There are many ways scratches can surface on your car, from accidentally side-swiping another vehicle to scratching the car door with your keys. Whatever the cause, ugly scratches can lower a car's value and even cause rust and corrosion to appear. There are a number of different methods to cover unsightly scratches in your vehicle, from waxing, polishing and sanding to buffing and using touch-up paints.
For minor scratches in the car's paint, use a scratch-removing polish or wax. You will need to wash the scratched area and dry it thoroughly, then apply the wax or polish. Buff out the surface using a cloth. According to SuperMechanics, if you use a dirty cloth for this step, you can actually cause more light scratches to the car, so use a cloth that is soft and clean, to prevent any further damage to the vehicle. Scratch removal polishes and waxes will work on any color paint, so you do not have to worry about matching paint colors.
To cover up scratches on your vehicle, use a sand and polishing technique provided by Popular Mechanics Magazine. First, wash the scratched panel with soapy water and dry thoroughly. Then, rub shoe polish or white-out into the scratch, so the area is more visible. Using short strokes, rub sandpaper along the scratch until you see the blemish disappear. Polish and buff lightly by hand, then use car wax to seal the area.
Improve the appearance of your vehicle with ready-to-use scratch repair kits. Using an assortment of tools, including pre-paint, touch-up paint pens, fine-tipped brushes, a cloth, sealant and a hairdryer (in some cases), scratch repair kits can cover those unsightly scratches in vehicles. These kits are used for paint chips as well as deep scratches. To find the specific paint for your vehicle, you will need the car's paint code, which you can find on a small metal panel located under the hood of your car, inside the door or in the trunk. Repair kits can even be purchased on-line, for different car makes and models.
