How to Deal with Scratches on Car Paint?
3 Answers
Minor scratches can be treated with toothpaste, light scratches can be repaired with a touch-up pen, and large-area scratches require professional handling. Here is more information about car paint: 1. Main characteristics of car paint: The paint film has good fullness, high gloss, high hardness, and strong adhesion. The paint film has excellent mechanical properties, outstanding gloss retention, weather resistance, and wear resistance, as well as good resistance to acids, alkalis, alcohol, and gasoline. 2. Classification of car paint: Car paint is mainly divided into several types: The main components of standard paint are resin, pigment, and additives; metallic paint contains aluminum powder, making it appear shiny after application; pearl paint includes mica particles.
Last time my car door got scratched by a tree branch, it broke my heart! For light scratches, you can DIY: try using toothpaste as a polishing compound. Dampen a soft cloth and gently rub in small circles along the scratch—it works well for hairline marks. Scratch wax is also quite magical, especially effective on darker cars. Remember to clean the paint first, otherwise you might make it worse. After polishing, use a gloss restorer to shine it up and restore the luster. If your nail catches on the scratch? That might mean the color coat is damaged, and DIY attempts could leave marks. Don’t use coarse wax aggressively, as it might wear through the clear coat. If you can’t handle it, don’t force it—a quick repair shop can fix it for a couple hundred bucks, which is better than making a mistake yourself.
Minor scratches are inevitable after driving a car for a long time. I usually deal with them based on the depth of the damage. For nail scratches on door handles, a scratch repair pen can cover them up—choosing the right color code is crucial, so check your car model's color code before purchasing. For deeper scratches, clean the area first, lightly sand the rough edges with fine sandpaper and water, apply filler to fill in the dents, and once dry, apply thin layers of touch-up paint with a paint pen, waiting 15 minutes between each layer. Finally, spray blending lacquer to eliminate visible edges. This job requires patience—pressing too hard with the sandpaper can expose the primer. If you don’t handle it well, the scratches might become more noticeable. If you’re unsure, it’s best to leave it to a professional paint technician.
