Fixing light scratches on your car may seem like an impossible thing to do. This is especially true if you’re a first-time car owner, and you hate seeing those tiny scratches on your car. It could come from anywhere too! It could be your watch grazing against your car door or even your key missing the keyhole every now and then. Whatever the reason may be, it’s clear that you really don’t want to see the eyesore of a scratch there. So, we will teach you some DIY fixes to make sure that those light scratches are gone with the wind. These DIY fixes that we’re going to provide you are all home remedies. Whether you’re a woman or a man, you will surely have one of the items to help fix the light scratches on your car’s paint and make it new again. Home remedies are recommended for minor car paint scratches only. If you aren’t too sure on whether or not it’s a light scratch, you can clean it with a pea-sized amount of toothpaste and water. Use an old toothbrush to help buff the scratch, and see how deep it really is when you’ve taken away the residue of anything in the scratched area. However, when in doubt, always go to a professional detailer to effectively remove car scratches.
5 DIY Fixes for Light Scratches
Shoe polish
Using shoe polish may sound easy, but we can’t stress enough how important it is to clean the area and examine the scratch before actually applying anything on it. Wipe the scratched area with soap and water and then dry it as thoroughly as possible. Afterward, you’ll need a shoe polish that is darker in color than your car paint. When you apply the shoe polish on the scratched area, it will spread out and fill in the small dent or scratch on the paint. It will be easier for you to remove the scratch this way.
Grab a fine sandpaper, and gently sand down the paint in the surrounding area. You will have to do this so that the scratch won’t be seen or it will no longer be visible since the damaged area is more or less the same level with the surrounding panel. Again, this has to be done carefully as if you sand down too much, you could damage the next layer of paint, which will worsen the initial scratch. Let the shoe polish be your guide when sanding, so you don’t go down too deep. You would normally continue sanding lightly until the applied shoe polish has been removed. After all the arm work you’ve done, you can use a cloth to buff the area and check if the scratch has disappeared. In some cases, the scratch is too deep, so your best option might be to go to an auto detailing shop.
Toothpaste
As we’ve said earlier, you could use toothpaste. In the event that your headlights are also foggy, you could use some toothpaste to clean those off too. But, we’re trying to fix scratches here, so it may come as a surprise that your trusted teeth cleaning partner will be a scratch remover as well. Toothpaste is useful in removing scratches as it has natural abrasive components to help erase minor scratches on your car’s paint. Just like with the shoe polish, make sure that the scratched or damaged area has been thoroughly cleaned. Afterward, apply some toothpaste onto an old toothbrush and puff the area with the scratch. The best way to do this is by doing circular motions or strokes, but here are also other ways to buff your car. When done, you can wipe the toothpaste off with a soft cloth. If the scratch hasn’t completely disappeared, you could repeat the process.
Nail polish
Some people may only know nail polish as something women put on their nails as a form of an accessory. However, nail polish has a lot of uses, and one of these uses includes being a great scratch remover. As you can tell with the other DIY fixes, you will need to buff and sand. However, with nail polish, you will just need to clean the area before applying it. Nail polish helps cover up the scratches instead of doing a lot of legwork to “remove” the scratch. Furthermore, nail polish comes in a variety of colors, so it’ll be easier to match a color with your paint. This makes it a really effective way to remove scratches on your car paint. So, you should look for the closest color to your car paint that you can find. Apply the polish as evenly as possible so the scratch will no longer be seen. If you still see the scratch afterward, you can just apply another coat of nail polish after it has dried.
Candle wax
Besides shoe polish, nail polish, and toothpaste, you could also use candle wax to remove the light scratches on your car’s paint. It isn’t a car scratch remover, but it will work well to cover up super light scratches on your paint. Again, make sure that the area is clean and rub the candle wax gently on the damaged surface. The wax will cover up and seal the scratches on your paint. However, this isn’t a long-term solution, so be aware that this remedy is only for scratch emergencies.
Super glue
Super glue can serve as a transparent material that will even the scratches with the rest of the surface area. Its ability to blend with the surrounding surface makes it a great car scratch cover up. You just need to apply it thinly onto the scratch. You may need to buff it lightly with sandpaper, and you’ll be good to go. These DIY fixes are just a few of many other fixes you could use to fix the light scratches on your paint. If you need a more detailed look at scratches, you can always take your car to a professional.
