10 Best Car Scratch Remover to Make Your Car Looking Good as New

Getting your car scratched up is unfortunately inevitable regardless of how careful you treat your prized automotive. Sooner or later, it’s bound to happen. Maybe it’s someone else’s fault, or yours, or just a freak accident that no one could have expected.

While you can’t prevent your car from getting a few scratches, what you can do is to fix these scratches right up and restore your car to its perfect, shiny look by using the best car scratch remover. Ready? Let’s get started!

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Top 10 Best Car Scratch Removers

We took the time of evaluating dozens of car scratch removers on the market so you don’t have to. Here are the ten best options we found:

1.  Meguiars G10307 7 Oz ScratchX

First up is the Meguiars‌ ‌G10307‌ ‌7‌ ‌Oz‌ ‌ScratchX‌, one of the best options when it comes to removing fine scratches and blemishes. This is because it makes use of an exclusive micro abrasive solution that safely eliminates unwanted swirls, blemishes, and scratches on all types of paint finishes in order to restore clarity and a high-gloss shine.

What makes this formulation so great is that it’s capable of permanently removing these unwanted defects as opposed to just hiding them. It’s also clear coat safe and can be used with a dual-action polisher or by hand.

That said, while it delivers great results on getting rid of scratches, scuffs, and blemishes, it unfortunately doesn’t work as great on deep scratches. Even so, it’s an amazing formulation that hundreds of satisfied users swear by.

2.  TriNova Scratch Swirl remover

We also really like the TriNova Scratch Swirl remover, a highly rated product that promises and delivers impressive results with its simple solution that features an advanced formulation that you can use either with a dual action orbital polisher or by hand.

It even comes with one foam pad if ever you choose to use the product by hand. One of the many things we really like about this product is that it also polishes oxidation after you clean your vehicle so it can look shiny once more.

Perhaps the downside is that it doesn’t work on deep and heavy scratches that you can feel with the tip of your fingernail, in which case you’ll need something stronger than a mere polishing compound to fix the issue. It also comes in a larger bottle, making it more expensive to purchase upfront.

3.  3M Auto Advanced Scratch and Scuff Removal Kit

Raking in the third spot is the 3M Auto Advanced Scratch and Scuff Removal Kit, a comprehensive kit that comes with all the tools you’ll need to properly do the job, including a 3000 grit fine abrasive square and a foam pad

This solution is designed to restore gloss and shine to lightly scuffed and scratched painted areas on your car without requiring any complicated steps or additional tools. It’s also safe to use on any standard clear coat. The included abrasive even features aluminum oxide that works well and lasts for a long time.

Now, it’s not the easiest product to use and you’ll have to follow the provided instructions carefully. You also need to apply the rubbing compound after using the fine abrasive square, and wipe it off immediately in order to restore your paintwork’s gloss and shine.

4.  Meguiar’s M10508 Mirror Glaze Ultra-Cut Compound

Another top-quality option from Meguiar is the Meguiar’s M10508 Mirror Glaze Ultra-Cut Compound, which comes from a trusted brand that promises high quality products that deliver superior performance. Take this formula, for instance. It makes use of an exclusive micro-abrasive technology that leaves your car with the best possible finish.

It’s also a formulation that can effectively remove sending marks that are 1200 grit or finer, along with acid rain, defects, severe holograms and swirls, and of course, scratches on your paint job. It’s even great when it comes to getting rid of scratches and blemishes in your clear coat so you can use it before applying wax or polish.

Moreover, this compound is a VOC compliant formulation that contains no fillers and it’s safe for use on all types of paint finishes, including conventional and scratch resistant clear coats. You can also use it with a rotary buffer, a dual action polisher, or by hand.

5.  Chemical Guys Scratch and Swirl Remover

In fifth place is the Chemical Guys Scratch and Swirl Remover, a premium solution that comes from a top shelf brand that constantly delivers highly rated and well-respected products. This scratch remover is no exception: it’s ideal for removing moderate to heavy imperfections on your vehicle’s surface.

In fact, it can effectively eliminate all surface imperfections while also creating a mirror-like finish. It’s also safe to use on all paint works and colors like a cleaner, polish, and compound all in one awesome product.

What’s more is that it’s free of any silicone or wax, which means that the innovative abrasives in the formula can quickly cut fast to remove swirls, oxidation, and scratches, as well as 2,500 grit sanding marks. It even delivers equally effective results on clear coat paints, ceramic finishes, and single stage paint works.

6.  Turtle Wax Polishing Compound & Scratch Remover

You should also check out the Turtle Wax Polishing Compound & Scratch Remover, a heavy-duty paste that is designed to clean oxidized and doll finishes, well also removing stubborn stains, scratches, and blemishes.

Basically, it’s a great light to medium cleaner. This solution is particularly great on eliminating light scratches and other minor imperfections on your vehicle’s clear coat, and it can also effectively restore shine to your old paint job.

It’s also affordable and easy to use as well. However, this is nowhere near as heavy duty as the Chemical Guys cleaner, so you shouldn’t expect it to fix deep scratches that you can feel with your fingertip.

7.  3M Scratch Remover 39044

Another promising choice is the 3M Scratch Remover 39044, which also comes from a trusted and well known brand in the car care industry, and is guaranteed to eliminate swirl marks, scratches, and more.

It features a wax free formulation that actually polishes out any scratches and surface level imperfections rather than simply filling them in. This compound also combines fine finishing and medium cutting, and this is very easy to use by hand, although you can also apply it with a machine such as an orbital buffer.

This scratch remover comes in an 8-ounce bottle and with a very affordable price tag. It’s highly versatile all around for a doctor that you can use on a wide variety of surface level blemishes on your car, including light stains, tree branch streaks, surface contaminants, blemishes, scratches, scuffs, and oxidation.

8.  Formula 1 Scratch Out – Scratch Remover

You’ll also love the Formula 1 Scratch Out – Scratch Remover, a unique formulation that comes in a non abrasive liquid wax containing micro polishers that serve the function of removing swirl marks and fine scratches while also clearing any haze on the clear coat.

This liquid formulation makes the product easy to apply, and it also serves the added function of adding an extra layer of protectant on your car’s surface. It’s ideal for light to moderate scratches, as well as water spots, paint marks, oxidation, and haze.

Although, its performance is limited when it comes to heavy swirl marks, extensive oxidation, worn-out paint, bird droppings, and tree sap. It also fills in minor scratches on the surface instead of polishing them out.

9.  Carfidant Scratch and Swirl Remover

There’s also the Carfidant Scratch and Swirl Remover, which is designed for light swirls, scratches, and other marks on your car’s exterior surface. It may not be the best option for deep scratches that you can feel with your fingernail, but it does a pretty good job when it comes to removing light to medium scratches.

In fact, it also effectively gets rid of oxidation, water spots, and other surface level contaminants that might be showing up on your paint job, in order to restore your car’s shiny and glossy finish.

This product also works on all types of paint and in all colors, which means you can use it on your single stage, multi stage, or clear coat paint. It also comes with a buffer pad that you can use if you choose to apply the product by hand.

10. Scratch Pro Kit for Scratch Repair

Finally, don’t forget to check out the Scratch Pro Kit for Scratch Repair, which boasts of the unique diamond powder technology that effectively eliminates light to medium scratches without the use of any professional tool. As a matter of fact, the brand is confident in its promise and even offers a 100% worry free money back guarantee.

You’ll also get a complete package that consists of the scratch remover compound, diamond compound syringes, three buffing pads and buffing pad protectors, in the phone gripper that lets you easily buff by hand.

All of these things make the process easy and straightforward. For instance, you can use the red compound for scratch removal by buffing the car surface in a circular motion, then use another bad to clean off all the residue before moving on to the next step in order to get the best results.

How to find the best car scratch remover

Car scratch removers are typically made with mildly abrasive compounds that scrape off a thin layer of the top coat to make it flush with the indent or groove caused by the scratch. In other words, the scratch remover helps the scratch blend with the surrounding paint job to make it appear invisible.

Although, some car scratch remover makes use of wax coatings to fill the indents and prevent further damage. With all these different options, choosing the right scratch remover is important so you can get the best results for your precious automobile.

Benefits of car scratch removers

Using a scratch removal product that is highly beneficial in many aspects. Aside from polishing of scratches and other surface imperfections, many scratch removers also contain wax and finishes to restore your car’s original shine.

A car scratch remover will also help you maintain your vehicle’s paint work by protecting it from wearing out and rusting, not to mention, of course, giving it a boost in terms of physical appearance.

The best part? It’s cheap and easy to do. Car scratch removers are easy and inexpensive solutions that you should add to your regular car wash routine in order to address issues before they become bigger, and also keep your paintwork looking shiny and new.

Think of it this way: if you let a seemingly minor problem go on long enough, you will likely end up having to spend huge bucks in your local car shop, especially if the imperfections are too big to ignore, in which case you might need to have your entire vehicle repainted.

Plus, maintaining the look of your car helps increase its value, which is beneficial if ever you decide to sell your car and trade up to a better one in the future.

Types of car scratch removers

Let’s talk about the different types of auto scratch removers:

Scratch remover vs rubbing compound

Scratch removers and rubbing compounds are quite similar in that they both address surface scratches and other imperfections. However, rubbing compounds are more abrasive and therefore require the application of a polish compound after use in order to restore the shine on the paintwork.

Scratch removal kits

A scratch removal kit is just a scratch remover that comes with certain accessories that you will need to get the job done. Aside from the compound itself, a scratch removal kit will typically come with some kind of applicator, a microfiber towel, and maybe a couple of other things.

Scratch removal cloths

A scratch removal cloth is an innovative fabric that features specially formulated materials designed to eliminate the hard work when it comes to buffing scratches out of the paintwork. These cloths are typically intended to be used dry- simply take it out of its sealed container, and repeatedly wife death across the scratched surface.

Touch-up paint pens

Another, arguably lower quality, type of car scratch remover is the touch up paint pen, which in reality just applies paint to the surface to cover up the scratch. Paint pens are great for deep scratches wherein the base metal is starting to become exposed, as the paint will prevent further damage and rusting. They are also available in a wide variety of colors.

Hand vs machine application

If you have a buffing machine on hand, we highly recommend that you use it instead of manually applying the scratch remover compound, since machine application will ensure a better and more even coverage. That said, if you have a great quality scratch remover, you will still be able to achieve excellent results with just a little bit of elbow grease.

Scratch type coverage

Car scratches aren’t uniform in any way. This is why product manufacturers specify what type of scratches their formulations are intended for. You’ll see that most car scratch removers are only designed for light scratches, and heavy-duty compounds are few and far in between, primarily because deeper and heavier scratches likely require more complex solutions.

Versatility

The beauty of car scratch removers is that they are effective in removing light to medium scratches on just about any type and color of paint without requiring much skill or the use of heavy equipment. That said, you can also find specially formulated compounds for specific paint colors if you wish.

Abrasiveness level

Scratch removal compounds come in different formulations and are classified based on how much abrasive materials are used to make the compound.

The more abrasive the scratch remover is, the better it will be in polishing out scratches on the surface of the paintwork. Keep in mind that this should be followed by applying a polished or wax to add shine to the working area.

Skill level

Not all scratch removers are easy to use; some require more effort and skill than others. So, if you were a beginner with not much vehicle maintenance experience, it’s important that you buy a product that is easy to apply, as testified by hundreds of users in their customer reviews. Otherwise, you might end up with a product that would deliver satisfactory results.

Intended vehicle use

If you want your car to have a showroom quality polish, enter it in competitions, or sell it sometime in the future, using a car scratch remover may not be enough especially if your vehicle is showing some considerable signs of wear. If this is the case, you’ll need professional assistance to restore your vehicle to its optimum appearance.

Price

Car scratch removers are available in a wide range of price points. They are typically sold in single bottle units with about eight ounces of solution, and usually cost around ten dollars. If the product comes from a well-known brand in the car care industry, it might be a little more expensive at $15 to $20, and may or may not come with an applicator pad.

Although, the top-shelf compounds will likely cost at least 20 dollars, and come with a special finishing product to give you an inclusive package that really brings out the best possible results.

Best car scratch remover FAQs

Do car scratch removers really work?

Yes. car scratch removers are highly effective in removing light to medium scratches, along with other surface imperfections such as swirls, scuff marks, and oxidation.

What’s the difference between scratch erasers and scratch removers?

Scratch erasers are usually more abrasive than scratch removers since they work by buffing out a thin layer of the clear coat on your paintwork, whereas scratch removers only polish out the scratches. Scratch erasers also contain fillers whereas scratch removers don’t.

Can I use a car scratch remover for a black car?

Scratch removers are generally formulated for use on any paint type, gloss, and color. That said, some products are better intended for lighter colors, and others are designed for darker paint pigments.

Final thoughts

An important part of maintaining the exterior aesthetics of your prized vehicle is getting rid of scratches and other surface imperfections with the use of the best car scratch remover available on the market.

The good news is, they are widely available and easy to find, such as the Meguiars G10307 7 Oz ScratchX, an amazing high quality product that not only brings back your car’s picture perfect look but also helps protect it from further damage so it can keep looking like new for many years to come.