How To Touch Up Paint Scratches

Scratches and dents are inevitable when you drive a vehicle regularly. However, scratches on your car, especially on the bumpers, doors and hood, can spoil its beauty. The scratched area may become susceptible to rust as well. If your car gets a scratch, it is necessary to fix the problem immediately, if you want to prevent further damage. Touch-up paint, if used properly, comes across as the best remedy for scratches on a car. In case you need any help, go through the following lines and find tips on repair & touch up of paint scratches on car.

Image: Glenn Martucci@flickr

• Brush-cap Bottle of Automotive Touch Up Paint (the same color as you car paint)
• Brush-cap Bottle of Automotive Touch Up Paint (clear gloss)
• Rubbing Compound
• Solution of Mild Soap & Water
• Degreaser
• Grit Sandpaper/ Wire Brush/ Rust-Treatment Product 

• Clean the scratched area of your car with a cloth, dipped in the solution of mild soap and water.
• If grease or wax is holding on to the scratched area, use a degreaser to clear it immediately.
• Scratched area is prone to rust. If rust has affected the area, use a 220-grit sandpaper to clean it. You may also use a wire brush to remove the rust. Look for a rust-treatment product if you don’t find either of them to be effective in removing the rust.
• After cleaning the scratched area and removing rust, apply two thin coats of automotive touch up clear gloss paint. Wipe off excess paint from the brush before applying the coat. Allow the paint to dry completely.
• Apply several coats of the colored automotive touch up paint, using brush, with a gap of twenty minutes between each application.
• After the colored paint dries completely, apply a few coats of the clear paint, again in 20-minute gaps.
• Wait for a couple of days, so that both the paints get dried completely. Now, apply the rubbing compound on the scratched area, using a clean soft cotton cloth. 

If the scratch on your car is not too deep, you can remove it easily. For the purpose, apply a scratch remover or cleaner wax on the affected area, using a cloth terry towel. Rub the towel, in a circular motion, over the scratch. After a couple of applications, the scratch will be removed.