We all know how frustrating it can be to find a new scratch no your car. Where did this come from? When did this come from? There are a lot of quick, at home tricks to touching up your car’s paint job, but which ones should you actually try? Does toothpaste actually remove scratches from paint?
Yes, toothpaste can remove minor paint scratches.
Here’s how it works. A standard toothpaste (not a gel toothpaste) has a minor grit to it which helps buff out the scratches. Typically, minor scratches are only on the clear coat over your actual paint. Which means you can usually buff them out quite easily. So how can you buff out car scratches with toothpaste?
Wash the area
Make sure that the area is clean. Better yet, go wash your full car. Let’s be real, it probably needs a good washing. Even if your car looks clean, make sure that you at least clean the area you’re working with. If there are little bits of dirt you might end up scratching your car further.
Apply the toothpaste
Make sure you use a really soft cloth like a microfiber or a terrycloth. The softer the cloth the smoother the finish. Dampen the cloth very slightly and then apply the toothpaste to the cloth. Begin working in small circles on the scratched area. Remember to be fairly gentle with your buffing. The toothpaste has a fine grit to it, and you don’t want to create more scratches.
You’ll be able to see the scratch begin to disappear. If the scratch is a little deeper you can apply a little more pressure, but again, be careful. Remember what you are basically doing is thinning the clear coat over the paint, you want to make sure not to take too much off, as well as not reach the actual paint. Both of these layers are very thin.
If your car seems a bit too deep, consider getting a paint touch up kit, or better yet, coming in to have it professionally done. We understand you don’t want to pay tons of money to repaint sections of your car if you can get it done yourself. But if you find yourself in need of larger dent or scratch repair, we hope you think of East End Body Shop in Huntington, WV.
