You walk back to your car after parking at the supermarket and there it is: a brand-new scratch on the passenger-side door. Someone opened the next car’s door with the delicacy of a rhinoceros and left you a permanent reminder on the paintwork.
You feel like crying. Or breaking something. But before you panic and ask for a €300 quote at the body shop, take a deep breath. Not all scratches are the same and many of them you can fix at home with less than €20 and a bit of patience.
First: Figure Out How Bad the Scratch Is 🔍
Your car’s paint has several layers (like an automotive lasagne):
- Clear coat (transparent layer): The top layer that gives the gloss.
- Base coat (colour layer): The colour itself.
- Primer: The prep layer that protects the metal.
- Metal: The car’s body.
The fingernail test: Run your nail across the scratch. If your nail doesn’t catch in it and slides over the top, it’s a surface scratch (only in the clear coat). If your nail catches, the scratch is deeper and has reached the colour or the primer.
Surface Scratches (Clear Coat Only): DIY Fix ✅
The vast majority of parking scratches are surface-level. They’re those white or grey marks that look terrible but are actually just paint from the other car (or the parking-bay column) transferred onto your clear coat.
Method 1: Polishing compound (the most effective)
- Wash and dry the scratched area thoroughly.
- Apply a small amount of polishing compound (Meguiar’s ScratchX or similar) onto a microfibre cloth.
- Rub in circular motions, with moderate pressure, for 30–60 seconds.
- Wipe off the excess with a clean cloth and check. Repeat if needed.
Method 2: Toothpaste (yes, really) If you don’t have polishing compound at home, toothpaste (white, not gel) works as a very mild abrasive. The process is the same: apply, rub in circles, wipe and check. Not as effective as polishing compound, but for very light scratches it can do the job.
Method 3: WD-40 (for transfer marks) If the scratch is actually paint from the other car stuck to yours, WD-40 dissolves that transfer without damaging your clear coat. Spray, wait 30 seconds, wipe with a soft cloth.
Deep Scratches (Through to the Colour or Primer): Temporary Fix 🩹
If the scratch has reached the colour and you can see a different shade underneath (grey primer or, worse, shiny metal), the home fix is only temporary:
Touch-up pen: Buy a touch-up pen in the exact colour of your car (the colour code is on the sticker on the door jamb). Apply carefully inside the scratch, let it dry for 24 hours and then run a coat of wax over it to level it out. It won’t be perfect, but it disguises well and protects the metal from rust.
Heads up: If the scratch is deep and long (more than 10–15 cm), the touch-up pen won’t cut it. You need a professional.
Prevention: How to Avoid Future Scratches 🛡️
- Park away from the crowd: Those spaces at the back of the car park nobody wants? They’re the best. Fewer cars next to you = fewer doors banging into yours.
- Magnetic door protectors: There are magnetic guards you stick on the door when you park. They look ridiculous, but they work.
- Paint Protection Film (PPF): For serious protection, paint protection film is transparent and absorbs impacts. It’s expensive (€500–€2,000 for the whole car), but it’s worth every cent on new cars.
The Hook: Scratches? Multipark Handles It For You ✈️
You know that scratch you’ve had on the door for months that bugs you every time you look at the car, but you never have time to deal with? Multipark sorts it out while you’re on holiday.
When you book your Valet Parking, you can add our professional polishing service for surface scratches. Our partner team uses professional polishing machines that make those annoying scratches vanish as if they never existed.
And if the scratch is more serious and has reached the colour or the primer? No problem. We also have a partial respray service, where our specialist partners repair the damaged area with original brand paint, leaving the car looking like new.
You go on holiday, we deal with the scratches. When you’re back, the car is spotless and ready to shine. Run a simulation and book your Valet Parking on the Multipark website and add the polishing or respray service. No more staring at that scratch every day!
