# Scuffed Car Door **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [February 16, 2015, 4:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040 "2015-02-16T04:27:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Marnet](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/marnet/32/41_2.png) [@Marnet](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Marnet)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 4:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040/1 "2015-02-16T04:27:06Z")
![](http://cd8ba0b44a15c10065fd-24461f391e20b7336331d5789078af53.r23.cf1.rackcdn.com/cartalk.vanillaforums.com/FileUpload/ed/02264a7c775847481b43c681275c65.jpg) Ah, the joys of parking lots… The scuff mark does not fully rub off with just a soft cloth as can be seen in the photo. Is it safe for the car’s paint to use a scuff remover product from the auto products department in the hardware store? Suggestions please? NOTE: Reminder, I have arthritic hands and do not have a supply of car maintenance items. I did mamage to give the car a good wax job before winter. Marnet …still reading, still learning ---
**Author:** ![meaneyedcatz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meaneyedcatz/32/692_2.png) [@meaneyedcatz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meaneyedcatz)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 5:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040/2 "2015-02-16T05:05:40Z")
Spray the scuff with foaming glass cleaner and give it a rub. You will find most of it should come off. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 5:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040/3 "2015-02-16T05:17:41Z")
Nu Finish Scratch Doctor will remove the scuff marks. Tester ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 5:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040/4 "2015-02-16T05:56:11Z")
Don’t use those 3M green pads/sponges like used to wash dishes. I learned this the hard way. They are too aggressive for car paint jobs. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 6:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040/5 "2015-02-16T06:09:51Z")
George, Don’t you know that those are called 3M Scuff Pads? Tester ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 6:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040/6 "2015-02-16T06:20:15Z")
If it’s not too deep you might consider just getting an ordinary automotive detail shop to look at it. They may be able to buff it out on the cheap and in minutes as long as it’s not down deep into the primer. ---
**Author:** ![Marnet](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/marnet/32/41_2.png) [@Marnet](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Marnet)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 6:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040/7 "2015-02-16T06:28:42Z")
It seems to be shallow. About a third rubbed off with a knit glove when I was checking to be sure if it was dirt or a scuff. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 6:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040/8 "2015-02-16T06:35:14Z")
@Tester … one thing I can tell you, “scuff pads” is an accurate name! … lol You know what? It wasn’t the first time. Before I scuffed up my car I scuffed up my watch. Those things really are excellent at scuffing. That pad scuffed up the watch so much I couldn’t read what time it was. Fortunately I had an acquaintance who has some diamond optical polishing grit which completely eliminated the scuffing on the watch crystal and made it clear as new in like 10 seconds of rubbing. ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 7:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040/9 "2015-02-16T07:08:10Z")
Ask for “polishing compound”: > **[polishing compound | Advance Auto Parts](https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web/PartSearchCmd?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&pageId=partTypeList&suggestion=&actionSrc=Form&langId=-1&searchTerm=polishing+compound&vehicleIdSearch=-1&searchedFrom=header)** > > Search Results for polishing compound - Advance Auto Parts: find great parts and accessories for your truck or car at best prices only at our complete Auto, Engine, Replacement, Brakes, Batteries, Accessories, and more parts store. ---
**Author:** ![sgtrock21](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/sgtrock21/32/246_2.png) [@sgtrock21](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sgtrock21)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 7:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040/10 "2015-02-16T07:08:55Z")
GeorgeSanJose In the late 1980s I scuffed a windshield trying to remove a stubborn hard water spot. Fortunately It was in the passengers side lower corner and barely fingernail size. I think some 3M scuff pads contained silicon carbide! ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 8:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040/11 "2015-02-16T08:38:28Z")
If it were me I’d be machine buffing it with polishing compound or rubbing compound. I’ll send you my bottle of scratch remover if you want to try it. Its essentially a combination of glaze and rubbing compound as far as I can tell. Don’t remember what brand I have but think its the Meguires. The other stuff might work better. ---
**Author:** ![galant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/77aa72/32.png) [@galant](https://community.cartalk.com/u/galant)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 8:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040/12 "2015-02-16T08:44:30Z")
I can not tell from the pis, but move your nail across the marks and if it doesn’t get stuck, then they would come off. I usually use my wax and just wax harder than usual, but if your hands are the limiting factor, might want to drop by a detail shop/or detail bay at a car-wash place. Most would do this for free or a tip. You can also wash your car there and claim the marks were from the car-wash 😃 ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 8:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040/13 "2015-02-16T08:58:40Z")
If what we’re seeing is paint transfer from the other vehicle, rubbing compound followed by polishing compound should work great. A body shop will probably do this for you for one hour’s shop time, just above $100. An hour’s shop time is usually the minimum charge, and it’s a very fair price to have a good job done. If what we’re seeing is the primer on your door where the paint is gone, the only option is a paint repair. A body shop might do that for a reasonable cost too, perhaps a few hundred. ---
**Author:** ![Marnet](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/marnet/32/41_2.png) [@Marnet](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Marnet)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 9:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040/14 "2015-02-16T09:48:30Z")
I am rather certain it is paint transfer from the other car. I parked next to an empty slot and came back later to find a black car that had no door edge guard and scuffed looking on its door edge matching the elevation of the scuff scrape on the side of my car door. From the advice you all have offered it sounds like my first step is start simple and see if the Nu Finish scuff remover or similar product is worth a try. If I find the mark actually is a deeper scratch then let a pro handle it. It could be worse. Twenty-seven years ago my first brand new car got rear-ended when I had it only ten months. So having this one lightly scuffed at ten months is extemely irritating but not the end of the world. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 9:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040/15 "2015-02-16T09:54:34Z")
Or you could trade the car off for an Impala… Just kidding Marnet… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 10:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040/16 "2015-02-16T10:27:44Z")
A finger nail will take that off without scratching the paint. But I’m not particular about my nails 😉 the key is to start light and work up. Most light duty cleaners meant for this will be effective. No need for abrasives. ---
**Author:** ![Marnet](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/marnet/32/41_2.png) [@Marnet](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Marnet)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 12:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040/17 "2015-02-16T12:54:00Z")
@ok4450 ppphhhhbbbbbtttttttt LOL oh that’s funny. Love it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2015, 12:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040/18 "2015-02-17T00:32:27Z")
My preferred method for buffing out a spot is to use a variable speed drill or a buffer with a sponge pad well wetted. I start with rubbing compound and finish with polishing compound followed by caranuba wax hand-applied and buffed. ---
**Author:** ![Marnet](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/marnet/32/41_2.png) [@Marnet](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Marnet)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 2:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040/19 "2015-02-21T14:24:10Z")
UPDATE: After several days of very cold weather that has temps even inside the garage staying below freezing it occurred to me that the car door metal would have minutely contracted so I tried using my thumbnail Very Gently again and this time the remainder of the black paint that was scuffed onto my white car flaked off easily. There seems no damage even to the clear coat. Soon as it warms above freezing so I can get the car washed I will touch up the wax in that spot. But first the car gets to hibernate for the weekend due to the upwards of four inches of sleet falling. When I need Yax Trax ice creepers on snow boots to safely navigate walking to the mailbox the car gets to sit in the nice weather proof garage. 🙂 Thank you for all the helpful responses! As I like to say, still reading, still learning. Marnet ---
**Author:** ![Marnet](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/marnet/32/41_2.png) [@Marnet](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Marnet)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2015, 2:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040/20 "2015-02-21T14:31:35Z")
Sorry about the lack of paragraph breaks above. I typed proper formatting but it didn’t post that way nor will access to editing work. _shrug_ [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/scuffed-car-door/89040.md?page=2)