- Pop goes the dent
If the body of your car has a dent, but the surface is otherwise unblemished, you may be able to pull out the dent with a little suction. Look around your house and find anything that has a large suction cup attached — a sink plunger, for example. Place the cup directly over the dent and push it in straight so that the suction engages the metal. Then pull gently but firmly outwards. If you are lucky, you should hear the popping sound that is a signal that the dent is gone.
- White-out scratches
If you have a white car and it gets scratched, use correction fluid such as Liquid Paper for a quick touch-up. If your car is another colour, try to find a correction fluid or nail polish colour to match and apply it as a temporary fix.
- Brush out scratches
You can often polish out small scratches in a car’s finish with a bit of non-gel toothpaste. Squeeze a dollop onto a clean soft cloth and work the paste into the scratch. Buff the area with a clean cloth.
- Brighten old paint with scouring powder
If your car is old and painted with oxidized paint that’s looking dull, try washing it with a low-grit bathroom cleanser such as Jif. Apply the cleanser, wet it with a light spray and then rub gently with a car-washing mitt. (Test this first on a small area of the duco that isn’t prominent, to check that it doesn’t remove the paint.) When you have finished, wash the car well and wax it.