How to fix dents and scratches on car

Every driver thinks they’re a good driver. But even if you’re careful, little bumps and scrapes can still happen. It could be loose stones from the road pinging up onto your car, or a ding caused by another driver's door. 

Sometimes you can fix scratches or small dents yourself, and other times you may want to take your car to a garage to get it seen by a professional. Here’s how to decide the best way to fix a dent or scratch. 

Can I fix the scratch myself?

It depends on the depth of the scratch[1]. Run your fingers over it. A rule of thumb is that if your fingernails do not catch, then the scratch only goes as deep as the first of three layers of paintwork on your car and you may be able to fix it yourself. 

If the scratch is deeper and feels more like a ridge under your finger, then the damage is greater, and you might need to take your car to the local garage[1].

How to fix a scratch yourself

You may be able to polish out really light scratches - those you can’t even feel with your finger - using a fine cloth and some clear polish to buff the offending mark[2].

If this doesn’t work, you can sometimes fix narrow scratches using toothpaste. The whitening type is best, but you can use a standard tube if that’s all you have at home. The RAC[1] explains:

1. Use warm soapy water to wash the affected area, rinse it down and then dry it with a clean, dry cloth.
2. Squeeze roughly a 2p-sized amount of toothpaste onto a damp microfibre cloth. 
3. Rub the toothpaste into the scratch in a circular motion, applying just enough pressure to ensure it’s well distributed.
4. Rinse it with soapy water to remove any excess toothpaste.
5. Dry with a dry microfibre cloth.

You may need to repeat this a couple of times until the scratch disappears. 

For deeper scratches, then you can buy a scratch repair product. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using it to ensure you don’t end up damaging your paintwork[1].

For even deeper scratches, a new lick of paint to the affected part of your car might be needed. This is a much bigger job so, if you’re not confident doing it, you may want to take it to a professional. 

Fixing small dents

Fixing dents can be more of a challenge and the Honest John website describes this process as more of an art form than scratch repair[3].

However, it is possible to fix small or shallow dents at home[4]. If the dent is small and light enough, you might find you can pop it back out using a bathroom cup plunger[4], wet the plunger and the dent, and push and pull it until the dent is removed. For more pulling power, you can buy plungers that are designed specifically for the job. Halfords, for example, has a dent puller for just under £10[5]. 

You can also push out a shallow dent with your hands, if you can reach behind it[6]. This can work for small dents in your bumper. Being careful not to burn your hands, pour boiling water over the dent to make it temporarily more flexible[6]. Reach behind the dent and push it out to its original shape. You’ll need to act quick before the water cools and the plastic becomes rigid again. 

If these techniques don’t work, or you’re not confident attempting them yourself, then you’re probably facing a bigger job, which involves filler and a new coat of paint. Again, unless you have some experience in this area, it may be time to pay a professional to fix the dent. 

Should I tell my insurance provider?

You should tell your car insurance provider about all incidents you have in your car, though you don’t always have to make a claim.

Depending on your policy, the excess (the amount you pay towards a claim) could be more than paying for the work yourself[1]. If you’re not sure how much your excess is, check your car insurance documents.

Whether you put in the elbow grease yourself or get help from a professional, removing those unsightly scrapes will help get your car back to its former glory.

Posted by Freeway Auto Body on Apr 1, 2017 in Blog

Minor car dents and scratches

Minor car dents and scratches on your vehicle, while not so serious can impact your vehicle’s performance. They are nevertheless an eyesore that you’ll want to take care of a quickly. Some dents and scratches may require you to seek out an auto body shop. Others can be fixed with simple home remedies and 5 DIY tips we provided below.

Easy Solutions For Minor Car Dents and Scratches

Here are some easy solutions from the collision and dent repair specialists at Edmonton’s Freeway Auto Body for fixing minor dents and scratches on your vehicle.

Use a hairdryer

Heat and cold are two powerful allies for do-it-yourself dent repair on a plastic surface. Turning your hair dryer to the highest setting and pointing it at the dent on your vehicle will cause the plastic to expand slightly. Immediately spraying the area with compressed air will then cause the dent to contract. This gives it no choice but to take its original shape and pop out.

Use a plunger

Minor car dents and scratches on metal surfaces of your vehicle which are pushed in but not overly creased can be popped out. Using either a specialized car dent plunger or a simple sink plunger (not a full-sized toilet plunger). Just moisten the plunger and the dent itself, and then simply push and pull until the dent pops out.

Use boiling water

A great solution to getting minor dents out of a plastic bumper is to use boiling water. To make the bumper plastic more flexible carefully pour the water over your bumper. Making sure to stand well back of its stream. Once the plastic has softened enough reach behind your bumper and push the dent back out.

Use dry ice

Dry ice can be very effective at getting out small dents. By holding the dry ice with protective gloves rub it on the dent. The dent will be forced to cool, contract, and pop out.

Use touch-up paint

A shallow scratch which doesn’t go deeper than your vehicle’s surface paint can be easily corrected with touch-up paint. First, clean the scratch, and then you can carefully use a fine sandpaper to remove it. Once the scratch is hardly visible anymore apply a rubbing compound to the area. Apply several base coats of paint. Letting each coat dry between applications. Once the basecoat is completely dry you can apply the clear coat.

Know When to Seek Professional Dent Repair

Home remedies are great for surface scratches and small dents. However, for more extensive damage to your vehicle, you should definitely visit a qualified auto body shop. There are some repairs that just can’t be made at home.

At Freeway Auto Body, our collision repair experts will make sure that dents are completely removed. Scratches are seamlessly fixed and that all paint touch-ups match your vehicle’s color.

If you’re looking for quality, professional dent repair services in Edmonton, then don’t hesitate to visit Freeway Auto Body today.

If you drive a car, you know that dents and scratches on cars in a part of it. You can be as careful as you want but no one can account for freewheeling shopping carts, fellow drivers barging into your car, tight maneuvers, and hundred different scenarios that will scuff up your ride.

Point is that if you’re reading this you have a dent on your car and want to fix it easily. I get it, no one likes to take their car to a workshop, waste time and money. I am not saying that home DIY fixes will be as good as the workshop quality. But sometimes you just want the damn thing to just look presentable.

Let’s take a look at some quick ways to fix dents and scratches on your car:

HOW TO FIX SCRATCHES ON CAR

Bigger the dent, the more work it needs. Small dents and scratches are a regular occurrence but thankfully they just take a few minutes, a bit of elbow grease to repair, and some or one of these tools to repair:

Sandpaper for Removing Scratches from Car Bodywork

You’re in luck if the scratches on the car bodywork is not too deep. The paint on the car is applied over the primer. Proceed with this method if the scratch hasn’t damaged the primer layer. One way to check is to run a fingernail over the scratch. If your nail catches on the scratch then this method won’t work and will require a paint touchup. Watch how Chrisfix removes paint scratches it in this video:

If the scratch is just skin-deep, then just take a 3000 grit wet sandpaper and some water. Clean the area to ensure there’s not dirt over the panel. Put the sandpaper of the wooden block to distribute force uniformly. Sprinkle some water over the scratch and rub it with sandpaper lightly in a circular motion. Take a break to re-wet the area and continue rubbing until the scratches are gone. Apply a car polish over it to finish it off properly.

Rubbing Compound for Removing Paint Scratches

Mostly whenever your car rubs lightly with another car’s bumper, the paint from the other car sticks onto your car. Now, you might think that it’s a scratch but thankfully it not. All you need to do is remove that layer use a rubbing compound to cut through it.

Clean the area, take a dab of paint correction rubbing compound and rub over the area in a circular motion using a cloth. In just few minutes you won’t even notice imperfection.

Using Scratch Remover Cloth

Scratch remover cloth are all rage nowadays because of how easily it fixes dents and scratches. It’s basically an abrasive cloth with either some micro-metal rubbing powered sprinkled onto it. Although a rubbing compound and sandpaper will do the job for you, the scratch remover cloth is just less messy and easier to deal with. I always keep a 4-5 in stock for a quick repair job.

Toothpaste for Removing Paint Scratches

Don’t have rubbing compound at hand? Worry not because you must have toothpaste (I’d worry if you don’t :P). Just take a pea-size dab of toothpaste on a damp cloth and rub it over the scratch. Keep rubbing in a circular motion until the scratches disappear. Tip: Tooth Whitening paste works best in this case as it’s most abrasive.

Scratch Repair Pen

Want something easier? Try scratch remover pen. It doesn’t really removes the scratch but fills it with some kind of hardening lacquer. Just run the pen over the scratch and let the liquid fill up the scratch. Let it dry for few minutes and voila the scratch should be invisible now. If the dent on the paint is deep then you might need to apply 2-3 coats of it. Tip: Clean the scratched surface properly before using the repair pen.

Candle Wax to Repair Car Dents

If you’re in a hurry and just want a temporary repair, then candle wax is your friend. Just rub the wax over the scratched paint until it fills it up. A great tip if you don’t want to drive a scratch up car to an important meeting.

Remove Scratches from Car Glass

Most people accept swirl marks on the car windshield as a way of life and adjust with it. But who doesn’t like a smooth looking windshield? Definitely not us. Clear windshield not only looks great, it also improves night visibility and reduces headlight glare from oncoming traffic. Things required: Rubbing compound, Cloth or a Polishing Machine. Watch this video to learn how:

HOW TO FIX BIG DENTS

The methods mentioned above works great for scratches that have not depressed the impact area and created a huge dent. Bigger dents are not quick and easy to repair but if you have time at hand then you can do it. Let’s show you how to get dent out of your car:

Using Wine bottle cork/dowel rod for pulling a dent

Things needed: Glue Gun, Wine Bottle Cork/Dowel Rod, and Wood Screw

Step-1) Make your puller tool using bottle cork and wood screw. You can also use dowel rod cut to 3-4 inches blocks.

Screw on the screw on the side, adjacent to each other. This will allow you to grip the dowel rod properly while pulling out the dent.

Step-2 ) Clean the depressed area properly with soapy water. Then take a hot air blower to heat up the dent surface little bit so that sheet metal can easily pop out. You can heat up the glue gun while you are doing all this.

Step-3 ) Attach Dowel Rod onto the dented surface with glue gun. Depending on the size of dent, stick several dowel pins on the area. Then let the glue cool down properly for few minutes.

Step-4) Start pulling the dowels slowly and watch how the dented area is changing. Keep pulling different dowels based on how you see the dented are changing. Keep repeating it until the dented area comes out nicely.

This method works well if you want to fix a large dent in a car door, bonnet or any metal panel .

Watch this video for reference:

Suction Cup Dent Removal Kit

The method mentioned above was complete DIY but there are already DIY dent removal kit available in the market. It can either come with glue gun and pulling tool or pulling tool with small suction cups.

The idea behind the repair job is same: You just have to pull out the dented area.

Fix Dented Car Bumper at Home

While you can use the suction cup or dowel rod method to pull out plastic bumper also, there are 2 easier methods.

Boiling Water Bumper Repair

Boiling water is an age-old old technique to pop out dented bumpers. Take two pots. Fill one with boiling water and the other one with cold water. As a precaution, wear rubber gloves while handling boiling water.

All you need to do is make the dented bumper malleable enough by pouring hot water over the dent. Then reach from the backside and push the dent out. Next, pour the cold water over the bumper to cool it down.

Hair Dryer

If you don’t want to deal with handling hot water, you can also use a hair dryer instead. The concept remains the same: You have to heat up the area enough so that you can pop out the dent.

The best way to fix dent and scratches is to just take is to a professional body shop. But like most people, maybe you would rather spend your money to fix the mechanical issues rather than cosmetic. It makes sense because what’s the use of a shiny vehicle that doesn’t run well.

Then there’s the other lot of people that just find it satisfying to DIY everything on their car. Fixing a dented car is a perfect opportunity for that.

Read: Protect Car Underbody from Rusting: Should you undercoat your vehicle?

If you like car DIY: Checkout our other articles