Car experts have weighed in on a cheap and simple hack that appears to buff car scratches with kitchen ingredients. The trick, which involves just two cheap and household staples, has gone viral for appearing to smooth surface scratches on cars without the need for pricey products or repairs.
While deeper scrapes will still need a professional touch, TikTok creator Vector racked up more than 780,000 likes for putting the method to the test. In front of more than 19 million followers, he tested whether coconut oil and white vinegar could tackle the scratches on his car.
Vector quickly heated up the coconut oil in the microwave, mixed in the vinegar, and then used a microfibre cloth to buff the grey car with the mixture.
When he tried using the mixture on the deeper scratches on the people carrier, the marks didn’t budge at all. However, when he tried it on light surface scrapes, the marks visibly appeared to vanish.
“It’s easy to see why these hacks are so popular,” said a spokesperson at car numberplate retailer, Show Plates World.
“They’re simple, cheap, and can make your car look cleaner without a trip to the garage. Used properly, they’re safe for small marks — just don’t expect them to fix deep damage.”
They said the DIY blends work by gently cleaning and polishing the car’s top layer of paint, known as the clear coat, which can help reduce the visibility of light scratches. But they said it is more of a temporary fix.
They explained they work best on clear coat scratches, which are faint, surface-level marks you can’t feel with your fingernail. If the scratch feels deep or exposes metal or primer, they said it will need professional attention.
If you’re tempted to try it yourself, they advised using a soft microfibre cloth or cotton pad and rubbing the mixture gently in small circular motions for 20 to 30 seconds, rather than scrubbing heavily.
They also recommended finishing with a layer of wax or polish, and to limit DIY polishing to every few months to protect the paint.
However, they urged drivers to test any homemade mixtures on a hidden area of their vehicle first to make sure it doesn’t dull or stain the paint.
They advised that while ingredients like vinegar and baking soda are generally safe in small amounts, they are mildly acidic and abrasive, so overusing them can slowly dull the paint’s finish, so moderation is key.
