If someone threw their car door open and it hit yours, or if you pull up too close at the drive thru and scratch your car, you might be able to fix it at home by trying these at home repairs. Small dents and scratches can be repaired from the comfort of your own home. If you want to tackle this project, we’ll tell you exactly what you’ll need.
Repairing minor scratches or dents at home is only recommended when they’re not so serious that they’re affecting the car’s ability to run properly. If you’re at home during the quarantine and are looking for a project, now’s a great time to fix those spots on your car you’ve been meaning to repair for months. Here is a list of simple ways to repair those dents and scratches on your own.
What You’ll Need:
When you’re going to repair some minor scratches, Confused.com recommends the following supplies and processes:
If you don’t have access to get these supplies easily, you can find kits at some shops and auto stores. Once you have the supplies, here’s what you’ll need to do.
If the scratch you are trying to repair is small, it won’t take much to cover it up. All you will need to do is lightly dust off any remaining paint and dirt on the scratch. Then, you’ll use a paint restorer. It’s also recommended to wax afterwards, to prevent fading.
If the scratch is bigger, the process takes a little more time. After cleaning the dirt and debris, use a small brush to gently layer on paint. You won’t want to apply heavy layers. Once you get all the paint you desire onto the car, let it dry. Then, go in with grit paper to smooth it off. To finish off the process, polish.
If you want to try a simpler method using everyday household items, try buffing out the scratch with a small amount of toothpaste and a wet microfiber towel. This method typically works best for lighter scratches that haven’t deeply dug into the paint.
As we briefly mentioned above, it’s only recommended that you try and repair dents at home that are minor and not affecting your car’s performance. If you have small dents, here are 4 ways from Carlock to remove them:
They recommend using some rubber gloves, foil, dry ice, compressed air, and a hair dryer for this trick. First, begin by heating the dent with the hair dryer, being sure to keep it about six inches away from the car. Then, cover the dent with foil. After this step, be sure you have gloves on to protect your hands as you rub the dry ice on top of the foil. If you don’t have dry ice, this is where you’ll use the compressed air. Due to the quick change in temperature, the dent should pop back out within a couple of minutes.
Most everyone has a plunger lying around at home, which makes it a perfect tool to try and use to repair a dent. For small dents, wet the plunger and dent with water. Then, place the plunger over the dent and gently push it up and down. After a couple of times, the dent should pop out.
This method is recommended for dents that are on bumpers and other plastic surfaces of your car. You’ll need to boil a pot water and carefully pour it over the dent. After this, you’ll need to reach behind the bumper to pop the dent back out. To end, you’ll pour cold water over the area to cool. Be careful not to burn yourself in this process.
To start, make a small hole in the bottom of your bucket. Flip it over and cover the dent by the upper part of the bucket. Then, you’ll take the hose from the vacuum and place it over the hole you made on the bottom of the bucket. Turn the vacuum cleaner on and give it time to pull the dent out.
For major scratches and dents that you can’t easily fix at home, call Scott’s Fort Collins Auto or Scott’s Loveland Auto. Our two convenient locations are still open during this current health pandemic. We are currently offering the following free services:
As an essential service, we are taking every precaution to keep our team and community safe. For more details, call us now: (970)-682-4202.
