Hand Polishes

A hand polish corrects small areas of paint without a machine: a light scratch in a door handle cup, a scuff on a bumper corner or a dull patch, worked in with an applicator and firm pressure. The range here is Sam's Detailing Scratch Remover, which is also made for oxidised headlights.

How to choose

• Run a fingernail across the scratch. If it does not catch, the mark is in the clear coat and a hand polish can usually improve it. If it catches, it is probably too deep to polish out and needs touching in.
• Hand for small areas, machine for whole panels: swirls across a bonnet or the whole car are a job for one of the Dual Action Polishers and a product from Compounds & Polishes.

Good to know

• Wash and dry the area first, or you will rub grit into the paint.
• Work a small area at a time with firm, overlapping passes using a foam or microfibre applicator from Applicator Pads, then buff off with a clean towel from Buffing & Finishing Towels.
• Polishing strips any wax from that spot, so wax it again afterwards.

How do you remove car scratches permanently?

A scratch that stays in the clear coat comes out for good when the paint around it is polished level: by hand for a small area, by machine for whole panels. If a fingernail catches in it, it is probably too deep to polish out and needs touching in.

Related: Compounds & Polishes, All-in-One Polishes, Car Waxes. Popular brands here: Sam's Detailing.