Every car owner has encountered such a nuisance as scratches on the car. Such damage can occur as a result of an accident, careless handling (the car can be scratched with keys, nails, metal elements clothes), a scratch can also form due to small pebbles flying out from under the wheels of the car driving in front. There are two ways to deal with this problem:

• contact a car service center for help;
• do the polishing yourself.

The first option is good because all operations will be carried out by professionals and the result will most likely be excellent. But on the other hand, you will lose a significant amount of money, as well as a large amount of time. Self-polishing will cost several times less, however, the result may not meet your expectations. In this article we will talk about that and discuss what it will take.

Removing scratches on a car body using polishing

Preliminary stage

Before starting work to eliminate a scratch, you need to determine the extent of damage to the paintwork on the car.

• First you need to thoroughly wash the car and visually assess its condition:
• If the scratch is a paint mark from another car, you can simply use white spirit.

If there really is damage, then you need to determine its depth. To do this, you need to run your fingernail perpendicular to the scratch. If the nail clings to the edges, the damage is quite deep; if not, then you are lucky and you can repair such a scratch quite quickly. You can also simply wet the car; if the scratches are not visible on the wet surface, then they are shallow.

Determining the depth of scratches

Removing shallow scratches If your car has small scratches , you can get by with easy abrasive polishing . In a car service they use this special tool , but buying it for one time is impractical.

• So, we will need:
• abrasive paste (it is better to use a fine abrasive);
• cloth napkin;

wax polish. The seller may offer you a paste with a pigment that will help polish more by car. Here you don’t have to worry too much about the color of the pigment matching the car’s paint. In any case, the pigment will wash out after several washes.

How to remove minor scratches:

1. First, you need to thoroughly wash the car body, let it dry and make sure that there is no dirt, sand or dust left on the car. It is necessary to polish in garage conditions or outside, but only in calm weather.
2. Now you need to apply a small amount abrasive paste onto a napkin and treat the damaged area in a circular motion with light pressure. Do not rub one place for too long - this can remove all the varnish in that area.
3. The abrasive paste must be thoroughly rinsed off after finishing polishing.
4. Then you need to apply wax polish to the damp surface, let the car dry a little, and then wipe the polished area dry with a clean soft cloth.

Removing deep scratches

If paintwork the car has received significant damage, it will not be possible to get by with just polish. The easiest way to remove such scratches on a car is to use markers. All you need to do is paint over the damaged area with a marker, and then polish it in the same way as with shallow scratches. This method is quite cheap and simple, but its effect is not long-term, so this operation will have to be repeated regularly.

The second method is do-it-yourself repair tinting. To carry out this operation you will need:

• base paint;
• primer;
• alcohol;
• thin brush with soft bristles;
• kit for removing shallow scratches.

Majority modern cars Sold with a repair kit including base paint and varnish. If your machine did not come with a kit, then you need to select consumables.

How to remove deep scratches:

1. The first step is to thoroughly wash the car and let it dry. The damaged area on the car should be treated with alcohol to completely degrease it. All work must be carried out in a dust-free environment.
2. Then you should apply primer to the scratch and wait a little.
3. Now you can start painting. You need to apply paint to the damaged area with a thin brush, being careful not to go beyond its boundaries. After this, you should let the paint dry. Drying time is indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging.
4. The next step is to apply varnish. This process is carried out similarly to the previous one. Only the varnish must be applied beyond the boundaries of the damage and with a small margin, which will be erased during subsequent polishing. Now you just need to wait until the varnish dries, after which you can use vehicle as intended.
5. No earlier than a month after touch-up, it is necessary to polish the treated area on the car. To do this, use a paste with a fine abrasive and a wax polish. The process is no different from polishing shallow scratches.

After completing all of the above procedures, removing the scratch on your car can be considered complete. In some cases, it’s easy to do without a primer (if the scratches are not very deep), but it’s better to play it safe to avoid the paint shrinking during drying.

Scratches on the body motor vehicle- this is a big disappointment for any driver. the main problem is that small scratches and chips not only spoil appearance car, but also cause corrosion and more severe damage to the paintwork (paintwork). If the integrity of the surface is not restored in time, then removing scratches from the car body without painting will become impossible and the car will have to be repainted partially or entirely.

To remove minor scratches yourself, it is enough to polish the car with restoring pastes or liquids. Let's look at why such damage appears on the car body, as well as the structure of the paintwork.

LCP structure

A standard coating consists of several layers: metal, phosphate, primer, base enamel, varnish and a finishing layer of polish. If the damage is minor and the depth of the crack only reaches the phosphate layer or primer, then decide similar problem You can use car polish.

If the damage is more serious and the scratch has reached the steel sheet, then a number of measures will be required to restore the structure (ordinary polishing compounds will be “powerless”). If you simply touched up the damage, then corrosion will still develop and affect larger and larger areas of the body. Therefore, before using any “magic” remedy, be sure to clarify the nature of the damage.

The answer to the question “Why is polishing needed?” obvious - to restore the structure of the paintwork and prevent the formation of new cracks.

It is also worth considering in what situations you can prevent scratches on your car.

When is it necessary to polish a car?

It is not always the owner of the car who is to blame for the appearance of scratches. Even if you have been driving for quite a long time, this will not protect you from other road users who have insufficient driving skills. Damage can occur from branches, pea gravel, and more. Regardless of the reasons for the appearance of chips, restorative polishing of the car body is recommended in the following situations:

• New car. If you purchased new car, then you should not rely on the factory coating; it is better to periodically polish the car. Besides, protective polishing the car body will protect the vehicle from adhering dirt.
• Used car. The paintwork of a used car needs careful treatment. However, unlike new cars, used models need to be coated not only with restorers, but also purchase a product such as a protective car polish.
• Uneven color change. If stains begin to appear on the paintwork, and the tone of the body becomes uneven, this indicates that low-quality paint was used when painting the car. You also need to get rid of stains and scuffs in a timely manner using car polish.
• Lack of shine. “Aged” vehicles and cars that have “survived” handicraft painting often lose their shine. Almost all car polishing kits include universal products that return a “fresh” look to the car, so they will help you quickly deal with dull paint.

If we talk about polishing a car body with your own hands, then to perform it you will not need to master complex operating technologies or purchase expensive equipment. The main thing is to choose a good restorative or protective agent.

Today, car body polish is available in two types:

• Abrasives (restoring polish). Such polishing compounds are used for cars older than 3 years, the body of which has a large number of small and deep scratches. It is worth considering that such deep polishing of the body requires specialized equipment. Pastes of this type completely remove the varnish layer, so after this treatment, the paintwork must be covered with additional protective layer. If you choose a composition with a large number of abrasive particles, then you should give preference to polishes with a “color enrichment” effect.
• Mixtures with a lean amount of abrasive particles (protective polish). Such compositions allow you to remove scratches on the car body without removing the top layer of paintwork. Protective pastes are recommended for use on new and freshly painted cars to remove minor scratches without painting and give the body a shine.

Important! Produce deep polishing car body can be cleaned no more than 2-3 times during the entire operation of the vehicle.

If we talk about the form of release of polishing compounds, then most often the following types of scratch removers are found on sale:

• Pasty. Polishes of this type are convenient to apply to vertical surfaces, allowing for effective treatment of all car body parts. The paste polish contains special components that give the paintwork shade more richness. This scratch remover is the most expensive.
• Liquid. Products with a liquid consistency are recommended for use on the roof, hood or trunk. The composition will simply drain from the side parts of the body. However, liquid polishes contain a minimal number of abrasive particles, so they are least degree“remove” the paintwork. The liquids are also suitable for torpedoes.
• Aerosol. Sprays are easy to use and fairly low cost. However, they are the least effective. The thing is that the liquid container contains the components necessary for spraying, because of this the volume of polishing substances is much lower.

A high-quality paste-type scratch remover polish lasts up to 6 months. If you comply the right conditions storage, and use polishing liquid 2 times a year (before spring and winter), you can preserve the car’s paintwork for a long time.

Car polishing products

In order to determine which polish for the body and interior of a car is better, we will consider three popular products that have been repeatedly tested by car owners and received the highest ratings.

Wurth Profi

This German program will allow you to repair scratches on your car using a polishing machine. It’s worth noting right away that this paste is of an abrasive type, so it is not recommended to carry out work without equipment.

To polish with this composition, it is best to purchase three types of paste:

• rough (item 893153);
• average(893154);
• small (893155).

You will also need three polishing wheels for the job. The manufacturer has thought of a system that makes it very easy to select a disc for a specific polishing paste.

• black (fur) is used for aggressive treatment with appropriate paste;
• yellow (foam rubber) is also suitable for coarse polish, but it is not so hard, so a medium paste is applied to it;
• blue (foam rubber) for medium and fine polish.

According to the instructions, removing scratches on a car using Wurth Profi begins with rough processing. Gradually, the circles change and the surface is “grouted” until all small scratches disappear from the body.

Thanks to this restoration, the surface will be resistant to reagents and sunlight.

If you want to polish without touch-up paint and there are no deep scratches on the car, then you can eliminate the treatment with a coarse abrasive compound.

ZM

The best product among polishes domestic production is considered the “brainchild” of the ZM company, developed using modern American technologies. The main advantage of these compounds is the ability to polish a car with your own hands, either with or without a polishing machine.

Among model range pastes to rid the car body of scratches, it is worth highlighting the following bases:

• Coarse paste (abrasive type) for removing deep scratches from the car body (item 09374).
• Medium-hard abrasive compound to remove scratches that do not reach the metal (09375).
• Car polish (applied by hand without a machine) without abrasive particles (09376).
• Protective paste, to add shine (09377).

ZM also offers a line of polishing wheels for each composition:

• Article 01927 - for rough processing with paste article 09374.
• 09550 - for pastes 09374 and 09375.
• 09378 - for polish 09376.
• 05729 is used when processing with 09377.

Body Compound

Body Compound Scratch Remover is another effective paste that quickly “reanimates” paintwork. Compared to professional counterparts, no equipment is required to use this polish. Besides hand polishing bodywork will not require the selection of several components, costing from 500 rubles each. The product contains soft abrasives, so after sealing cracks, you don’t have to worry about the paint material.

Pastes of this brand are suitable for any coating, so they are also used for car interiors, plastic elements dashboard and much more.

The only downside to Body Compound is that this gentle abrasive is only suitable for minor damage. In terms of durability, it is not inferior to its analogues.

You can also purchase Bravo, R-M, Sonax, SIA and Meguiars to polish your car body. These pastes have also proven themselves well among car owners.

Before you remove scratches on your car with your own hands, regardless of the paste or spray you choose, carefully read the instructions and take into account some general recommendations.

What to pay attention to when polishing a car yourself

Polishing a car yourself must be done in strict accordance with the instructions for the protective fluid. Before removing scratches, you need to prepare everything:

• Since polishing scratches on a car is a responsible process, first of all you need to wash and dry the entire car.
• We remove bitumen, insect “corpses,” plant buds, branches and other debris.
• We check previously painted areas for corrosion under the paint.
• Degrease surfaces.
• If you are treating the interior, it is better to seal all the holes in the dashboard so that liquid does not get there.

• If stains remain on the surface after degreasing, then polishing the body yourself is done only after treatment with clay. How to remove old clay stains? It’s very simple - moisten the surface, apply special clay and start wiping the body with light pressure.

After this, matting, grinding and polishing of scratches on the car body are performed.

In custody

If you are still wondering whether your vehicle needs polishing, then it all depends on your thriftiness. If you want to preserve the “pristine” appearance of your favorite “swallow” for as long as possible, then it is better to purchase a polish. Considering that polishing a car body with your own hands is not done so often, and modern pastes differ affordable price, then why not please your iron horse once again.

The longer you drive a car, the more scuffs and defects appear on it that simply cannot be eliminated. You can constantly take your car to a car repair shop, spending a lot of money for maintenance, or you can polish the car body from scratches with your own hands.

Machine polishing is one of the fastest and effective ways transform a car

There are two types of vehicle polishing:

1. Simple (superficial);
2. Deep.

You can guess from the names: simple polishing is used to make the car shine, as well as to remove small scratches that do not go into the ground; deep polishing is carried out in order to eliminate noticeable scratches which can be felt by touch. As a rule, the latter takes a lot of time and effort, but the result of the painstaking work is worth it.

Simple polishing is a second life for paintwork that is not the first freshness. It can not only add shine to the car, but also polish out all the small scratches, of which there are always quite a lot on the average car. It should be applied periodically to refresh the appearance of the vehicle.

In-depth polishing requires more skill, special. money and effort, but don’t rush to go to the auto center: you may be faced with the need to sand out a scratch more than once, but you will already know how to do it.

Conditions for starting work

A separate closed room must be allocated for work, in which:

• good ventilation (during work a large amount of dust appears, which needs to be disposed of as quickly as possible);
• lack of sunlight (polish dries quickly in the sun);
• good multi-point artificial lighting.

The car must be properly prepared for polishing: all dents must be removed, the surface must be completely washed and dried. It is also advisable to cover the rubber and plastic inserts to avoid contact with the polishing compound.

How to polish a car at home

Want to save money? Nowadays, multi-purpose tools are available for sale that can perform several tasks at once. It will work out much cheaper than if you bought a tool for each mini-stage of planning. Therefore, the equipment below can serve you both for grinding body paint and plastic/rubber inserts.

To carry out any type of grinding work, you will have to acquire a grinder. A more focused option is a car polishing machine. When choosing these tools, consider their power: it should be in the range of 1000–3000 rpm. It is not recommended to buy cars with built-in batteries for two reasons:

• They are most often used where there is an outlet;
• They run out pretty quickly. Therefore, it is more cost-effective to buy grinders that operate on mains power.

However, so-called life hackers manage quite well without the above-mentioned device. They found them a worthy replacement- drill. All that remains is to acquire the necessary attachment, perhaps an additional adapter, and it’s all done.

As a rule, grinding wheels are included with the grinder, but sometimes you have to buy them additionally. They vary in degree of rigidity. There are felt and foam rubber. You need to choose one or another wheel based on the hardness of the polishing paste.

TO consumables relate:

• polishing compound;
• grinding wheels;
• sandpaper;
• applicators.

How to polish a car at home

The prepared car is checked for deep scratches that have entered the ground (they can be felt by touch). Scratches are sanded with P2000 and P2500 sandpaper (using a rubber block will make sanding much more convenient). It is necessary to regularly moisten the surface with water. Once the scratch is removed, begin sanding the area around it. In problematic areas, you can use cross-shaped movements to achieve the desired effect.

Required result manual grinding– homogeneous, flat surface. After this, you can begin the second stage of polishing.

At the second stage, you will need to arm yourself with a sander. The surface is pre-wetted and evenly coated with polishing paste. The first time the body is polished at slow machine speeds, at the final stage of polishing the speed is increased. When grinding, movements should be smooth and careful. It is very important not to stay in one place for too long to avoid overheating of the surface.

How is regular polishing done?

Regular polishing is carried out both after completion of deep polishing and simply for preventive purposes in order to give the car body a new look. You can start it only if the surface is completely ready for polishing. Before work, read the instructions from the manufacturer of the polishing mixture.

The procedure begins with uniform application of polish to the car body. Next, the composition should dry a little until whiteness appears. It can then be polished to its characteristic shine. A couple of dozen repeated movements are usually enough for this. As a rule, circular movements are considered the most effective.

You can renew the polish layer every 4-6 weeks, depending on how long it takes to wear off. In auto repair shops and car washes, such a procedure for updating the appearance of a car costs a lot of money, so it is much cheaper to buy a bottle of polish and do it yourself.

How to polish a car body with your own hands (video)

Bottom line

As you can see, you can repair damage to the body and breathe a second life into it with your own hands. Moreover, this does not always require a lot of money; it is enough to invest in the purchase of a tool for the first time. Have you already forgotten about the service station?

There are several ways to repair minor damage to a personal vehicle. The question is how to remove scratches on a car without high costs and contacting service center, worries many car enthusiasts. Motorists always argue about whether it is possible to remove scratches on a car with their own hands.

Tree branches, stones falling under wheels, and minor damage often leave their mark on the paintwork. If the defects are on plastic parts and don't spoil general view, then you don't have to worry about them. But damage to the body must be repaired immediately after detection in order to avoid metal corrosion, because the reliability of a car is necessary means movement must be at the highest level.

Before you paint over a scratch on your car with your own hands, you need to determine the nature and degree of complexity of the existing damage.

You can only repair a strip or area around the defect, and if the damage occupies more than 30% of the surface of the entire part, you should paint over it completely.

Removing scratches on a car can be done at a car service center, but touch-up in a company workshop is a very expensive process, and the service of a specialist from a small service center does not inspire confidence and does not guarantee the desired result.

Weak abrasions can be masked with a special felt-tip pen

A self-taught specialist will not always find a means to mask scratches on a car and may not know how to remove them. There are several types of car defects that appear on the body:

• slight abrasions on the top layer of paint;
• defects down to ground level;
• damage to metal.

The following tools will help you solve the question of how to remove scratches from cars with your own hands:

• sanding paper;
• polishing paste;
• paintwork. For more information about the little tricks of experienced car owners, watch this video:

Painting car scratches

Painting scratches on a car is a serious procedure that requires maximum attention and concentration. Even the most caring car owner has encountered such a problem as minor damage to the car.

Removing scratches on a car with your own hands is one of the hot topics among drivers.

It is necessary to determine the nature of the damage in order to answer the question of how to repair a scratch on a car. If the defect is shallow and insignificant, then dealing with it at home will not be difficult. Using inexpensive, useful and practical products, removing minor scratches can be done quickly and inexpensively.

A special paste will help cope with small coating defects

You can get rid of defects using special means, which is a paste that hides abrasion. The product can restore the shine, color and glossy finish of a scratched area. This composition will help erase stains that appear on the body from interaction with reagents or sunlight.

The paste is easy to use and low cost.

This tool will solve the problem of how to remove a scratch from a car body in as soon as possible. However, the procedure will need to be repeated periodically, since painting car scratches is short-lived.

Cosmetic polishing

When thinking about how to remove small scratches on your favorite iron friend, you can use polish.

Polish is a multifunctional option suitable for any car.

Before covering up the flaw, you will need to thoroughly clean the area of ​​the damage; this will help to more accurately determine its depth. The polish layer acts as a barrier that protects the car's paint from the external environment. The composition of the polish can be liquid, solid, creamy or available in the form of an aerosol.

The polish will not only mask the scratch, but also protect the surface from corrosion.

Paste in liquid form is uneconomical, as it spreads a lot and cannot be applied in a thick layer. Using a hard polish you can restore color saturation and shine. However, the dyeing process is quite long and labor-intensive.

Polish-cream - best option present on the market. The mixture will help remove scratches quickly, while delivering excellent results.

Aerosol polishes are effective in DIY scratch removal for the most attentive motorists. The product will be useful if you use it strictly according to all the rules prescribed in the instructions.

A high-quality aerosol contains a high concentration of silicone. In turn, cheaper options do not have such properties and all the shine obtained during processing disappears after a week. Before you paint a scratch on your car, you should carefully study the composition of each necessary product.

Choose the type of polish that is convenient for you

Many car enthusiasts also wonder how to remove scratches on the body if a layer of soil is touched. You can get rid of such a defect by using a pencil containing a special substance that penetrates into the damaged environment and occupies all the free space in it.

Pencils come in wax and gel. The wax version is similar to a crayon and comes in several color options. When using it, the scratch is literally “clogged” with polymer.

After the procedure, excess wax on the body should be removed with a soft cloth. This method of car restoration is very inexpensive, but has controversial reviews.

Special corrector kits will solve the problem of how to get rid of scratches on your car, which have a more severe form of damage. You should limit the restoration area with mounting tape or other non-marking tape before removing the flaw. For more information on how to deal with scratches using a pencil, watch this video:

Repairing damage to a car with your own hands using such paint is quite difficult, since this process requires certain skills. The result can be noticeable, since finding paint in the right shade can be quite difficult.

Painting works

Removal of scratches on a car body that are very deep and old can be done by using an anti-corrosion primer. If this component is neglected, then the process of corrosion of the metal under the paint layer will continue and will entail the need for more costly repairs.

Before starting painting work, remove rust and fill dents with putty.

Before starting the process of eliminating the flaw, you should clean the surface of rust and dirt using sandpaper. If there is also a dent under the flaw, then it must be filled with putty using automotive putty. After this, the surface is leveled with sandpaper.

The next layer is a primer, which is also important to smooth out.

After this, we remove the flaws by tinting the cleaned areas. suitable paint. It is advisable to select it in a special store. This method will help remove scratches on the car body at a reasonable price and protect the car from rust for a long time. For more information on how to paint a scratch, watch this video:

It is important to know how to remove scratches from your car to avoid large financial expenses. It is best to paint your car yourself in a dry, clean room. If this is not possible, then the weather outside should be dry, warm.

The area to be restored must be thoroughly cleaned, dried and degreased. To do this, use gasoline or white spirit.

Repairing scratches on a car should begin after studying the instructions for each drug used. Every motorist should have the above tools and mixtures to protect his personal vehicle.

Every car owner experiences scratches on the car body. And it’s not a matter of hooliganism: getting unique scars without the participation of attackers happens more often. The culprits of the trouble are hard branches of bushes, grains of sand on the rags of the car wash staff, hail, or even a cat nestling on the hood. Fortunately, such effects are reversible if appropriate countermeasures are taken.

Types of external damage

Before moving on to solving the problem, you should determine how extensive the damage is. In other words, it is necessary to analyze the depth of penetration of the defect into the paintwork. The latter consists of four levels:

• Outer layer- high-strength varnish that performs a protective function;
• Enamel- forms the shade of the car;
• Primer designed to improve the adhesion of the finish coating and the metal structure;
• Phosphate layer- improves resistance to corrosion processes, but is not present in all models.

Damage to the top coatings and splits reaching the metal are two different situations that involve repair operations of a different nature.

How to remove scratches on a car with your own hands

If the cost of services seems unreasonably high to you, then you can get by on our own. To do this you will need the following tools:

• Suitable paint materials. In specialized stores, the search for the best coverage is carried out using a computer. The task will be simplified if you know the car code: in this case, the paint provided by the model manufacturer will be available.
• There is another nuance associated with the complexity of the car’s color. If the body has a shade of metal or mother-of-pearl, then the coating contains two layers, the first of which is applied to a quickly drying base. When it is fixed, the procedure is repeated. It is this multi-level nature that explains the metallic luster.
• If the appearance of your car does not have a similar effect, then you cannot do without the involvement of professionals.

You must first assess the severity of the damage. If the scratch only affects the upper layers, then regular polishing will be sufficient. The surface scratch looks like a white line. It ceases to be visible while the car is damp, and appears after drying.

So, a non-abrasive polish will serve as a means to “treat” the defect, leaving the car’s paint intact. Having spread the substance with a napkin, the polishing device goes into action. This action must be repeated up to 15 times to best result. Moreover, you need to take breaks after each approach so that the treated area cools down.

How to remove small scratches from a car body? Use Anti-Risk for this. It is also good for removing stains caused by driving on roads treated with deicer.

Removing deep scratches on a car without painting is possible using colored wax or a pencil. Covering them up problem area, proceed to the same polishing with a non-abrasive compound. The advantage of this method is that it eliminates the need for tone selection. Depending on the shade of the car, select the appropriate pencil - light or dark. The disadvantage of this approach is its fragility: after several washes, the described actions must be repeated.

If there is a wide and deep scratch on the body, then use a special paint, sold in small bottles. They also come with a brush.

Taking a lint-free cloth and moistening it with a degreasing liquid, clean the surface. After wiping the area, paint is applied with a brush, followed by varnish. The only difficulty is finding the right shade.

When to seek professional help

If using the above methods it is not possible to achieve a satisfactory appearance of the car, the service center and its systematic approach come into play. First, they prepare: wash the damaged area, let it dry and degrease it with gasoline or another product. Then wipe first with a damp and then with a dry cloth.

The next stage involves covering the problem area with a thin layer of anti-corrosion primer. It is not recommended to ignore this point in the instructions, since rust can spread under the paint, and after a while it will break through. Afterwards, a regular primer is applied, which is responsible for the adhesion of the paint. It will swell or fall into a crack if you skip this step. Filling the gap with more paint will not help matters: such masking of the defect will last a very short time.

Finally, they begin painting in the pre-selected color. Without a spray gun, it is unlikely that a satisfactory result will be obtained, so not a single service employee can do without it. Spraying occurs in several approaches. With three layers of paint, the car will certainly look no worse than before. People unfamiliar with the aspects of car service work have probably formed the following misconception: restoring the appearance of a car is beyond the power of an ordinary person. However, to avoid turning to straightening specialists, it is enough to arm yourself with the algorithm described above.

Bottom line

In a situation where you doubt that you can solve the problem without outside help, it would be wiser to pay for the services of specialists than to bring the car into an even more deplorable state with rash actions.