You clip a bollard in a car park or someone brushes your bumper in traffic, and suddenly there is a streak of someone else's paint or a black rubber mark on the bodywork. It looks bad, and a trip to the body shop for something so small costs time and money.
Often it is not a scratch at all, just a deposit sitting on top of the clear coat, which you can remove yourself in a few minutes. All you need is WD-40 Multi-Use Smart Straw and a soft sponge. It softens transferred paint and grime and lubricates the surface, so you can rub without scratching the lacquer.
What you will need
Important: Do not use this method on matt paint or matt wrap: any vigorous rubbing will leave shiny patches that cannot be undone. On normal gloss paint, test the product on a hidden area first.
Step 1
Wash the area and assess the damage
Wash the area with car shampoo and dry it: any grit under the sponge will scratch the paint. Work in the shade on a cool panel.
Run a fingernail across the mark. If your nail does not catch, it is a surface deposit and can be removed. If it catches, the clear coat is damaged and you will need to polish or touch up.
Step 2
Test on a hidden area
Apply a little product somewhere out of sight, such as the lower edge of the bumper or inside a door shut, wipe it and check that the finish is unchanged. This matters most on panels that have been resprayed.
Step 3
Spray WD-40 precisely onto the mark
Flip the Smart Straw up and spray WD-40 Multi-Use precisely onto the scuff. The narrow jet lets you treat just the mark without soaking the whole panel. Leave it to work for a minute.
Step 4
Work it gently with a soft sponge
Rub the mark with a soft sponge using light circular motions and no heavy pressure. The product soaks into and slightly softens the transferred paint so it comes away, while your own clear coat, which WD-40 does not dissolve, stays intact.
If the mark does not disappear first time, repeat the spray and rub rather than pressing harder.
Step 5
Remove the residue
Wipe off the excess with a clean cloth, then wash the area with car shampoo and dry it with microfibre so no film is left on the paint to attract dust.
Tip: If fine surface scratches remain after cleaning, a polishing compound will help. Apply it only to completely dry paintwork and work it in with circular motions using a soft cloth until the scratches are less visible.
What next
Keep WD-40 Smart Straw in the boot: it also removes tar, tree sap and sticker adhesive from the bodywork. The sooner you deal with a fresh scuff, the more easily it comes off.
These uses come from the experience of WD-40 users in many countries. Always follow the instructions and warnings on the product label.
More guides in «How to use».