How to remove deep scratch from car at home

Oh no! A deep scratch on your car is a sad thing. It makes your car not look so bright. But don’t worry! Lots of times, you can fix them yourself, right at your home. This will show you how, step by step, using easy words.

It might look like a big job, but we will tell you in small parts. Fixing a deep scratch means more than just wiping it. We need to fix the paint with care. Let’s learn how to make your car look better!

Table of Contents

What is a Deep Car Paint Scratch?

Think of your car’s paint like a yummy cake with layers.

Clear Coat: This is the shiny top part. It keeps the color safe.
Color Coat: This is the real color of your car, like red or blue.
Primer: This under-paint helps the color paint stay on the car’s hard part.
Metal: This is the car’s hard part under all the paint.

A little scratch might only be in the shiny top part. But a deep scratch goes deeper. It might go through the shiny top part and into the color part. Sometimes, it can even go down to the under-paint or the car’s hard part. If you can feel it when you touch it, or if you see a different color (or the car’s hard part) in the scratch, it’s a deep one.

Tools and Materials You’ll Need

To fix a deep scratch at home, you’ll need some things. It’s like getting ready for a fun art time!

Soapy water for cars: To wash the car.
Soft cloths: For washing and drying.
Special cleaning liquid: To make the spot super clean.
Sticky tape for cars: To keep paint safe around the scratch.
Rough paper (some more rough, some less rough): You’ll need paper that is not too rough, like the numbers 1500, 2000, or 3000. Some boxes have this.
Easy-hold block for rough paper (if you want): To help rub evenly.
Special cream to rub scratches: This helps make scratches smooth.
Paint that is the same color as your car: You need to find your car’s color number. It’s often on a sticker in the car door or in the car’s paper book.
Shiny clear paint (pen or spray): To keep the new paint safe.
Cream to make it shiny: A soft cream for more shine.
Car Wax: To make it shiny and keep it safe.
Gloves: To keep your hands clean.
Glasses to keep your eyes safe: To look after your eyes.

You can find these things at a car shop. Sometimes, you can buy a “box with many of these things to fix scratches.”

Step-by-Step: How to Remove Deep Scratch from Car at Home

Okay, let’s start fixing that scratch! Go slow with each step.

Step 1: Clean the Scratched Area

First, the scratch and the spot around it must be very, very clean.

Wash the scratched part of your car with soapy water for cars.
Wash off all the soap.
Dry it all up with a soft, clean cloth.
Then, wipe the scratch and the spot around it with the special cleaning liquid on a clean cloth. This takes off all the slippery stuff. Dirt can make the scratch a bigger boo-boo if you rub it in. So, cleaning is a super big first step!

Step 2: Sand the Scratch

This step is for deeper scratches that have not smooth bits. If your scratch is tiny, you might go to the next step. Rough paper helps to make it smooth.

Do it softly! You want to use the rough paper only on the scratch.
You can put sticky tape around the scratch to keep the good paint safe. Let only the scratch show.
Use rough paper that is not too rough (like 2000 or 3000 kind). It’s best to make the rough paper wet with water. This is called wet sanding. It stops dust and keeps the paper clean.
You can put the rough paper on a small block or even a sponge to press the same all over.
Softly rub the way the scratch goes, not side to side on it. Don’t press too hard.
Keep looking at your work. You want to make the scratch feel smoother and flat like the paint next to it.
Wipe away the dust from the rough paper with a clean, wet cloth and dry the spot.

The plan is to take off only a tiny bit of paint. If you rub too much, you can hurt the paint more.

Step 3: Apply Rubbing Compound

The special cream to rub scratches is a bit rough. It helps smooth out the marks from the rough paper and the sides of the scratch.

Put a little bit of the special cream on a clean, soft cloth or a soft pad.
Rub the cream on the scratched spot. Rub in circles or back and forth. Press a little bit.
Do a small spot at one time.
After rubbing for a minute or two, wipe off any extra cream with a clean, soft cloth.
Look at the scratch. It should look much better now, and the spot should feel smoother. You might need to do this step more than once.

Step 4: Touch Up the Paint

Now it’s time to put color on again if the scratch went through the paint.

Make sure your new paint is the same same color as your car.
Shake the paint bottle or pen a lot.
Put on a little bit of paint right in the scratch. Use the small brush that comes with the paint, or a tiny paintbrush, or even a toothpick for tiny scratches.
The main thing is to put on thin bits of paint. If you put too much paint, it can get lumpy or drip.
Let the first little bit of paint get all dry. This might take an hour or more. Look at what the paint words say.
If you can still see the scratch well, you might need to add another little bit of paint. Let each bit dry before adding another.
Try to put paint slowly until it’s flat with the paint around it.

Step 5: Apply Clear Coat

The shiny clear paint is like a safe cover for the new paint.

When the color paint is all dry (wait some hours, or what the paint words say), you can put on the shiny clear paint.
Shake the clear paint pen or can a lot.
Put a little bit of clear paint, all the same, over the new paint. Try to keep it only on the fixed spot.
Let the clear paint get all dry. This can take some hours or even a whole day. Look at the words for how long it takes to dry. It must be very dry and hard before you do the next step.

Step 6: Polish and Buff

After the clear paint is hard, the fixed spot might look not shiny or a bit bumpy. The shiny cream will help it look the same and be shiny.

Put a little bit of car shiny cream on a clean, soft cloth or a soft shiny pad.
Softly rub the shiny cream over the fixed spot. Rub in circles.
This will help make the clear paint smooth and shiny.
Wipe off any extra shiny cream with a clean, soft cloth.
Rub it with the clean part of the cloth until it shines.

Step 7: Wax the Area

The last step is to keep your fix safe!

When the fixed spot is shiny, and you like it now, put on some car wax.
Put a little wax on a soft pad for wax or a clean, soft cloth.
Put the wax on the fixed spot and the paint around it.
Let the wax dry until it looks a bit white.
Then, rub it off with a clean, soft cloth to get a great shine. Wax helps keep the new paint safe and makes the whole spot look good.

Important Things to Think About

Fixing scratches can be a bit hard. Here are some more things to know.

Dealing with Very Deep Scratches

The steps are for scratches you can fix at home. But what if the scratch is super deep?

If you see the car’s hard part: If you can see the metal, it’s very deep. These scratches can get brown spots if not fixed well. You’ll need to use under-paint before the color paint to stop brown spots and help the paint stay on.
Big, wide scratches: If the scratch is wide, it can be hard to put paint in and make it look good with just a little paint pen.

Sometimes, a scratch is too deep or too big for fixing it yourself. That’s okay!

Making it Blend: The Art of Blending

“Blending” means making the new paint look like it is part of the car. You don’t want the fixed part to look different.

When you use rough paper, paint, and shiny cream, try to work a tiny bit on the good paint around the scratch. This helps you not see where you fixed it.
Using the right amount of paint is a big deal. Not enough paint, you see the scratch. Too much paint, it’s a lump.
Shiny cream really helps to make the new clear paint look like the old one.

Blending takes time to learn. If it’s your first time, go slow.

Pro Tips to Keep in Mind for a Great Finish

Want your fix to look really good? Here are some more tips:

Lots of Light: Work in a place with lots of light. This helps you see well what you are doing. Working in a shady place or inside (like a car house) is best, not in hot sunshine.
Take Your Time: Don’t try to go fast! Waiting for paint and clear paint to dry all the way is very, very important.
Try a Little First: If you’re not sure about something (like rough paper or cream), try it on a place no one sees on your car first.
A Little is Good: When you start using rough paper or putting on paint, use less than you think. You can always put more, but it’s hard to take off too much.
Keep it Clean: Keep your cloths, pads, and the car spot clean. Dirt can make new boo-boos.

When Should You Call a Professional Detailer?

Sometimes, it’s best to let a car paint doctor or a car fix shop fix the scratch. When is it time to call for help?

If the Scratch is Super, Super Deep or Big: If it’s down to the car’s hard part on a big spot, or if the car part is pushed in.
If You Don’t Feel Good About It: If you read these steps and feel scared or don’t know how, it’s better to have a pro do it. It can stop you from making it a bigger boo-boo.
If Your Car is New or Costs Lots of Money: You might want it to look all new again for a special car. Pros have special things to use and know how to do it well.
If You Tried and It Did Not Look Good: If your fix doesn’t look good, a pro can often fix it.

A car paint doctor can cost more money, but they can often make scratches all gone.

Conclusion: Enjoy Your Smoother Ride!

Fixing a deep scratch on your car at home can take some time and care, but it makes you feel good! By doing these steps – cleaning, using rough paper, putting on special cream, painting, adding clear paint, making it shiny, and waxing – you can make that not nice scratch look nice again.

Remember to use the right things, find the right color paint, and take your time. And if the job looks too big, it’s always okay to ask a pro for help. Now you know how to remove deep scratches from your car at home. Good luck, and like how your car looks newer!

If this helped you, you might also want to learn about [how to wash and wax your car so it looks super good (example internal link)] to keep it looking great!