Do scratch removal products work?

They generally don't work as advertised, and we advise staying away from them.

Most manufacturers have a scratch remover in their product line, because it's what people want -- a product they can wipe on, and wipe off, and all the scratches are gone. They will obviously sell well. Some less-than-reputable companies even have viral videos showing them hacking at a car with a meat cleaver and them magically removing the scratches in seconds. I'm sure our audience is intelligent enough to know that this is camera trickery.

Scratch removers are, typically, a coarse cutting compound that comes in a tube. Obviously, professionals use course cutting compounds, and we remove scratches successfully, some of the time, but there's a lot more to it than giving the scratch a quick rub with your finger!

The more reputable companies that sell scratch removers will tell you this once you get the packet open and start reading the instructions. Even so, it's an aggressive product and there is a reasonable chance you'll do more harm than good with it.

As with many things in life, there are no short-cuts. But there's always somebody ready to make a quick buck out of people who want an easy answer.

Written by . Last updated 16/06/2022 15:35