How to Prevent (and Fix) Car Paint Scratches

By John Funk, February 9, 2023

Cars are among our most precious belongings and we go to great lengths to provide the utmost care to our beloved vehicles. Unfortunately, they still get exposed to many hazardous elements, resulting in scratches and other damage. Scratched car paint will not only affect the appearance of your vehicle but can also lead to more serious problems like rusting if the scratch is deep enough to expose the metal under the paint.

Getting a new paint job can be heavy on your wallet and it can also affect the resale value of your car. There are many methods to remove scratches and marks, and some of these methods guarantee quick fixes; however, you need to keep in mind that most “quick fixes” can do more harm to your vehicle than good.

“Prevention is better than cure.” Instead of wondering how to remove scratches from car paint when it’s already too late, you should be proactive and implement preventive measures that can go a long way. Preventive measures can help your car stand the test of time by resisting scratches and retaining its showroom-fresh look for many years.

In this blog post, you will not only learn about the preventive measures but will also find out how to fix paint scratches on a car.

How to Protect Car Paint from Scratches

It makes more sense to prevent scratches in the first place before doing deep research on how to fix paint scratches on a car. Here are some preventive measures you should consider implementing:

Choose Your Parking Space Wisely and Responsibly

Parking your car in an area with high pedestrian traffic makes your vehicle susceptible to scratches and other damage. Pedestrians may end up scratching your paint intentionally or unintentionally with sharp objects.
Another driver who is trying to park his/her vehicle next to yours may end up scratching your car’s paintwork while parking or while trying to open the door.
Many car owners think it’s a good idea to park under a tree, especially on a bright sunny day. This can protect your paint from harmful UV rays to a certain extent; however, tree sap, fruits, nuts, pollen, seeds, and branches can fall and land on the surface of your vehicle and cause damage.
As a car owner, you have the responsibility to protect your vehicle in every way possible, so you should choose a parking space wisely. You can park your vehicle in a garage, basement parking space of a building, or a driveway.

Wash Your Car Thoroughly on a Regular Basis

You should wash your car thoroughly on a regular basis, preferably once a week. If there are bird droppings or tree sap on your car, make sure to clean them up with water immediately.
You can make use of a car washing liquid and make sure to wash the tires, exteriors, interiors, windshield, and window glass.
Even though car washing is an important process, cleaning it too frequently and incorrectly can cause as much damage as leaving it covered in dust and dirt.
Many small scratches tend to occur during the washing process. Automatic car washes can save you time and energy; however, the abrasive brushes used in this process can easily scratch the paintwork of your car.
You should avoid certain practices such as dusting the surface with a dry cloth or rubbing your vehicle directly with a sponge before first rinsing away the dirt and dust.
You should always opt for top-quality, non-abrasive cleaning products. Another simple way to prevent scratches on your vehicle is by washing it by hand whenever possible.

Apply Wax

Applying wax to your vehicle can prevent it from scratches, dust contaminants, UV rays, and other external elements.
Applying wax is a tried and tested method and it is advisable to apply a coat of wax to your car every six months to keep it clean and smooth.
There are a few other benefits of applying wax as well such as a marginal increase in fuel efficiency because of less drag.

Other Preventive Measures

When a paint protection film is applied to the body of your car, it will protect your vehicle’s paint from external elements such as heat, dust, grime, and so on. It can also be applied on the front and rear bumpers.
A clear coat over the paint layer can keep your vehicle shiny and protected from external elements. It offers a more glossy finish to your vehicle and will effectively protect your paint by keeping harmful external elements at bay.
Vinyl wraps can provide superior protection to the original paint of your car as they are thick enough to sustain minor scratches on the vehicle.

How to Remove Scratches from Car Paint

There is no doubt that preventive measures can go a long way; however, you don’t need to freak out if your car’s paint suffers scratches. If you are wondering how to remove scratches from car paint, you will be relieved to know that there are some simple DIY (Do It Yourself) techniques that will help you get rid of minor paint scratches.

You can also get professional help if you are confused about how to fix paint scratches on your car; however, the following steps are easy to be implemented and can help you save your hard-earned money.

Minor Car Scratches

If your car paint has suffered a minor scratch, you can implement the following steps to remove it:

Take a scrubbing pad and dab a small-sized bead onto it and then apply them directly to the scratched and surrounding area.
Use a microfiber towel to wipe away any residue.
You may notice that the scratch has gone away to some extent after trying it once. Repeating this process a couple of times will make it harder to see the scratch.

Deep Car Scratches

It is true that deep car scratches can be tough to remove; however, with patience, such scratches can be ultimately removed.

Sand the scratched area using sandpaper until you reach your car’s metal panel. Make sure to sand in the direction of the scratch.
In order to prevent paint/primer from getting spread to any other area, mask off the area using paper and masking tape. Then, spray the area with your car’s matching paint. You can find the correct paint shade by referring to your manufacturer’s specs which will give you the code that matches your car’s paint.
Keep polishing the newly painted spot until it matches the rest of your car. Finally, you should remove the polish by laying a small-sized bead onto a polishing pad or microfiber towel and rubbing it in a circular motion.

Why Smart Car Owners Choose Seal Skin Covers to Prevent Paint Damage

As we mentioned earlier, “Prevention is better than cure.” By implementing preventive measures, you can protect your vehicle from scratches and ultimately save a lot of time and effort that you may have to otherwise spend fixing the scratches.

The preventive measures mentioned in this blog post are definitely effective; however, using a high-quality car cover is undoubtedly one of the most effective methods. Be it indoors or outdoors, an effective car cover can protect your vehicle from scratches, dings, dents, and other damage. However, you should know that all car covers aren’t the same. Covering your vehicle with the wrong cover can be as bad as leaving it open.

Do car covers scratch paint? Yes. They do. Many car owners prefer purchasing universal covers because of their low price points. However, such covers tend to be either overly large or undersized and can end up causing scratches and other damage to your vehicle. At Seal Skin, we offer high-quality car covers that can provide superior protection to your cherished vehicle.

You can call us at 800-915-0038 during our office hours (Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST) and we will help you find the right car cover that fits your needs and budget. We will also help you if you have any questions about our products, shipping policies, and exchange/refund policies.