Every car owner has to face a common issue: scratches inside the car interior, especially with plastic details. No matter how careful you are, this is inevitable.
Still, there are many ways for you to get scratches out of car interior plastic at home to save money.
How about Vaseline interior car scratches? It’s worth your consideration!
Common Types Of Plastic Scratches
Scuffs
Scuff marks appear when an object, such as a boot, shoes, or bag, rubs against the surfaces of your vehicle.
And the object’s grime and exterior coloring are transferred to other plastic panels.
Its markings are observed on automobile door sill plates, plastic panels between your door and seat, and car door interior panels.
They are frequently formed when you drag your feet when getting into or out of the cars. The minor scuffs are superficial, which means they rarely rip and seriously affect the surface.
If you’re worried about how to remove scuff marks from plastic car interiors, don’t worry! There are many car plastic scuff removers that you can look for to fix them.
Scratches
It’s essential to pay more attention to the car interior plastic scratches as they damage your plastic surface more seriously.
They shred or break the surface of a plastic piece, making them deeper than scuffs.
They are frequently formed when things with sharp edges rub against the surface. This can be screwdrivers or scissors accidentally scraping against the interior surfaces.
Chips
The wear and tear lead to chunks of plastic chipping off your car’s surfaces. Chipping is common in older vehicles with worn-out panels.
They are the most difficult to repair. You can’t use ordinary car interior plastic scratch removers or car interior scuff removers to fix them.
Try to save the broken pieces when your plastic panels begin to chip. You cannot find the same chunks of it to replace the broken-off chips.
Crack
In high-stress locations, car interior plastic may become brittle and shatter depending on its quality and density.
Cracks can form in places constantly exposed to high temperatures, such as direct sunlight.
This is true to both the interior and exterior of the car. Stress cracks on car paints are a case in point.
As usual, the interior cracks are difficult to detect, you should inspect the inside of your car surfaces for cracks regularly.
Vaseline Interior Car Scratches: How To Do
How to get scratches out of plastic in car with Vaseline?
You can find Petroleum Jelly or Vaseline easily at groceries stores or right in your house.
To fix scratches in plastic car interior, you just need to spend about 10 to 15 minutes, including the preparation and processing as below:
What To Prepare
- Interior brush
- Vaseline
- Two pieces of soft and clean clothes or fresh microfiber towels
The Process (Step-by-step)
To fix scratches on interior car plastic, you can follow these simple steps:
- First, clean the surface with a brush or damp cloth to remove dirt and plaque.
- Before applying Vaseline, you must ensure the area is completely dry.
- Take a bit of Vaseline and apply it to the scratch in a circular motion with light pressure.
- Wipe the surface with another clean, soft cloth.
- You can apply one or two more layers and repeat the process until the scratches have faded.
It’s essential to note that this substance can only fix minor scratches and not deep ones. For large scratches, you need to find another method.
The Alternatives To Vaseline To Treat Interior Car Scratches
Except for Vaseline, are there alternative methods effective in fixing plastic scratches? Of course, yes!
Using Sandpaper
Sandpaper is one of the most popular interior plastic scratch removers that you can find. It is just paper with a glue-like material that gives it a rough surface.
Start softly with a medium rough level to erase scratches from black plastic automobile interiors.
By moving the sandpaper along the scratch from one end to the other, rub it. Don’t rub it across the scratch, or it will leave more scratches.
After a few swipes of the sandpaper across the scratch, it should start to fade.
Using Baking Soda Or Toothpaste
Right in your house, baking soda and toothpaste are useful plastic cleaners for scratches on dashboard remove. Within ten minutes, you can finish this task!
Both toothpaste and baking soda contain chemicals such as sodium carbonate that are slightly abrasive.
This organic compound is excellent for cleaning hard surfaces and removing scratch marks.
Mix baking soda, toothpaste, and a little water to make a paste. Then, apply a thin paste coating to the scratches, ensuring you coat them all evenly.
Then, you need to wait for a while. After it has hardened slightly, carefully wipe it with a clean cloth and let the area dry completely.
Using Heat Gun
Heat guns function similarly to blow dryers which warm up the plastic surface to a specified degree. It’s softer when heated.
Therefore, putting a heat source on your inside scratch area will result in a more malleable one. A hair dryer is a good replacement when you don’t have a heat gun.
Although this tool is generally safe, you should always double-check it.
Ensure the area you’re heating up isn’t causing problems or damaging other sections like the dashboard or windshield.
- Clean the surface to be fixed
- Use a heat gun to heat the plastic surface lightly
- Once the area has softened, use sandpaper or a small piece of cloth to polish the surface. Pay attention to being gentle to avoid damage
- Use a clean cloth to wipe the treated surface.
Using A Special Cleaning Kit For Plastic
You can find many special cleaning kits for car interior vinyl scratch repair on the market.
The cleaning kit is more successful for deeper or larger scratches than a polishing agent or a heat gun can heal.
Professional vehicle detailers frequently utilize plastic scratch polish kits to buff and scuff away significant spots, like yellow spots on car paint.
They do not require sandpaper to repair the area. The main ingredient of this solution is abrasive, which will help lightly wear out the surface and remove scratches.
A kit will usually include the solution and a sponge or wipe. You need to clean the surface, put the solution on, and gently wipe it with a towel.
Don’t forget to wipe the area with a clean paper towel. You should also wear a mask and gloves for safety.
Using Polishing Compound
Polishing agents resemble baking soda or toothpaste.
They contain abrasive elements that allow them to come into contact with the material area, such as plastic, and level off surfaces, resulting in the disappearance of scratch marks.
Apply a little polishing compound to the scratch to coat the affected area properly. The polishing chemical can then work on the scruff.
Wait a few minutes before wiping away with a dry microfiber cloth to receive a smooth finish.
Using Filler Putty and Grain Pads
How to remove scratches from dashboard? You shouldn’t miss the filler putty and grain pads!
If the scratches on your interior plastic are so stubborn and deep that none of the preceding methods can work, this is a great choice.
Filler putty is usually used for house maintenance projects and may also be incredibly effective for interior scratches that will not be exposed to harsh external conditions.
Grain pads are rough enough to aid in applying filler putty to the deeper scratches on your car’s interior without destroying the surrounding areas.
Conclusion
You have detailed guidelines and all need-to-know information about Vaseline interior car scratches.
You need to remember that it is only suitable for light scratches or light scuff marks; with deep scratches, you will need other methods.
Don’t forget to check the alternative list when Vaseline can’t fix the car interior surfaces.