Although, as a new car owner, you may want to keep the pristine quality of your new car, life is seldom fair and accommodating and it will be almost impossible to keep your car looking like the same gleaming machine you fell in love with on the showroom floor. At some time, in some way, disaster inevitably strikes. One day, when walking to your car, you will detect an unexpected scratch. It may have been due to the shopping car that grazed against your door when you went to the grocery store or it may have been due to an act of vandalism because you parked your car in a rough urban district, but regardless of how the scratch got there, the first thing you will want to know what to do, after you have recovered from your sense of shock, is if there is a way to remove the scratch. Fortunately, there have been numerous technological advances in car care and sometimes car waxing and modern equipment can do away with a scratch. While you may choose to take your car to a body repair shop or to see a professional auto detailer, it’s also possible to fix the scratch yourself.
Examine the Scratch
First examine the scratch. Not all scratches are the same. Some are not really scratches at all, but smears because the object that rubbed up against your car was softer than the paint. A mark can either be rubbed on to the paint or it can be gouged into it. If it is rubbed on, then some material is deposited on the paint surface and needs to be cleaned away. Other scratches only graze the clearcoat, perhaps even the base color, but don’t damage the primer and the metal. Finally, there are scratches that can strip away the paint and if the scratch is deep enough, it may be difficult to remove.
Try an Acetone Thinner
If the scratch is shallow, try using an acetone thinner on a soft cloth. If the scratch is more of a smear than a gouge, then it will disappear. You will have rubbed away the other material that was squashed onto the car’s paint.
Try Polishing and Waxing
If that did not work, try polishing and waxing. Before applying a mild polishing compound to the scratch with a damp cloth, make sure that the cloth is soft and not abrasive. Dab the polish into the cloth and then rub the cloth on to the scratch. Use short, even, circular movements. If successful, the scratch will have blended into the surrounding paint. Follow this polish with a different application. Now, using another soft cloth, apply liquid wax. Again, use short, even, circular motions. Finish it up by buffing with a towel, making sure that it is both soft and clean.
Try Advanced Polishes and Modern Equipment
If this did not work and the scratch was deeper than you thought, then you need to use a more advanced polish and apply it with mechanical equipment. The advanced polishes are designed not to damage the paint.
Advanced automotive polishes are sometimes known as nano polishes because they are based on nano-technology, which is the science of controlling matter at the molecular or atomic scale. A nano polish uses quality polishing ingredients and nano particles. It fills in tiny scratches, removes imperfections, provides anticorrosive protection from road salt and rust, and can be safely used on all metal surfaces because it is completely non-abrasive. The advanced polish needs to be applied with a polishing wheel, which will quickly bring the shine back to the paint. There are two kinds: an oscillating polisher and a rotary polisher. It is better to stick to an oscillating polisher. It’s less aggressive so less likely to buff all the way through the paint. If successful, you will have removed the ridges on the side of the scratch so that it blends in with the paint.