any more spots that need to be repaired
You may have a scratch that bothers you enough to start repairing it, but it's a good idea to also see if there are other areas you can repair at the same time. If you already have the tools and materials to do the job, why not treat all the spots at once?
Part 2 of 3: Preparing the place to be restored
Step 1. Wash and dry the car thoroughly
If your car is dirty when you repair the scratch, the dirt particles can cause more scratches on your car.
Focus on the area you will be recovering. Spray water on the scratched area to remove any dirt from the scratch
Step 2. Lightly sand the scratch
Wrap wet and dry sandpaper (2000 grit) around a sanding block and start sanding. The goal is to sand only through the transparent layer and no further.
- Always sand in the direction of the scratch. Of course you don't want to make scratches in the opposite direction, because that will only create bumps and pits in the paint that need to be repaired.
- Periodically rinse the area with water. That way you can see better whether you have completely sanded the scratch away.
- If the scratch is deeper than the clear coat, use a piece of sandpaper (1500 grit) to flatten the surface first. Then sand with a finer piece of sandpaper (2000 grit) to remove the scratches made by the coarser sandpaper.
- Make sure that no dirt or dust gets between the sandpaper and the car. This will cause scratches.
Step 3. Rinse the spot and make sure it is clean and dry
Use clean, good quality microfiber cloths to wipe the surface dry. Remember that you can actually scratch your car paint more if you use old cloths.
Part 3 of 3: Restoring the paintwork
Step 1. Apply a polish to the scratched areas
Don't turn on your polisher yet, but use a buffing pad to spread the compound over the area dulled by sanding.
A polishing agent has an abrasive effect and removes a little more of the lacquer layer, but at the same time makes the lacquer layer flat so that you can apply wax to it. This agent is actually used to remove the scratches from the sandpaper
Step 2. Polish the spot with the polish
Turn on the polisher on the lowest setting and move it over the spot for about 10 seconds. You need to polish the polish relatively quickly so that it doesn't dry before it's rubbed out.
- Increase the speed to 2000 rpm and polish for a minute. Move the polisher from side to side and then slowly lower down.
- Continue until the surface is no longer dull, but be careful not to go through the colored lacquer. This can take up to five minutes, depending on the scratch, your speed and the pressure you apply.
- Do not polish the same spot for more than a second. You will make a scratch in the next coat if you polish the same spot too long.
Step 3. Clean the spot again
Use clean water and a towel to remove the polish residue from the paintwork. If it got into any cracks or corners, use a toothbrush to remove it.
Always wipe the polish off the surface immediately after polishing. Otherwise, the residue will adhere to the paint and be more difficult to remove
Step 4. Apply wax to protect the repaired area
Apply high-quality carnauba wax to the surface, then buff the surface with any polishing wheel.
If you regularly wax your car, use whatever method you otherwise use. If you've never done this before, read this article for suggestions on how to wax your car
Step 5. Finish by washing the area one more time
Make sure that all scratches are gone and that the repaired spot has a strong shine and easily repels water.
Tips
- Use your toothpaste. Put a small amount of toothpaste on a wet cloth and rub the toothpaste on the scratch.
- Even if one end of the scratch is shallow, the center or the other side may be much deeper. Look at the entire scratch before deciding how best to remove it.
- Raised spots can be removed by scrubbing them with a soapy cloth. If that doesn't work, try a glue remover.