Scratches and scrapes on your car aren’t just unsightly; they can cause corrosion over time, too. Whether you’re looking to clean up your car before you sell, or keep your motor looking its best, our guide will help you learn what kind of scratch has damaged your vehicle, and how you can remove it.
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Contents
- Types of car scratches
- What will you need to fix a scratch?
- How to remove a scratch: clear coat
- How to remove a scratch: deep coat
- Keeping your car scratch-free
Types of car scratches
There are 4 main types of scratches that you might find on your vehicle, but the most common kinds affect your clear coat and deep coat:
- Clear coat: the easiest kind of scratch to fix, these scratches aren’t often visible, but can build up over time
- Paintwork: marks that penetrate into the painted layer
- Deep coat: more damaging scratches that reach the metal beneath the paintwork
- Paint transfer: usually formed when your car comes into contact with another vehicle
What will you need to fix a scratch?
Whilst you’ll need a semi-abrasive rubbing material to remove the scratch without damaging your paintwork, some DIY materials can do more harm than good. However, some of your current household items can double-up as quick fixes for surface-level scratches. It’s always best to get a professional opinion if the scratch goes any deeper.
- Microfibre cloth: useful for buffing away scratches without creating more damage
- Vaseline: a more unconventional method for removing scratches, rubbing a small amount of Vaseline into a clear-coat scratch can help fill the gap and make sure it appears less visible
- Toothpaste: thanks to tiny grit particles, whitening toothpaste works best for fixing minor scuffs and scratches
- WD-40: dissolving the top layer of paint, WD-40 can be used to smooth out surface-level scratches
- Matching paint: to make sure your touch-ups look seamless, use exact-match car paint in your vehicle’s shade
- Sandpaper: necessary for smoothing deeper scratches that penetrate your paintwork
- Car polish or wax: a useful way of evening out the finish of your paintwork, once the scratch has been buffed away
Removing scratches and scrapes from a car
Clear coat
Because clear coat scratches don’t go deeper than surface level, they are easier to fix. To tell if the scratch has only affected your clear coat, run your finger over the area: if you can’t feel the mark, it won’t have affected your paintwork.
Gently wipe the area with warm, soapy water to remove any dirt or grit. Then, use a microfibre cloth to work your choice of buffing agent (such as clear polish, Vaseline, WD-40 or toothpaste) into the scratch. You might need to repeat this process a couple of times for the best results.
Paintwork
If your scratch has penetrated your paintwork, you’ll be able to see slightly different paint colours around the area, as the top level of paint oxidises. To even out the colour, work your matching car paint into the grooves of the scratch, using a circular motion to make sure your paint is covering the area in full. Once the paint is dry, wipe away any excess with warm water and a microfibre cloth, and polish the area to smooth the new paintwork out.
Deep coat
Deeper scratches can require a little more TLC and are often best left to your local garage. After cleaning the area with warm, soapy water, gently sand the area with sandpaper, applying little pressure so you don’t cause any more scratches on the paintwork.
Once the scratch itself and the area around it is smooth, add your touch-up paint to any areas where the metal is showing through. Most car manufacturers will include the exact shade of your vehicle’s paintwork in the boot, under the bonnet or inside the door jamb.
Apply a thin layer of paint, wait for it to dry completely, and then buff any excess away using sandpaper or a microfibre cloth. Similarly to clear coat scratches, you might need to repeat this process to ensure your paintwork looks seamless.
If your scratch is particularly deep, it’s always best to take your car to a garage for a professional opinion.
Paint transfer
If your vehicle has come into contact with another car, paint transfer can leave behind surface-level coloured marks. While these marks can look unsightly, they’re usually easier to remove than embedded scratches in your paintwork. Soften the transferred paint with WD-40 or a scratch removal pen, and then gently buff it away with a microfibre cloth. You might need to repeat this process several times to make sure the transferred paint has all been removed.
Keeping your car scratch-free
Whilst it’s almost impossible to completely stop your car from getting scratched in the first place, there are a few ways you can minimise the risk of deeper or more frequent damage.
Clean your car regularly, being sure to rinse away any grit or dirt before you start to scrub at your paintwork to avoid clear coat damage. Where you park can have an impact, too; if you’re leaving your car outside or on the road, try to avoid parking up underneath any trees. Doing this will stop any leaves or branches potentially knocking into the roof of your vehicle, and leaving it marked or scratched.
If you’re concerned about your car’s paintwork, you could also consider waxing or sealing your car. This process adds a protective coat, increasing the lifespan of your paintwork and stopping scratches from forming.
While these methods are all common ways of removing scratches from your car, we don’t endorse or take responsibility for carrying out any car maintenance without instruction from a trusted mechanic. For more advice on spotting and troubleshooting issues with your car, explore our blog, or find out more about the specific problems that issues like pothole damage can cause.
