How To Remove Car Scratches? Follow These Tips!

There are several ways to remove car scratches. But you need to know, the ceramic coating is scratch-resistant, not scratch-resistant. While it will provide protection against finer scratches, swirl marks, and washing, it will not eliminate the risk of scratching your paint. Your vehicle can and will be scratched by many of the same objects despite the coating. The following will explain how to remove car scratches. But first, we will explain the examples of scratches that can be removed.

Scratches that Can Be Removed

Scratches can vary greatly from invisible to deep scratches. Usually scratches can be divided into 3 types: clear coat scratches, primer level scratches and deep paint scratches.

1. Clear-Coat Scratches

As we all know, there is a very thin layer of clear coat that protects the car’s paint from environmental disturbances such as direct sunlight exposure, acid rain, dust, etc. Removing car scratches from the clear coat layer is the easiest task.

2. Scratch Primer

Primer is another protection that the manufacturer adds to the car body to give it a stunning, shining and smoother surface. If a car scratch penetrates the clear coat layer and is exposed to the Primer layer and at that level of damage, the body paint will be damaged so there will be little chance of rusting if protective measures are not taken in time. This will require more time and expertise to repair. Many recommend painting the entire part to avoid uneven paint differences.

3. Paint Strokes

When the scratch is so severe that you can see the sheet metal under the coating then it is very difficult to repair it. Car scratches like this can happen if someone scratches your car with a rock, keys or other sharp object, or during a major accident. It is advisable to take corrective action as soon as possible to avoid other major causes.

How to Remove Scratches on a Car

There are different scratch removal treatments depending on the severity. Like if there are some minor scratches you can remove them at home using some of the methods we will discuss. But if the damage is too deep then you will have to opt for various car scratch repair kits or body shop jobs. Here are some common methods to remove car scratches.

1. Rubbing Compound

Simple surface-level scratches can be assessed using your fingernails. How does that mean? If your fingernail cannot reach it then it means that it can be removed by using a special rubbing compound. This is done by first washing the affected area properly using car soapy water and then cleaning it with a microfiber cloth. This is followed by using a buffing pad plus a small amount of rubbing compound. This compound is applied to the scratched area in a circular motion by applying slight pressure. The aim is to remove a small amount of the scratched clear coat. The whole process is repeated again and again. Finally, the area is washed and air dried.

2. Car Scratch Repair Kit

Store-bought scratch repair kits can also be used to remove light scratches. The kit contains buffing pads and a scratch removal solution. The surface is first washed so that no dust or dirt is lodged on the surface. The surface is then dried with a microfiber cloth. Using a buffing pad a small amount of solution is rubbed onto the surface. The excess is wiped off and allowed to cure. There are conflicting opinions on the use of scratch removal kits which may have users reporting no results or decent results for only very light scratches.

3. Professional Dent/Painting for Deep Scratches

There is no substitute for a professional dent painting job. Removing your car’s scratches with a dent painting expert will guarantee a perfect showroom finish. Professionals start by thoroughly washing the car to remove contaminants and dirt. Using sandpaper, the professional removes excess paint from the area and until the core of the scratch is visible. The paint removal movement should be on the side of the scratch to avoid further scratching in the opposite direction. Also, many different grits of sandpaper are used for different levels of scratches such as 1500, 2000, etc.

After sanding the surface, etching primer is applied as an adhesive medium for paint. The surface is primed and sanded between processes two or three times while waiting for it to dry. The professional then matches the paint using a specialized palette and OEM paint codes. Finally, several layers of clear coat are applied and the paint is protected and sealed using waxing and polishing compounds. This whole process takes a day or two depending on the extent of the damage.

Does Coating Remove Scratches?

The technical answer is yes. The nature of the ceramic paint coating allows it to soak into swirl marks and scratches on your vehicle. However, this doesn’t actually repair the paint layer, and it doesn’t even visually hide the damage, unless the damage is very minor.

The ceramic coating is completely transparent and microscopic, hence the “nano” in nanoceramic. The idea is that the quartz particles inside the ceramic coating are so small that they stick together while inside the scratch, but they don’t actually bond to the car itself to repair it or even fill it in properly, like polishing or cutting compounds.

Ceramic coatings do not completely prevent scratches and do not make the car scratch-resistant. However, the coating will provide protection against very small vortex tools that can occur during the washing process or when making light contact with the paint.

Ceramic coatings do not provide protection against heavier abrasion methods. This includes stone chips, or other forms of abrasion such as brushing the car with a hard object.

The ceramic coating can still be scratched, so make sure you treat it with the same care as you would an uncoated car.

The most common origin of scratches and swirls is when washing the car. These will appear very subtle but are visible in direct sunlight, and cause the car to look duller. It is very important to use proper washing techniques to clean the car as the coating can still swirl and scratch just like the paintwork.

This means that the car should always first be washed properly to remove as much dirt and dust as possible before touching the paint with gloves. You should never use brushes or sponges, and should instead use high-quality microfiber wash mitts that are well lubricated with car shampoo to wash the vehicle. Gloves should also be rinsed or replaced with new ones when collecting dirt from panels.

You should also not take your ceramic-coated car to an automatic car wash.

This will help prevent scratches on the coating that will cause it to dull over time.

How to remove car scratches can be a solution for those of you who have several scratches on your car. However, that does not mean you can scratch the car so that there are many scratches on the car body! Usually, scratches on the car itself occur because we don’t know the parts of the car that are in the blind spot. For this reason, TransTRACK provides us with a solution by using  Camera 360 to be able to see parts of the blind spot. Start switching to  TransTRACK  and avoid scratches on your car!