It’s a sad time when your car gets its first scratch, but like the old saying goes – the first cut is the deepest! After many km’s on the road – your car will likely have acquired a few light scratches and swirl marks from general maintenance. The good news? You can effectively remove scratches from your vehicle and restore paint to new; using machinery and even good old elbow grease!
What you need to remove scratches from your vehicle
- Your usual cleaning supplies (bucket, water, car shampoo)
- Microfibre cloths
- Cutting polish (there are different grades of cutting polishes commonly available in the supermarket or auto specialist stores; light, medium and heavy. Stick to light as the medium and heavy grades may be too abrasive for removing light scratches)
- Protective wax
Steps to remove scratches or swirl marks from your car
- Start by thoroughly wash the area and use a microfibre cloth to remove any oil residue, dirt, bugs and tar,
- Dry the area with a clean microfibre cloth,
- Grab the cutting polish. Using a circular motion, lightly apply the cutting polish to another clean and dry cloth and gently apply it to the scratched area in circular motions as if you are polishing the vehicle, continue rubbing for 1-2 minutes.
- Using a clean cloth wipe the cutting polish away and check the area,
- If the scratch is still visible, repeat this application. It may take two or three passes to remove the scratch entirely. If at any point the scratch does not appear to be being removed or even getting worse, stop immediately and seek professional advice before doing more harm than good to your cars paint work,
- If all is looking good and the scratch is removed or much improved, seal the treated area with protective wax. This step is especially important as it protects the newly exposed paint from the elements.
There we have it; a simple, cost effective way to remove minor scratches and swirl marks from your car’s paintwork. This will result in the majority of minor scratches disappearing as far as the untrained eye can see! If unfortunately this hasn’t done the trick, or you think you have made the area worse, you may need the help of some machinery to get your paintwork looking good as new again!
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