How to Remove Scratches from Car

Edited by Maniac, Ryan Rodgers, BR, Estella the Farmer and 2 others

Scratched car paint can be caused by a number of reasons. Car accidents, juvenile behavior, poor parking and parking lot mishaps are all common occurrences. Scratches detract from the appearance of the car, but paying a body shop for a new paint job or even a small touch-up can be costly. Use these steps to remove paint scratches on your car without a professional.

1

Determine if the scratch is actually a scratch.

• Many times what appears to be a scratch is actually a raised line of material from an impact. This occurs when your car contacts another bumper or any object whose coating is softer than your car paint. These imperfections require much less work to remove.

2

Establish the depth of the scratch.

• Your car has 4 main layers: clear coat, color, primer and steel. If the scratch is only as deep as the clear coat or color, it will be much easier to remove. If you can see a different color or steel, the scratch is deep and might not be able to be repaired

3

Prepare the vehicle.

• Wash and dry the car thoroughly. If the car is dirty during scratch repair, more scratches can be created.
• Spray the scratched area with water.

4

Sand the scratch.

• Wrap 2000-grit sandpaper around a sanding pad and begin sanding in the direction of the scratch (usually horizontally).
• Periodically rinse the area with water.
• If the scratch is deeper than the clear coat, use 1500-grit sandpaper initially to level the surface and then 2000-grit sandpaper to remove the scratches made by the coarser sandpaper.

5

Polish the area.

• Apply rubbing compound to the scratched areas.
• With a buffer pad, spread the compound around the area that is dull from sanding. Do not turn the buffer on yet.
• Turn the buffer on its lowest level and move it around for approximately 10 seconds.
• Increase the speed to 2000 RPM and buffer for 1 minute. You should be moving the buffer from side to side and then moving downward slowly.
• Continue until the dullness has faded. This might take up to 5 minutes depending on the scratch and your speed.

6

Wash the area.

• Use clean water and a towel to remove the leftover compound residue from the paint surface.

7

Apply car wax to your vehicle to seal the paint.

8

Finished.

MAINTAINING YOUR CAR'S PERFECT SHINE

MAINTAINING YOUR CAR'S PERFECT SHINE

If you've finished the six steps to The Perfect Shine, you'll need to do some light maintenance to keep it looking great.  If it's a true show car (toy), keep it covered.  Even while it's neatly tucked away in the garage, you should keep your car covered.  This keeps dust and pollutants off of the beautiful finish, and the wax won't evaporate as quickly (yes, wax evaporates).

Next, plan to do a quick detailing on your car after each outing.  Choose a good detailing spray containing no protection or a  carnauba wax detailing spray.  A good detailing spray will restore shine.  A carnauba detailing spray will replenish the wax lost through evaporation.  Quick detailing will normally take no more than 5 to 10 minutes.

You can apply a fresh coat of P21S wax as often as you like.  I recommend reapplying wax monthly, or whenever you want your car to look its very best.

etween washes and after washing, I recommend using Sonus Acrylic Spritz Quick Detail Spray 16.9 oz.  or Sonus Carnauba Spritz.  Both products will restore shine and protection.  The Sonus Carnauba Spritz contains the same grade carnauba wax as P21S 100% Carnauba Wax .  If you keep your car garaged and covered, this is a great detailing spray to maintain the concours finish.  If your car is a daily driver, use Sonus Acrylic Spritz, which contains polymer protection. 

The Klasse sealant glaze protection will last 5 to 6 months.  Plan to repeat The Perfect Shine process two to three times a year to keep your car's paint in perfect showroom condition.

HOW THE PERFECT SHINE WORKS

There's no particular magic to this classic car polishing process; however, at least two of the ingredients are key.  Finish preparation is the most significant function of the process.  The paint finish must be refined through several grades of polish.  This is how jewelry makers create gems of radiant beauty.

The key ingredients are Klasse All-In-One Polish and P21S 100% Carnauba Wax .  The reason these two products work together, where others do not, is actually pretty simple.  Klasse is an acrylic resin coating.  It's not a petroleum- or water-based product.  It's an acrylic.  When it dries, it dries hard.  Most synthetic sealants are polymers based on the element silicone.

To my knowledge, all polymer sealants are based on an emulsion system containing petroleum distillates.  As a result, even the mildest petroleum distillates remove polymer sealants.  Zaino Show Car Polish is the only polymer sealant that I'm aware of that can be successfully layered (a new application of Zaino Show Car Polish does not remove previous applications).

Likewise, carnauba waxes contain petroleum distillates.  In waxes, petroleum distillates are used to soften the carnauba, which is rock hard in its raw form, so it can be blended into a paste or cream.  The P21S Carnauba Wax formula uses a highly refined petroleum distillate, much the same as that used in the manufacture of cosmetics (i.e., lipstick wax).  The solvent content in P21S Carnauba Wax does not affect the cured Klasse sealant glaze.  By conducting side-by-side durability tests, I have proven Klasse remains solidly intact.

How to Use Car Detailing Wax

There’s an art to applying car detailing wax. It will do a great job at putting the finishing shine on your vehicle and protecting it from the elements, but you need to know how to put it on your car.

Tools and Materials

• Car wax
• Damp sponge
• Toothbrush
• Microfiber cloths
• Orbital sander with buffing attachment

Step One - Selecting Your Wax

There’s a very wide range of car detailing wax on the market. You can choose a natural car wax with carnauba or a synthetic car detailing wax. Research the products and select the wax that’s right for your needs and your car. Do you want a bright finish for a short time or do you prefer a wax that will last several months and offer strong protection? These are among the factors that will influence your choice. Where possible use a non-abrasive wax.

Step Two - Preparing Your Vehicle

Before waxing your vehicle you need to prepare it properly. Give it a through wash with good car shampoo and allow to dry. After that, go over the body with clay to pull out the deep dirt. When you’ve done that, use a good polish as the final step before waxing.

Don’t apply wax when the weather is very cold or extremely hot. Put your car in a shaded spot before applying car detailing wax so the wax doesn’t dry too quickly on the finish.

Step Three - Applying Wax

Have a clean, damp sponge. Dip it in the wax and put a piece of wax about the size of a half dollar into the sponge. If you’re using liquid wax, pour an amount of about that size onto the sponge. Rub the sponge in circles on the car body. These circles should be small. You need to go section by section on the car body. Each section should be quite small. Don’t do the entire hood at once, for example.

Try to avoid getting wax into the seams between pieces of metal. If you do so, remove it with an old toothbrush before it has time to harden. After you’ve finished applying wax to one section of the car body, move on to the next section. Continue until you’ve covered the entire car body with wax.

Step Four - Buffing

When it’s time to buff car detailing wax you have two choices. You can buff it by hand or use an electric buffing pad. If you’re buffing by hand, make sure you use a microfiber cloth rather than cotton. The fibers on cotton can actually scratch the clear coat, which won’t happen if you use a microfiber cloth.

Start with the section where you first applied the car detailing wax and move along the vehicle section by section. Shake the cloth out regularly to remove the wax and stop buildup. When you’ve finished hand buffing, inspect the entire vehicle to check the finish. Complete the car detailing wax job by a final rub over all the bodywork with a clean microfiber cloth.

With an electric buffer, move over the surface from the point you first applied the wax and finish by rubbing with a microfiber cloth.

Automotive Detailing Supplies and Equipment

Proper car detailing starts with the right detailing supplies. Whether you are just washing your car on the driveway or an experienced professional auto detailer, you are going to want to have the best of the best to work with. The supplies you use will depend on the level of experience you have.

The variety of automotive detailing supplies on the market is sometimes a little overwhelming, so lets look at some basic jobs you would normally do to a car. This applies to both the do-it-yourselfer and the professional.

As an example, let see what you might need for a basic Wash and Dry. You will need the following supplies to properly wash and dry your vehicle
• 2 wash buckets, with a grit guard or tray for each
• Micro fiber wash mit or Micro fiber covered sponge
• Micro Fiber drying towel
• Tire brush
• Wheel cleaning brush
• Water filtration ( optional )
• Drying Blower ( optional )

Most of the detailing supplies are not available at your local automotive supply store, often you will need to purchase them online or find a wholesaler in your area. Finding all the products and equipment from one location is often difficult, but if you find a local wholesaler that carries a wide variety of brands, you can easily get all the supplies you need.

If you are looking to purchase your detailing supplies for home use and are not getting into detailing other vehicles professionally, then a good start would be to check out some local detailing shops. There are professional auto detailers in every major city, and I bet there are a lot more then you think there are. Most of the detailers in the business love what they do, and if you contacted them to discuss detailing, I am sure they would love it. You should ask if you can buy some of the product they use, you will probably get a better deal then if you went and tried to find everything you need yourself. You will probably find that each detailer has a brand or line of products they prefer over others, this is either from experience or what they learned with. Many experienced detailers usually stick to a specific brand for the majority of their products. They will use other suppliers as well for all the specific function products that only select manufacturers produce.

Other detailing supplies that you can buy at your local automotive hardware store are the simple tools and products. Micro fiber cloths and towel are now very common. A few years ago, you would not be able to find a single micro fiber cloth anywhere but specialty stores. Micro fiber drying towels and polishing cloths are the standard for all your auto detailing jobs, don’t get anything else to wash, dry, buff or clean with. The characteristics of micro fiber make them non-scratch and super absorbent. You can also find decent cash wash soap and brushes at your local automotive supply store too. Never use dish soap on your car, only use car wash soap designed for automotive purposes. Dish soap will strip all the protective layers you apply to your car, such as wax, sealant, trim sealers and detailer sprays. Only use it if is your intention to prepare the car for paint correction and polishing, in that case, you want to remove all those waxes and sealers. 

Use a Rubbing Compound on Paint

Rubbing compounds are effective at restoring painted finishes.

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Rubbing compound is a loosely defined term referring to a growing group of polishes that are designed to remove minor damage, imperfections or oxidation, generally from automotive-type finishes. Rubbing compounds can also be used to remove layers of built-up wax from cars and boats, before recoating with new wax. For best results, use rubbing compound on paint when the temperature is at least 50 degrees, and out of direct sunlight if possible.

Difficulty:

 

Moderately Easy

By Guide Fisher

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Soap
• Bucket
• Sponge
• Clean, soft cloths or towels
• Rubbing compound

Suggest Edits

1. • 1
     Select a rubbing compound approved for the surface, such as metal or fiberglass, and paint type, like acrylic enamel, lacquer or clear-coat finish.
   • 2
     Wash the painted surface with soap and water to remove dirt. Dry the washed surface with soft towels, or allow the surface to air-dry.
   • 3
     Apply 1 tsp. of rubbing compound to a clean cloth, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Some compounds call for a damp cloth while other compounds can be applied with a dry towel.
   • 4
     Rub the compound into the paint in short, circular motions, approximately 10 to 12 inches in diameter. Allow the compound to set on the paint according to the manufacturer's instructions, as some types of compounds need to be allowed to dry before being wiped from the surface.
   • 5
     Remove the compound, with a clean section of the cloth, by rubbing in the same circular motion used to apply the compound.
   • 6
     Continue applying and removing the rubbing compound in 12-inch sections, until the entire surface has been covered. To be sure no sections are missed with the compound, overlap the already rubbed section with fresh compound by approximately 1 inch. Use a clean area of cloth each time you apply compound to the paint, changing out towels as needed.
   • 7
     Inspect the entire surface for any areas you may have missed with the compound. Touch up any missed spots as needed.

Car Tire Cleaning Tips

• 

  Keeping your tires clean can lengthen their lifespan and keep you safe on the road. Cleaning your tires involves much more than spraying them down with a hose; several car tire cleaning techniques can keep your tires in optimum shape. Pay attention to the wear and tear on your tires. Any visible degradation or noticeable wires sticking out of the surface indicate a need for new tires. Keep your tires in working order and free from obvious defects that could diminish performance.

Hosing Down

• Spraying down the car tires with water removes surface debris. For best results, use a garden hose fitted with a pressurized spray handle. Once you've wet the tires completely, leave the water for several minutes to loosen surface debris. Scrub the tires with a wire brush to remove stubborn debris and brighten the white lettering of the tire company logo.

Special Tire Soap

• Automotive supply shops sell special soaps made specifically for cleaning car tires. Use these soaps instead of a regular soap, which might contain tire-damaging acids. Also avoid wheel-cleaning sprays that claim to finish the job more quickly; most contain hydrofluoric acid that will damage the rubber. Used according to the manufacturer's directions, tire soap will help remove surface dirt and debris from your tires. Use a stiff brush coated in the soap to remove debris from the treads.

UV Protectant Spray

• Ozone and ultraviolet (UV) light degrade car tires by breaking down the hydrocarbons in the rubber. To prevent tires from cracking or losing elasticity, coat tires with a special protectant once they have dried after you wash them. Automotive supply shops carry UV protectant sprays with varying degrees of strength. When shopping for a spray, avoid products that contain raw silicone oil or formaldehyde, which will eat away at the rubber of your tires. A car care specialist or mechanic can recommend the best brand for your tires.

References

• Autos: Cleaning Tires: 3 Tire Cleaning Tips of the Pros

Resources

• Insure on the Spot: The Importance Of Tire Maintenance

• Photo Credit tire treads close-up image by Kathy Burns from Fotolia.com;