Introduction: How to Polish Nail Scratches From Paint Around Door Handles

By 4DIYers
About: Car enthusiast YouTuber creating helpful tutorial videos on both repairs and customizations. Be sure to hit that SUBSCRIBE or FOLLOW button!

Hello everyone, in this particular tutorial I will be showing you how to remove scratches behind door handles made by finger nails. Typically what happens is when someone reaches for the door handle, they’re not overly careful and end up scratching the paint. This was quite a common issue when I worked at a car dealer and it was quite unsightly on new vehicles especially.

Tools/Supplies Needed:

  • carwash soap
  • water
  • microfiber clothes
  • wax or sealant
  • polishing compound

Step 1:

First it’s important to wash the vehicle, this will help remove any contaminants which can cause more surface imperfections. For the most part, these nail scratches are superficial and can be easily polished out. Depending on the door handle style, water can be left behind so it’s important to blow away any water, I find the blowing feature on a vacuum cleaner works great for this.

Step 2:

These type of scratches tend to be easier to see on darker colored paints vs lighter colored paints.

Depending on the severity, you may need to start out with a compound or you can go straight to a polish. A compound tends to be more aggressive, there will be different grits available and I would recommend only using a very fine grit. Here I’m just using Meguiars Ultimate Polish which I find all around cleans up the surface quite well. Apply it to a soft cloth, a microfiber cloth works as well which I’m using. Then work it into the surface. If you decide to use a compound, it will take off more material quicker, but you’ll need to finish up with a polish. Technically compounds and polishes are the same, compounds are used to level the surface and polishes are used to achieve that final shine.

Step 3:

As another example using a similar process.

This time around I’m using another product from Meguiars, this time the M205 polish. Again the vehicle or areas you’re working with must be thoroughly washed, apply it to a soft or microfiber cloth and then work it into the surface. Depending on the severity or depth of scratches will affect how long it takes to be removed. This method can be used on both single and two stage paints and even be used to remove other minor scratches around a vehicle.

Step 4:

Now a third example with a different paint color so you’re able to see the variations. Either of the products I mentioned work great, work times tend to vary a bit, the ultimate polish is intended more for people at home and the M205 is more on a professional base.

Step 5:

After using the polishes, any wax which was on the surface will have been removed. A new layer of wax should be applied, this not only protects the paint in general but will help reduce future scratching to some extent. While a protectant such as a wax helps, it’s best to be careful when opening the door to avoid the issue all together.

Stay up to date with my latest tutorials, don't forget to FOLLOW my profile and be sure to check out my YOUTUBE page as well for all your DIY needs. Also be sure to follow my other social media pages such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Google Plus, and Twitter.