Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Can Auto Detailing Remove Scratches?


Scratches are one of the most annoying things that can happen to the exterior of your car. Nothing ruins a great looking car’s exterior more than some unsightly scratches.

It is made even worse by the fact that so many things can cause scratches, which makes them nearly impossible to avoid. Driving in an area with a lot of pebbles on the road can cause scratches.

Even something minor, like wiping your car down with the incorrect brush or towel can cause scratches.
So, clearly scratches are a major annoyance, but how do you get rid of them? Well, one way is to get professionals to deal with them, namely auto detailers. You may be thinking “but can detailers get rid of scratches, isn’t that more of a job for a body shop?”

Actually, depending on the type of scratch, a professional detailer should be able to get rid of them.

Types of scratches

You do not often think of there being such a thing as different types of scratches, but there are, and the type of scratch determines what sort of actions need to be taken to fix it. Think of your car’s surface as being made up of 4 separate layers.

The bottom layer is the metal of your car. The next layer is made up of primer, which is meant to protect the metal of the car, make the paint adhere better to the car surface, and increase the longevity and durability of the other layers of paint.

After the primer layer is the main coat of paint, often referred to as the base coat. Finally, the last layer is the clear coat, which makes the car’s finish shine. So, what does this have to do with scratches?

Well, depending on which level the scratch reaches, the detailer may or may not be able to remove them. Scratches that have only penetrated the clear coat or the main coat of paint can be dealt with by the auto detailer.

However, if the scratch goes further and reaches the primer level, or even worse, the metal of the car, then you are in trouble and will have to get your car dealer to get replacement paint.

Thankfully, telling how deep a scratch goes is not difficult. You can bring it to the detailing shop, where someone will be able to tell you how deep the scratch is.

You can also do an easy test on your own. All you need to do is stick your fingernail into the scratch. If your fingernail catches in the scratch, then you know it goes pretty deep.

How exactly do detailers remove scratches?

Car detailers will first give your car a thorough washing. This is done to prevent at loose dirt from being caught in the buffer and giving your car more scratches.

After the washing is done, the detailer will put some buffing compound on their rotary buffer and use it to buff out the scratches. It may sound simple, but if it is not done right, it could end up damaging your car’s finish even more, which is why you want to use a professional.


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