Can You Touch Up Car Paint With Nail Polish?

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Spots and scratches could be irritating on car paint, especially when they are obvious on the car. In such a situation, a car owner would be disturbed by what could be used to correct the spots and at the same time protect the car paint. When you are in such a situation, can you touch up car paint with nail polish?

Not only can you use nail polish to beautify your nails, but you can also use it to correct unwanted spots and scratches on your car paint. If applied properly, it will work perfectly. Read on for more information about nail polish and car paint.

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Is nail polish safe on car paint?

Many car owners are always careful about what they use on their car paint because they would not want to apply what might likely ruin the car paint on it.

Not only is nail polish safe for your nails, but it is also safe for car paint. When you apply it properly, it will fix that scratches and your car will still maintain that attractive look.

In addition, nail polish comes in varieties of colours, which makes it easier for you to get the one that will not only fix the scratches but will also maintain the colour of your car. There is no potential danger in using nail polish on car paint.

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How do I apply nail polish to car paint?

Improper application of the nail polish might not ruin the car paint, but it will make the car less attractive, especially when you apply it to an obvious part of the car.

Highlighted below are some of the tips you can follow when you want to apply nail polish appropriately on your car paint.

Wash the car thoroughly

You should not wait until you want to apply nail polish on the car paint before you wash the car. It should be something you do regularly.

Nevertheless, when you want to touch up your car paint with nail polish, you should first wash the car thoroughly. This will ensure that you see all spots and scratches.

Leave to air dry

You should not use a towel to dry the car when you want to touch up the car paint with nail polish. Give the car a few minutes to air dry. It is recommended that you do the touching up on a day that you have enough time.

Tape the surrounding

Before you touch up the car paint, you should first get an automotive-rated masking tape, apply it around the scratches before you apply nail polish on such a scratched area.

Get matching nail polish

Nail polish is produced in different colours, which makes it easier for you to get the one that will suit perfectly on your car paint.

You can check your car guide for the colour of your car, you can then get a matching colour of nail polish. Using a nail polish that doesn’t match your car paint could make that spot where you apply the nail polish look irritating.

Neatly apply it

Once you have matching nail polish, you can then gently and carefully apply it on the spot you desire to touch up. This is not a big issue.

Depending on the depth of the scratches, you should be able to finish this within a few minutes. However, during the process of application, you should not leave the nail polish exposed to air. You should cover it when you are not using it.

Leave for a few minutes

When exposed to air, nail polish will dry off. When you have applied it to the scratches, you should leave it for a few minutes to air dry. You will notice the colour will look strong once the nail polish is dry.

Repeat application

Depending on the result, you can retouch the car paint with nail polish if you do not get the desired result. Just wait till when the nail polish is dry, observe it closely, if there is a need to reapply, do not hesitate to do so.

Remove the masking tape

Once you are through with the touching-up process and you are satisfied with the result, you can then carefully remove the automotive-rated masking tape from the car.

Advantages of using nail polish to touch up car paint

It has been stated earlier in this guide that nail polish is safe on car paint. Not only is it safe on your paint, but other things would be advantageous to you when you use nail polish to touch up car paint. Here’s a list of the advantages of using nail polish to touch up car paint.

Cover up scratches

The scratches might have been on your car for a while and you don’t know how to remove them without damaging the car paint.

The nail polish will cover up the scratches without any traces on the paint. However, make sure you use a nail polish that matches the colour of your car paint.

Easy to use

You don’t need a special skill before you use nail polish to touch up car paint. Wash the car, apply the nail polish, and allow to dry, then observe if the result is perfect or you need a repeat of the process.

Saves time

You can complete the process of using nail polish to touch up car paint within a few minutes, depending on the scratch and your desired result.

If the scratch is much, you can finish the process within a few minutes. In addition, if you are taking the car to a professional for a paint touch-up, it will take hours before it gets fixed.

Saves cost

It would cost you a big amount of money before you hire a professional to fix scratches on your car when you compare it to what it will cost you when you want to use nail polish. With just a token, you can get the nail polish and apply it in a few minutes.

Risks of using nail polish to touch up car paint

Though nail polish cannot harm your car paint, you might notice some things on your car, especially when you do not apply the nail polish appropriately. These are the risk that is involved in using nail polish to touch up your car paint.

Repeat process: The nail polish is not the same as car paint, therefore, it cannot be a permanent solution to scratches on the car. When the spot where you have applied nail polish is continually exposed to sunlight, it is likely it melts quickly. When this happens, you might have to repeat the process of retouching the paint.
Colour matching: It might take you time and effort before you get a nail polish that would perfectly match your car paint. Though it will cover up the scratches, you might notice afterward that the colour of the nail polish does not match perfectly with the colour of your car paint. At times, it might be less obvious.
Fades easily: When you eventually see a nail polish that matches perfectly with the colour of your car, after a few days, you might notice that the colour from the spot is fading gradually, depending on the quality of the nail polish you use.

Maintenance tips for car paint polish

Though washing the car regularly is a great maintenance tip for car paint, but it is not enough to keep the car paint in good condition. Highlighted below are some of the maintenance tips of car paint apart from regular washing of the car.

Park under shade: Direct sunlight is potentially harmful to the car paint. If possible, you can construct a garage for your car or you pack the car under a shade.
Use car cover: With few amount of money, you can get a water-resistant car cover. Once you pack the car, you should cover it to prevent bird dropping and dust settlement on the car.
Wash gas spillage: There will likely be gas spillage on your car when you go for refiling. This spillage is harmful to the car paint. You should wash off immediately there is gas spillage on your car. If possible, make sure it doesn’t happen because it will dry off within a few seconds of touching your car.
Wash with automotive soap: It is recommended that you wash your car only with automotive soap. There is a bleaching component in other detergents, if you use any of it to wash the car, you are potentially harming the car paint.
Be observant: There are many products and DIY methods you can use to clean residuals and spots from your car. If you do not apply properly or you use any method with acetone, you are harming the car paint.