Nothing is more frustrating than when you leave your car to find that once you come back, your car has been dinged, or when you drive a little too fast up a gravelled road to later find a ding on the bodywork. It’s important to remember that the odd scratch and ding is simply unavoidable and a part of modern driving, yet this doesn’t help make those unsightly scratches and scrapes any better.
Common Causes of Paint Scratches
Paint Swirls
So, you’ve finished washing your car. It’s looking like new, but when you move around the car you notice swirls in the topcoat of the paint lacquer. This is caused due to particles of grit and dust getting stuck to the cleaning cloths and sponges you’ve been using to wash the car. One of the most effective ways to avoid this happening is by using a grit guard in the bottom of your wash bucket. This will stop the sponge from picking up debris and dirt in the water and moving it back onto the car.
Improper drying can also cause scratches as there is little lubrication between your towel and the car’s paint.
If you occasionally take your car through an automatic car wash, the brushes used can also cause swirls in your paint! Each brush will accumulate dirt from each car that passes through, acting almost as sandpaper against your paint. Not only will they affect your paint either. The brush bristles can easily wrap around parts of your car such as the antennas and windshield wipers and snap them off.
Rocks and Road Debris
Most scratches and chips on cars are usually caused by rocks and road debris flying up into your car paint as you drive along. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do to avoid this aside from paying close attention to the road while driving but more often than not, the damage is unpreventable.
Rubbing Against the Car
You would be forgiven for not realising this, but rubbing against your car is one of the biggest causes of light clear coat scratches.
They occur in many different ways such as when you are opening the door with your keys in your hand or when you place a coffee cup on the roof of your car.
Luckily, these scratches are usually very light and can be removed using an at-home scratch removal product and a microfibre cloth.
Intentional Damage
Although these scratches are less likely, they still occur. Intentional scratches will happen due to people intentionally causing damage or vandalising your car e.g. keying.
When someone ‘keys’ your car they will take their keys or another sharp object and drag it along the paint with pressure. This creates a deep scratch in the paint, which will usually require professional attention to remove.
What Should I Do If My Car Has Been Scratched?
If your paintwork has been scraped or scratched, the chances are it’s either been done accidentally, either by another motorist or from stones and gravel hitting your car whilst you drive along.
Though, if you do believe that your car has been damaged on purpose or has been more seriously damaged along with these scratches, then it is important that you file a police report and contact your insurance company to check whether your policy covers vandalism.
How Can I Prevent Car Scratches?
Preventing car scratches isn’t as easy as it sounds since there are so many causes! Though, you can easily take steps to reduce the chances of getting them. Of course, the best way is to avoid the situations above, but some helpful tips include:
- Learn how to properly wash and dry your car.
- Don’t use automatic car washes.
- Don’t open your car door with keys or other items in your hand.
- Avoid gravel and dirt roads.
How Deep is My Car Scratch?
Not all car scratches are equal. The severity of the scratch will depend on the depth. Some scratches can cause extensive damage and will require a professional to fix it, whilst others are strictly cosmetic.
The layers that make up your car’s paint are:
- Primer Layer
- Colour Layer
- Clear Coat Layer
How Can I Remove Scratches?
One of the easiest ways to fix scratches on your car’s bodywork is by contacting your local car bodywork specialist. Here at Car & Truck (Bristol) Ltd, we can provide outstanding scratch removal in Bristol, to help you make your car look new again.
We will be able to provide scratch removals at an excellent price – so you’ll no longer have any excuse to leave your paintwork scratches unattended!
If you’ve found that not only your bodywork has been scratches, but also another part of your car such as your alloys, we can also provide other services, such as alloy refurbishments and dent removals, among others.
So, if you would like some more information on our scratch removal in Bristol, or would like to request a free estimate for a couple of our services, be sure to give us a call on 0117 938 2542. We’ll be more than happy to help.
