How to Get Rid of Dents and Scratches on Your Bumper
We’ve all been there before. For some reason or other you have a scratch or a dent on your bumper. You’ll swear you have no clue how it happened, but we both know you accidentally tapped the mailbox on your way out of the driveway this morning. Don’t worry, though. It’s not the end of the world.
Minor scratches and dents can be fairly easy to fix. These small blemishes on your vehicle, while not particularly dangerous to your driving, are simply not pleasing to look at. While you’ll have to consult a repair shop for some cases of this type of damage, these marks will come out of your bumper with DIY home remedies.
Getting Rid of Bumper Dents
It can be quite costly to take your car to an auto body repair shop for every little dent and scratch that it acquires. Purchasing a new bumper is actually surprisingly cheaper than you may think though. Of course, we all try our best to keep our vehicles in good condition, but you might not even know where or how you got each of these small blemishes on your car. There are elements beyond your control whenever you’re on the road.
These unsightly marks can potentially be fixed at home, although, if you are unsure if the extent of the damage is appropriate for a home repair, you should probably take your video to the repair shop. However, if you just want some good DIY tricks to fix little cosmetic issues, read along for more information.
There are plenty of different methods of doing this, and you will want to start with one that you think will be most helpful in fixing the specific problem that your vehicle has. So, if you want to save on auto repair, we’ll cover some of the do it yourself at home repair tricks in the next section.
Tips and Tricks for Home Auto Repair
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Touch Up Paint
The first trick we’ll talk about today is using automotive touch up paint to cover mild scratches. You can find a touch up paint that is the exact same color as your car online. There are plenty of websites dedicated to identifying the exact color of cars. Plus, depending on the extent of the damage and where you buy the touch up paint, it can be much cheaper than going to an auto repair shop.
To apply the touch up paint, you’ll first want to clean the affected area on the car. Then, use fine sandpaper to remove the scratch all together. You’ll want to use the sandpaper until the scratch can barely be seen anymore, then apply a rubbing compound to the area. Apply a few layers of base paint after this. Let each coat dry between layers. Once you get the base coat completely dry, apply a clear coat.
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Dry Ice
Another quick fix that many people don’t know about is dry ice. Dry ice actually is very effective as a way to get out small dents in your vehicle. To do this method, you’ll want to get some dry ice and rub it on the dents you want to get out. Wear gloves when touching the dry ice. The dry ice forces the dent to cool and pop out.
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Hairdryer
The third tip we have for you is to use a hairdryer. You may have seen people doing this method thinking they look ridiculous, but it actually is effective. It’s sort of the opposite of applying dry ice. You blow the hairdryer on the dent you want to get out. This will cause the plastic to expand, then spraying the area with compressed air will make the dent contract and pop out.
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Boiling Water
Another potential solution for small dents is using boiling water to get them out. Essentially, you’ll want to pour the boiling water over the bumper, which will soften the plastic. You can then reach behind the bumper and pop the dent back into place.
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A Plunger
This one is another method that might have you scratching your head in confusion at first. However, using plungers, whether it’s a sink plunger or a specific plunger for car dents, they can be pretty effective in getting out dents. To do this, you want to get the plunger wet, then you can simply push and pull until the dent comes out. Don’t use a regular toilet plunger, though, as that won’t work properly.
Know When Bumper Replacement Might be Necessary
It’s important that you acknowledge the reality and severity of whatever imperfection you are trying to fix on your bumper. If you know it’s not a small fix and you’ve tried all of these methods with no avail, it’s probably time to take your vehicle into the shop. Smart shoppers will buy their own bumper online and bring it with them to have it repaired.
Sometimes the damage is so severe that it would make more sense to fully replace the bumper instead of spending time trying to repair the damaged bumper. To find quality bumpers for less cash, head over to our website to find exactly what you’re looking for.
Replacing a bumper doesn’t need to be excessively expensive. We offer plenty of quality options for great prices, which helps you get back on the road. To enquire about our prices or our products, send us a message through our website.
Getting Rid of Small Bumper Scratches and Dents
If you have any questions or simply want to learn more about how to find the best bumper for you, don’t hesitate to consult us at FitParts. We can provide you with more information in order to help you make a decision about whether you should replace your bumper or not.
At FitParts, we don’t believe that quality products must be expensive. Additionally, with us, safety comes first, which is something we are not willing to compromise on. This is why all of our products reach or exceed OEM standards. If you have any questions, again, we are happy to help any of our customers Monday through Friday from 9am to 9pm.