How to Clean Scrapes off a Plastic Car Bumper

Plastic and fiberglass bumpers are prone to scratches. Black marks are often caused by scraping against rubber barriers and even the bumpers on the corners of shopping carts. Paint marks are also often left behind as cars scrape against yours and car doors bump into your vehicle. Plastic bumpers are nice because collisions that would dent a metal bumper leave only a scrape behind. It is simple to clean these scrapes off a plastic bumper in most cases.

Things You'll Need

  • Eraser Aerosol tar remover Terry cloth towel Wax Soap and water
  • Use the eraser to remove any black rubber scrapes. Rub it back and forth across the scrape until the rubber begins to peel off. Continue until the scrape is gone.

  • Spray the aerosol tar remover, available from auto parts stores, onto the paint scrapes. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.

  • Buff the area with a towel in a circular motion until the tar remover is completely wiped away. Spray again and repeat the process until the paint is gone.

  • Wash the area completely with soap and water to remove any remaining rubber or paint residue.

  • Dip the corner of a towel in the wax, and rub it into the area you cleaned using a circular motion. Rub until the wax has worked itself into the area and the area has regained its luster.