1
Wash and dry the damaged area. Before you attempt to repair a scratch in your car’s exterior, it’s important to make sure the surrounding area is completely clean. Spray the scratch with a gentle stream of water from a garden hose. Once the surface is spotless, pat it dry using a microfiber cloth or chamois.[1]
If you begin polishing without cleaning, it’s possible to pull small particles of dirt into the scratch, potentially making it worse.
Avoid using dish soaps to wash your car. These contain powerful de-greasers which can strip the protective sealant from the clear coat.[2]
Tip: To save time, you can can also wipe the scratch with rubbing alcohol to remove dust and dirt particles.

2
Pick up a scratch repair kit from your local automotive supplier. There are many different products on the market designed to help automobile owners easily fix cosmetic imperfections at home. One of these kits will come with everything you need to buff out a bad scratch in a matter of minutes, including a liquid scratch remover polish and soft buffing pad.[3]
On average, a complete scratch repair kit will cost you around $10-30.
Many car care experts recommended products like 3M Scratch & Scuff Removal Kit or Meguiar’s G17216 Ultimate Compound, which can be used to erase mild to severe scratches in the clear coat.[4] For details on using rubbing compound to fix car scratches, see How to Use Rubbing Compound.
3
Apply a small amount of scratch remover to the damaged area. Squeeze the polish onto your buffing pad or a clean microfiber cloth rather than applying it directly to the car itself. This will help minimize messes and make it easier to use just the right amount.[5]
Check the directions on your scratch remover to see how much polish the manufacturer recommends using.
Buffing pads come in various shapes, sizes, and textures. If you don’t like the one that came with your scratch repair kit, you can always shop around for another that suits your needs at any auto parts store.
4
Work the scratch remover using your buffing pad. Buff the damaged area thoroughly, moving the pad in smooth, tight circles from one end to the other. The idea is to massage the polish into the the scratch, where the tiny abrasive particles it contains will gradually wear down the rough edges to produce a uniform surface.[6]
Keep buffing until most of the polish has disappeared from the surface of the car.
5
Use a clean microfiber cloth to remove excess polish. After buffing for a couple of minutes, carefully wipe away the remaining scratch remover. This will give you a better look at the scratch so you can determine whether it needs more attention.[7]
Once you’ve wiped off the scratch remover, fold your cloth in half to get a clean surface ready in case you need to apply more polish.
6
Survey the scratch and repeat if necessary. If the scratch is no longer visible, congrats, your problems are over! If you can still see it, however, spread on a little more polish and try buffing the spot a second time. This should be enough to erase most moderate scratches that don’t reach down to the actual paint.
Scratch remover liquids work by taking off thin layers of the car’s outer finish, so be careful not to buff too hard, or for too long. If you start seeing traces of paint on your buffing pad, stop immediately.[8]
Basic scratch repair kits won’t be able to get rid of every scratch. If you can still see the scratch after a couple rounds of buffing, you’ll need to move on to applying touch up paint.

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