Knowing how to get scratches out of car is essential if you intend to restore your vehicle to its former glory. 

Car scratches dampen a car’s aesthetic appeal, and deep scratches will cause your vehicle to become more vulnerable to rust. Rust can eat away at the underlying metal of your vehicle, causing necessary and costly repairs. 

Fortunately, there are several ways to remove or lessen scratch damage on a car, depending on the severity of the scratch. 

Is It Really A Scratch? 

To learn how to get scratches out of car, you must first determine whether a blemish is a scratch. While the answer to this question seems obvious, if the mark on your vehicle is a different color than the paint on your car, you may not have a scratch. 

Painted objects that rub against or ding your paint can generally be cleaned off without following any of the scratch removal methods below. 

Shallow Scratch vs. Deep Scratch 

Before you learn how to get scratches out of car, you need to determine the depth of the scratch. Small, shallow scratches are far easier to repair and may not require a professional. However, more profound, longer scratches will likely require you to take your car to the shop. 

Your car paint consists of several layers. Those layers are the clear coat, base coat, primer coat, and the metal beneath your vehicle’s paint. As these layers might suggest, clear coat damage is the easiest type of scratch to repair. Scratches that reach your car’s primer or metal, on the other hand, may require professional care. 

If a scratch is not very wide or deep, you may be able to remove the scratch yourself. At the very least, you can likely prevent further damage and make the scratch less noticeable. 

4 Simple Ways to Remove Scratches from a Car

Need to know how to get scratches out of car? Here are four simple ways to remove scratches from your vehicle. 

1. Use High-Quality Scratch Repair Products and Kits  

There are several automotive products that are designed to help consumers remove light scratches from their cars. These products work fast and fill in mild to moderate scratches quickly. 

These products cannot remove scratches that have cut into your primer or the metal of your vehicle (regardless of what the product promises). If you have deep scratches that you can’t fix on your own, you can at least use these products to prevent additional damage until you have the vehicle repaired. 

2. The Toothpaste Cover Up 

Want to know how to get scratches out of car fast? 

Have you ever used toothpaste to repair scratches in a CD, DVD, or video game? As strange as this may sound, it does work. Toothpaste has abrasive properties that can be used to smoothen over certain surfaces. While toothpaste will not remove a scratch from a vehicle, it is an affordable way to make a scratch far less noticeable.

3. Cover Scratches Up with Spray or Touch-Up Paint

If you have minor to moderate scratches, you can use spray or touch-up paint to lighten or eliminate the scratches from your car. If you have a large area of scratches, spray paint may be your best choice outside of a professional body shop. For smaller scratches, consider touch-up paint products. 

When using a touch-up or spray paint, be sure to find a color that matches that of your vehicle. Otherwise, you risk making the scratch more noticeable. Keep in mind that these methods are all meant to be used as a temporary fix until you can take your car to a body shop. 

4. Take it to a Professional  

When learning how to get scratches out of car, you may want to consider taking your vehicle to an auto body repair shop. A repair shop is the only way you can effectively remove deep scratches. Unfortunately, the cost of body repair can quickly add up.

If your car is an older vehicle that will cost more to repair than the car is worth, you may want to consider purchasing a new vehicle. Should you choose to do so, you can sell your old vehicle for cash. Junk car pick up services buy cars regardless of their condition.

What to Do About Your Old Car if You Decide to Buy a New One

Now that you know how to get scratches out of car and you’ve gone over your options, you’ll need to make a decision. If you do decide to purchase a new car or if you’re current car has already run its course, consider selling the vehicle. 

If asking, “Where can I find cash for cars near me?” then it’s important to know that agencies that purchase cars for cash do so regardless of the condition of your vehicle. Your vehicle can still be sold and recycled even if it is completely covered in scratches.