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Get Rid Of Scratches On Car Paint – Editor’s Note: This content was researched and created by the team of experts at. Links in this article may result in us earning a commission, but do not influence our advice or recommendations. Learn more
Aidan Pounder is a product tester who has written reviews ranging from tonneau covers to roof boxes. When he’s not blowing the clutch on his 2003 Ford Focus Zx3, he’s keeping up with the latest happenings in the world of European soccer.
Get Rid Of Scratches On Car Paint
Every car probably has a scratch or two from being damaged in the parking lot or scratching the garage door while driving in. These scratches can add up and affect the visual appeal of your favorite car. They can also cause water damage or rust to set in, causing an expensive repair bill. You can use a car scratch remover to treat these areas and make your car look like new again.
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The car scratch removers in this article have gone through two rounds of testing. We first searched retailers like Amazon, RealTruck, and Advance Auto Parts for top products, looking at factors like application methods, remover types, customer reviews, and prices.
Our product testing team then ordered the car scratch removers that best met these standards. A team member tested each product on one of our test vehicles and determined how easy the car scratch remover was to use, how effective it was, and whether it left any residue.
One of our team members had scraped his car against a concrete pillar in a parking garage before the test. This gave us a perfect test vehicle that simulated the type of damage that often occurs in everyday vehicles. The scratch was large enough to test all five products as there were scratches on the door and front bumper corner.
Each car scratch remover received a 5.0 star rating based on ease of use, effectiveness, and residue remaining
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Our testing team has thoroughly researched the most popular car scratch removers on car enthusiast forums and sites like Amazon. We looked for products with positive customer reviews that are known for removing minor vehicle scratches easily and effectively.
We then ordered several top scratch removers from different brands and at different prices to test.
Before testing, we thoroughly washed the scratches on the car to remove dust and residue from the cement pillar. We then tested each product using a cordless drill and a single type of polishing pad (except the 3M Scratch Removal System, which came with pads).
Many of the scratches on our test car were deep. DIY car scratch removal products are only intended to bring the top layer of clear coat back to the surface, not to fill in deep scratches. You will notice that some scratches are still visible after the test. However, the products removed most, if not all, of the minor scratches on the vehicle.
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After using each car scratch remover according to the included instructions, we assessed the ease of use, the overall effectiveness of each product, and how much residue remained after use.
Some car scratch removers are easier to use than others. For a particular product, could we easily understand how to use it and apply the correct technique? Did the product require a lot of scrubbing or did it just take a few steps to apply? Car scratch removers that work quickly and easily performed best in this category.
What type of scratches did the product remove and what did the car look like afterwards? We measured effectiveness by determining how well (or how poorly) each product covered the scratches. We tested each remover on car scratches of varying depths with the expectation that these products would not remove deeper scratches.
Car scratch products tend to leave residue after the polishing process. How much oil did the product leave behind and did it make it difficult to clean the car? In this category, products that left the least residue or traces performed best.
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Every year we test over 350 automotive products on vehicles and in our testing laboratory. Our team of product testers thoroughly research top products, unboxing and handling each component and testing the items on real vehicles before making recommendations to readers.
We publish hundreds of product and service reviews to provide car enthusiasts with detailed guides on automotive tools, detailing kits, car seats, pet products and more. For more information about our testing methodology and how we evaluate each product, please visit our methodology page here.
After testing several options that ranged in price, we concluded that Meguiar’s Car Scratch Remover is among the best options in terms of cost and effectiveness. However, our other recommendations are also effective scratch removers that some prefer depending on time, budget and vehicle.
*Because cost data varies, the prices in the table above are approximate and our team updates them regularly.
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For those who want to learn more, we have compiled a detailed review of each of the best car scratch removers in the following sections:
The Meguiar Car Scratch Remover ranks first because of its versatility and affordability. It removes all types of paint defects including scratches and swirls. You can also apply it to any paint job with your hands, a polisher or a polisher.
The product costs about half of what the other brands charge. It even comes in an 8-ounce bottle, so you have enough product to remove multiple scratches.
We found Meguiars to be easy to work with and removed all of the minor scratches in this area of the car. We tested it in the middle area of the photo above. You can see that there are significantly fewer scratches on the door and the remaining scratches are less noticeable. Again, many of the scratches on our test vehicle were too deep for DIY scratch products to heal.
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Customers are pleased with how well Meguiar’s Mirror Glaze Ultra-Cut Compound removes shallow and moderate scratches. Customers even say it leaves cars polished, suggesting it contains some wax to match the rest of the car’s shine. However, some reviewers complain about how difficult it is to remove this product after working it into the scratch
This is one of two car scratch removal kits in this review. A bottle of liquid and a buffer pad are included. The application process is simple and simply requires applying some liquid to the pad and buffing it into the scratch.
It not only removes scratches from any paintwork or paint, but also restores the paintwork, making the paintwork look shiny and new again.
We found that the Carfidant Ultimate Scratch & Swirl Remover removed most scratches fairly well. This product also left a nice shine on the surface of the car. However, you can see that the product was not able to remove every scratch. Most of these scratches penetrated the paint layer beneath the clear coat.
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Users say the Carfidant Ultimate Scratch & Swirl Remover removes light scratches and scuff marks. Some customers even say it exceeded their expectations and lightened or removed deeper scratches that they thought would require professional work. There are some criticisms that the polish only lasts until the car gets wet. Then the scratch supposedly reappears.
This small 4.0-ounce bottle of Shine Armor Revive Scratch Repair & Swirl Remover is perfect for car owners who only need to treat a few spots. It treats scratches as well as other imperfections such as swirls, water spots and oxidation.
This product is also wax and filler free, so you can treat the area once and not worry about the repair fading over time.
Ouch. This part of the vehicle suffered the deepest scratches from the cement post and the Shine Armor scratch remover did its job on it. You can see that the groove actually penetrates all layers of clear coat and paint to reach the metal underneath.
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Overall, Shine Armor Revive Scratch Repair & Swirl Remover did an excellent job of removing small and medium scratches on the vehicle. For some reason, the actual liquid was the easiest to work with and apply to the polishing pad. The smaller bottle may make it easier to handle.
Customers say that the Shine Armor Revive Scratch Repair & Swirl Remover eliminates minor scratches and that deeper scratches are only visible upon close inspection. They report that it works best when used with Shine Armor’s Fortify Quick Coat. Some customers say it’s too expensive, especially compared to other more effective car scratch removers.
This kit is a little more complicated than the Carfidant kit, but includes all the necessary tools and detailed instructions to guide you through the process. The 3M Scratch Removal System comes with scratch removal fluid, a rubbing compound, two scrubbers, sandpaper, and a buffer attachment.
This kit is ideal for minor damage and removes scratches, scuffs and other marks on the paint surface.
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Above you can see that the 3M Scratch Removal System did this
