Arguably one of the worst experiences in the world is walking upon your beloved car and finding a scratch running along the door, ruining the paint job, and turning your main whip into a dumpster on wheels. You’ve sunk so much money into this baby already, the last thing you want to do is take it to a mechanic and lose sleep over the price of the estimate.
Do you have any other options? Of course, you do! You could…(drumroll please) learn how to remove scratches on your car yourself! Keep your ride looking brand new through this easy step-by-step guide to removing scratches from your car.
Browse this carefully curated list of products and get to work on renewing your car’s body so you can feel confident driving again. Save money and time and extend the longevity of your ride while looking good at the same time!
First step: wash your car!
Armor All knocks it out of the park with this complete car care kit. Featuring multipurpose cleaner, tire shine, protectant, and more.
Just like tending to a human wound, you need to clean the affected area before performing surgery. Give your car the ultimate scrub-down before you take on the scratches, swirls, or other blemishes on your vehicle.
Use a swirl remover to renew light blemishes
If the damage to your ride is minimal, consider going with a scratch and swirl remover. Smooth away light imperfections and leave behind a renewed shine with this Turtle Wax standby!
Stock up on microfiber cloths
Wax on, wax off. Buff out your minor scratches and leave your car body looking swirl free with a scratch-resistant microfiber cloth. Rub back and forth for 60 seconds.
Go to town with a buffer pad
Another great option for minor scratches is this ultimate scratch remover/buffer pad combo. The pad will restore the gloss and shine of your car’s paint! Safe to use on all colors.
Go NANO with a scratch remover cloth
Using the latest patented nano-technology, you can use this brilliant nanofiber cleaning cloth to buff out minor scratches without wax or solution! The scratch repair cloth contains emulsifiers, lubricants, emollients, polishes, and minerals to eliminate fine scratches and wax circles.
Get deeper with a compound
If you’ve been at it for a while and your scratch isn’t going anywhere, you may have to use a scratch remover compound with heavier grit. Turtle Wax’s professional grade formula is the industry-standard scratch remover in body shops nationwide. Why not get what the pros use?
For new, darker colors, use a liquid compound
Restore gloss to new, darker vehicles with a liquid compound. Turtle Wax’s clean-cut polishing compound is non-corrosive and versatile with microfiber cloths, cleaning pads, or wipes.
For older, oxidized paint, go with a paste
Legendary hard shell paste from Turtle Wax remains the standard-bearer for scratches and rust runs that seem beyond repair. Easy on, easy off, keep your car looking new for up to 12 months!
Sand, compound, and repair all with one product
3M uses a 3-step repair process with this amazing auto scratch remover. Sand, compound, and repairs minor scratches and blemishes on your vehicle. Restore minor imperfections to their flawless original condition!
Last resort: touch-up paint brush
This pocket-sized scratch remover is a four-in-one applicator with a piston style pen tip for small fixes and a brush applicator for larger scratches and chips. Each tool contains a GM factory original color matching code that ensures an exact color match to your vehicle.
If at this point you still can’t get your scratch to disappear, you might just have to suck it up and visit an auto body repair shop. But chances are, with these amazing products at your disposal, you won’t need to make that fateful choice. Good luck!