Forget going to the repair shop. Use these smart, cheap methods to fix car scratches at home

Cooktop Cove: Forget going to the repair shop. Use these smart, cheap methods to fix car scratches at home

By Jessica Jacobs

There's nothing worse than a scratch on your vehicle. Car dings, light scratches and rock chips age your car and can potentially lead to rust. In most cases, you can repair your auto's blemishes in the comfort of your driveway.

Save time and money by skipping the trip to the auto repair shop. These six items used for car scratch repair can easily be found; some items you may already have hidden in your home.

Paint touchup kit

If you have the time and a bit of money for supplies, the traditional repair method used by auto repair professionals can provide high-quality results. The key to a professional repair is time. Allowing each coat of lacquer paint to not only dry but cure will give you the perfect results. You can use an auto paint touchup kit or assemble the components yourself. Watch the full video here.

Toothpaste

For a quick fix on light scratches, toothpaste acts like a buffing compound. The silicone within the toothpaste gently polishes the surface of the paint, smoothing out the scratch. Try using a whitening toothpaste.

Shoe polish

Use car wax to help eliminate many auto scratches. If you don't have any, shoe polish stands in as an excellent replacement. It's best to use a shoe polish slightly darker than the existing paint color.

Super glue

Once applied, super glue will self-level. The capability to smooth itself makes super glue a quick and easy way to reduce the appearance of a light scratch in the clear coat of auto paint. Get the full tutorial here.

Nail polish

The wide variety of available colors makes nail polish a quick and handy way to cover an auto scratch. Keep in mind that polish often dries to a slightly different color than it appears in the bottle. Paint a bit on a piece of paper, let it dry and see if it matches before applying to the vehicle. Get the full tutorial here.

WD-40

Light- to medium-depth scratches won't be completely removed with WD40, but they will definitely be hidden. A quick solution to those gentle scratches, this technique can easily be used after you wash your car. Get the full tutorial here.