3 Effective Ways On How to Fix Scratches On Car

Do you want to know how to fix scratches on car or how to buff out scratches on car? Several things cause car paint scratches. This includes poor parking, vandalism, accidents, as well as other mishaps. All these contribute to the scratches that mar the beauty of a perfect paint job. 

Although car scratches significantly diminish the overall beauty of the automobile, paying a car body shop for touch-ups or even a new coat of paint can be incredibly costly. 

However, if you still want to restore the beauty of your vehicle without breaking the bank, then today is your lucky day.

This guide is compiled to show you how to get rid of scratches on car using toothpaste, a scratch removal product – which is perfect for getting rid of minor scratches – and sanding/repainting the scratched area. The latter is the best option for anyone interested in how to fix deep scratches on cars.

If you are ready to learn the 3 highly effective ways on how to repair scratches on car or how to remove deep scratch from car, then let’s go!

1. How to Get Rid of Scratches On Car Using Toothpaste

This is the first method we will cover and it is quite effective when it comes to showing you how to fix scratches on car or how to fix paint scratches on car. The steps involved are as follows:

Step 1: The first thing you should do before using toothpaste is to run one fingernail over the scratches on the car. This is to check whether the scratches are deep or shallow. 

If your fingernail doesn’t catch on the car scratches, it means they are shallow. And using regular toothpaste will be the best and most affordable option for taking care of this type of car scratches. 

But if your fingernail catches on the scratches, it means the latter are very deep. And only a professional can handle this type of work, especially if it is not your line of work.

Step 2: Wash and then dry the scratched area on the vehicle before you even think of applying toothpaste. The scratched area needs to be free of dirt and very clean. 

If you apply toothpaste without cleaning the area, you will make the scratches far worse than it is.

Therefore, wash the car or the scratched area by yourself or take it to the nearest car wash. If you intend to wash the car yourself, start by spraying the vehicle with a hose.

Wet the entire vehicle as this helps to get rid of most of the dirt or debris. Get and use a car-washing brush or large sponge to apply soap specially formulated for vehicles. Apply this soap to your car and work it right across the surface.

Use the hose to spray off the foam and dirt from your car. Get a clean and dry towel and use it to dry your vehicle.

Step 3: Get your toothpaste and squeeze out a quarter-sized amount onto a moistened, microfiber towel. It may be less or more, depending on the number of scratches. The microfiber towel is essential so that it doesn’t worsen the car scratches, thereby inflicting even more damage.

Step 4: Rub the toothpaste into the scratches via a circular motion, i.e., press the dampened microfiber towel onto the scratched area and use a circular motion to work the toothpaste. This helps to buff out the scratches.

Continually rub the towel in circular motions until the toothpaste is well distributed on the scratched area. 

 Make sure you only use teeth-whitening toothpaste as it has been proven to work best when used for eliminating car scratches. If you don’t own one, you may use any toothpaste on hand.

Step 5: Rinse off excess toothpaste from the scratched area with some water. Make sure you rinse that buffed-out area with lots of clean water in order to get rid of excess toothpaste.

Spray your vehicle with a hose, and then wipe the area dry with a microfiber towel. Of course, you can also use a wet microfiber towel to wipe away excess toothpaste.

 Step 6: Repeat the process at least 2 more times. It’s possible to do more than a single application in order to get rid of surface scratches using your toothpaste. 

Check the area where the scratches were to see if they are still visible. Repeat the process if you still see traces of scratches on your vehicle. But makes sure you don’t carry out the entire process more than 3 times, or else you may end up damaging the clear coat of your vehicle’s paint.

And that is how to use toothpaste to get rid of surface scratches. Read on to discover the next stage or method of getting rid of scratches on your car.

2. How to Repair Scratches on Car Using a Scratch Removal Product

Step 1: Wash your vehicle thoroughly until there is no speck of dirt or debris left in the scratches. This is crucial: the area where those scratches are must be squeaky-clean before you apply any product or make an attempt to buff the area.

Any debris or dirt on the surface of the scratches will create even more scratches when you buff them.

Spray your vehicle with clean water via a hose before you apply any soap. Make sure the soap you use is created solely for washing cars. 

Afterward, use a car brush or sponge to work the soap right into the scratches. Then rinse off the soap thoroughly with clean water and use a dry, microfiber towel to remove any moisture left. 

Step 2: Visit the nearest one-stop store or auto supply store to buy a scratch-removal kit or product. These products come as a kit that includes a scratch-removal solution as well as a buffing pad you can use to apply the product.

If you are not too sure about the type of scratch-removal kit to get, you can always ask your mechanic or sales associate for assistance. Most employees that work in these stores are often knowledgeable about these things.

You need a clean, microfiber towel for applying this product this scratch-removal product. A good scratch-removal product must be gentle on the surface of your vehicle. You may even be lucky to get a scratch-removal product that comes with a mechanical buffing tool that you can utilize to fix scratches on your vehicles.

Step 3: Apply a dollop – i.e., quarter-sized – of the scratch-removal product on the pad. The size of the scratch area will determine if you will need more or less of the scratch-removal product. 

Squire this product onto the microfiber towel or buffing pad, and then fold it in half in order to work the scratch-removal product around the towel or pad.

Make sure the scratch-removal product is distributed evenly on the pad or microfiber towel before you begin. 

Step 4: Start working the scratch-removal product onto the scratched area – as well as the surrounding area – on your vehicle. Do this by moving the microfiber towel or pad in a circular or back-and-forth motion. Just make sure you do what you are pretty comfortable with as long as it covers the entire scratched area. But make sure you apply light-to-medium pressure on the microfiber towel or pad as you work the product in.

However, don’t be tempted to switch directions or deviate from the back-and-forth or circular motions. Continue working in the scratch-removal product until it is evenly distributed across the scratch area. 

Step 5: This is where you start to wipe off the product residue with a clean microfiber towel as soon as you are done buffing the entire scratch area. Wipe away the excess scratch-removal product and buff the whole surface of the scratch area in a circular motion.

Don’t leave the excess scratch-removal product to dry on your car’s surface. You may also check the product manufacturer’s instructions in order to be sure how to get rid of the excess scratch-removal product.

Stage 6: Repeat the entire process using the scratch-removal product or kit at least 2 to 3 times. But before then, check the scratch area to see if the scratches are still visible or not.

If you can still see the scratches on your car, repeat the scratch-removal process using the product 2 or 3 times. But you need to be careful not to overdo it as you may end up damaging the coat of your vehicle.

You should also read the instructions that came with the scratch-removal product before proceeding with another application on the scratched area of your vehicle.

3. How to Fix Deep Scratches On Cars: Apply A Coat of Paint to Fix Deep Scratches

If the 2 previous options did not work or have very deep scratches on your vehicle, this last method will. It is very effective and considered in many quarters as the best way for anyone looking for how to remove a deep scratch from the car or how to fix scratches on car.

Step 1: Wash and dry your vehicle thoroughly, especially if it is dirty. Dirt can cause more scratches on your vehicle if left unattended. A thorough washing eliminates the debris and dirt, leaving a new coat of paint on your car.

Then focus on the area with deep scratches and clean it with a special soap or detergent formulated for use on vehicles. When you are done, rinse everything away with clean water.

Step 2: Sand the scratched area in order to strip away the top layers of paint on your car. To do this, you have to, first of all, wrap 2000-grit wet/dry sandpaper around a sanding pad, i.e., a holder for the sandpaper which comes with a handle on it – and start sanding the scratched area. 

Sand the scratched area for 10 to 15 seconds at a time. Then pause long enough to check if it is necessary to keep sanding the area so that it goes deeper.

Take note that when sanding those deep scratches on your car, sand in the direction of those scratches. Sand in the opposite direction may add more valleys and ridges in the paint that will need to be repaired.

Check your progress when sanding by rinsing the area with clean water. This will help you see whether you have got to the bottom of the scratch.

 If the scratch is only slightly deeper than your vehicle’s clear coat, you may have to use 1500-grit sandpaper to level up the surface. And then switch to 2000-grit sandpaper to get rid of the scratches made by the coarser sandpaper.

Ensure you avoid getting debris or dirt between the vehicle’s coat and the sandpaper, as this will cause additional scratches.

Step 3:  Rinse and dry the deeply scratched area you just finished sanding a moment ago. You can do this by using a clean microfiber cloth to wipe the entire surface dry after rinsing away the debris caused by the sandpaper.

Avoid using dirty or old rags as these could cause more scratches that will mar the beauty of your vehicle’s paint job. 

Step 4: Get sandable primer which usually comes in an aerosol can, and spray it onto the area you just finished sanding. Follow a back-and-forth motion to spray the primer onto the sanded area.

Wait for 5 minutes or up to 10 minutes for the primer to dry before spraying on another layer. You can do this at least 3 times. Make sure you go for a primer with a color that closely matches your vehicle’s paint color. Do not worry if it is not an exact match.

Step 5: The next step is to spray on the same color paint that matches the color of the rest of your vehicle. Spray it on the exact area where you applied the primer a few minutes ago. Wait up to 10 minutes between each application in order to create enough time for the paint to dry completely. 

Check with your car’s manufacturer in order to determine the exact paint with the shade that matches that of your automobile. You may be able to buy the paint from the nearest auto supply store.

If you can’t get one, you may have to place a special order on the car manufacturer’s official website. 

Step 6: Buy and apply a high-quality carnauba wax onto the surface of your vehicle and then buff the entire area with a microfiber towel or buffer pad. You can purchase everything you need to wax your car – such as a waxing kit, microfiber towel or buffing pad, etc. 

Apply the wax using a circular motion and apply medium pressure while applying the wax. Keep working in the wax until it is evenly distributed on the formerly deeply scratched area until your car’s paint job looks shiny and new.

Conclusion

So, that is it; the 3 highly effective ways on how to fix scratches on car. You should always drive carefully, irrespective of where you are. But as you well know, life happens, and a careless driver may cause scratches on your vehicle. If that happens, you know precisely what to do in order to get rid of the scratches on your vehicle.