How to Remove a Paint Scratch

1. How deep is the scratch?

Car paintwork consists of a number of layers, starting with a primer, then the colour layer and finally a clear lacquer that gives the shine and protects the paint below. The easiest scratch to fix is one that has only penetrated the lacquer – the deeper the damage goes, the harder the repair.

Have a close look at the scratch to see how deep it looks and if the car’s colour has been removed – if you see a different colour, that could be the primer layer or even bare metal. Gently run your thumb or fingernail over the scratch to get a sense of the depth, if it barely catches, it’s probably just the topcoat, whereas a deeper car scratch will feel much more like a ridge.

2. Always wash first

The car that is, not yourself! Seriously though, this is absolutely vital – before you work on any paint scratches, the area must be thoroughly washed and dried to avoid dirt and grit being ground into the paintwork and causing more damage. Skip this step at your peril.

3. Polish

If the colour is still visible and the scratch doesn’t seem very deep (or it swirls after you’ve washed the car and not properly rinsed it – see our article on how to wash your car to avoid this), you should be able to repair this yourself quite simply.

In many cases, applying standard car polish can make light damage disappear, but if it doesn’t, you can try a specialised scratch remover.

4. Apply a scratch remover

Repairing a light paint scratch in this way is essentially wearing away the clear topcoat and blending the colour layer into the scratch. To do that you need more abrasion, and this is usually added in the form of a liquid ‘cutting compound’ such as T-Cut.

These are normally applied in circular motions using a pad or damp cloth until the scratch has disappeared. Then you simply clean any residue away. It’s important to remember that these fluids are removing finish, so you need to proceed slowly and carefully to avoid causing even more damage. Always follow the instructions on the bottle and don’t overuse.

As you will have removed the protective layer from your car’s bodywork, it’s vital that you replace this by waxing the treated area afterwards, and you should also repeat the waxing regularly.

5. Tackling deeper scratches

If the scratch has removed the colour layer, you can buy a touch-up pen to reapply the colour, but make sure you get the exact colour match for your car. Paint details can often be found inside the driver’s door or in the owner’s manual. It can be very difficult to get good results with a touch-up pen, but this could work well enough in areas that aren’t very visible.

There are also cutting compounds with higher levels of abrasion than standard stain removers such as Turtle Wax Premium Rubbing Compound. These can tackle more stubborn scratches, but the risk of more expensive damage to paintwork is increased – we’d be tempted to see a professional instead.

6. Seek professional help

If your initial thoughts on the scratch are that it’s too deep to tackle yourself, or if you’ve already tried the steps above to no success, it’s time to see a professional.
A good bodyshop (or even local garage) would be happy to give you a quick appraisal of the damage and rough cost to repair it. These days, there are even lots of mobile paintwork repairers who will come to your home or place of work so you’re not inconvenienced. A professional fix may well include re-application of a clear lacquer, so you can avoid the need for regular waxing too.

The cost will depend on the severity of the damage and your location, but it can range from under a hundred pounds to a few hundred.

Finding paint scratches, scrapes or scuffs on your car doesn’t have to be a nightmare scenario. There are plenty of ways to fix these yourself and, when needed (or preferred), professional help won’t break the bank.