Fixing Car Scratches Without Ruining Your Paint

This is the first thing I do on every job. Run your fingernail gently across the scratch. If your nail 'clicks' or gets caught in the groove, it's too deep for a DIY polish. If it just feels smooth but looks ugly, it's likely just a surface scuff in the clear coat that'll buff right out. I learned this the hard way on a black Commodore years ago, spent three hours rubbing at a scratch that was never going to budge because it was through to the primer.

Never, ever try to fix scratches in the direct sun, especially if it's over 30 degrees. The polish will dry out in seconds and you'll end up scratching the paint even more with the dried-up grit. Wait until the arvo when the panels are cool to the touch, or pull it into the garage. If the metal is hot enough to fry an egg, it's too hot to touch the paint.

Don't go straight for the heavy-duty rubbing compound. Start with a light finishing polish like Bowden's Own 'Paint Cleanse & Restore' or Meguiar's Ultimate Polish. Use a clean microfibre applicator pad and a bit of elbow grease. Most of the time, the lightest touch is all you need. I once had a customer bring in a Ranger covered in 'scratches' that were actually just plastic transfer from a bollard, a light polish took it off in thirty seconds.

If you've just come back from a trip up north, wash that car twice before you even think about touching a scratch. That fine red dust acts like sandpaper. If there's even a tiny bit of grit left when you start polishing, you'll turn a small scratch into a massive swirl mark. Give it a proper snow foam or a very thorough hose down first.