Shallow scratches only go through the clear coat, while deep scratches go through both the clear coat and the underlying paint job. These actually dig in and damage the surface of your car. Paint from another car, rubber from a bumper, rust from a trash can-all these things can scrape off one item and transfer to your car’s paint job. Scuffs tend to be marks on your car’s surface that have rubbed off from an alternate source.

Depending on how deep the damage is and what kind of accident occurred, you could be facing an easy fix or a more intensive one. Here’s our quick and handy guide for making your car look as good as new.

While taking your car to an auto body repair shop is always an option, many types of scuffs and scratches can be removed on your own. These kinds of damages are caused by many different types of conditions, but usually arise when a foreign object scrapes against your car, when debris from the road flies up, or when you are in a minor accident. It seems almost inevitable-no matter how much time you spend at the car wash cleaning your car’s surface and applying protective sealants, scuffs and scratches will eventually appear.

How to get a paint scratch out of a car