How to Deal with Minor Scratches on Car Paint?
4 Answers
Close Observation: Consider the lighting conditions and observe the car body from multiple angles. If you find any scratches on the body, use your fingertip or fingernail to touch and check. If it's just a minor scratch or the surface paint is peeling but hasn't reached the metal plate, you can easily repair it yourself. Treatment for Light Scratches: Use a polishing wheel with a polishing enhancer to remove debris, oxidation layers, and fine scratches from the car's paint surface. Treatment for Deep Scratches: Check if the metal surface is exposed. If not, clean the damaged area first and use touch-up paint to fill it in. To enhance adhesion, you can start by sanding with high-grit sandpaper. Touch-up Painting: If the metal is exposed at the scratch site, apply an anti-rust oxidation neutralizer before spraying paint. Wait for the neutralizer to dry completely, then spray the primer and repeat the process of painting, drying, and sanding. Emergency Measures: If you don't have time to visit a repair shop immediately, apply a layer of nail polish to the scratched area to prevent oxidation and rust. Then, visit a local professional repair shop as soon as possible. Large-Area Touch-up Painting: Foam primer must be used for extensive repairs, while air-dry primer can be used for quick fixes on shallow scratches. Air-dry primer dries quickly, ensuring timely repairs. Initial Maintenance: Apply a layer of mirror glaze to the car body when it's new. Mirror glaze, mainly composed of high-molecular polymers, acts directly on the paint surface and significantly enhances the hardness of the paint. Avoid Car Covers: During windy or rainy weather, the inner layer of the car cover may repeatedly whip against the paint, causing numerous tiny scratches all over the body. These scratches cannot be completely removed by washing or waxing and may eventually dull the paint over time.
I just discovered a small scratch on my car a couple of days ago and felt a bit upset since it's only been half a year since I got this new car. I tried fixing it myself by first cleaning the area thoroughly, then applying scratch wax and rubbing it back and forth for a few minutes. The result was quite noticeable—the shallow scratch disappeared. For deeper scratches, I use a touch-up pen, let it dry, and then polish it. I recommend waxing your car regularly to prevent minor scratches. If left untreated for a long time, rainwater can seep in and cause rust, which would be even more troublesome. I always keep some basic tools in my car so I’m not flustered when these small issues arise. The key is to stay observant—if it’s beyond my ability, I’ll take it to a repair shop without hesitation. The cost isn’t high, and it saves me the stress of affecting my driving mood. Spending a little on maintenance makes driving much more comfortable. In short, try DIY first, and if that doesn’t work, seek professional help.
Last month my car got scratched by a tree branch while parked roadside - not too deep but quite noticeable. I immediately bought a touch-up pen with the exact color code matching my car model, otherwise it'd look awful after application. The process was simple: clean the area, dab on the paint lightly, wait to dry then buff smooth. The whole thing took barely 10 minutes and cost just tens of yuan. In a pinch without tools, toothpaste can work temporarily, but I'd recommend assessing first - very shallow marks may just need polishing while deeper ones require proper painting. DIY fixes save time and money while preventing rust from worsening if left untreated. Pro tip: avoid working under direct sunlight to prevent uneven application. Minor incidents happen - stay calm, act promptly, and maintaining good exterior keeps your driving confidence up.
Don't ignore small scratches, assess depth for solutions: light ones can be fixed with wax or polishing; slightly deeper ones may need touch-up paint; if it's deep enough to expose the metal, head to a repair shop immediately to prevent rust. With 30 years of driving experience, I always keep wax in my trunk—a quick DIY fix takes just minutes. If unsure, test on a small area first. The key is prompt action—the sooner, the easier and cheaper, with no safety compromise.
