Minor bumps and scratches on your car can potentially ruin the vehicle’s cosmetics. According to Right Driver, “The usual width of a single lane is 3.65 [meters] or 12 feet”—with such narrow lanes, accidents that cause damage to your car are inevitable in everyday commutes. Parking lots are also common culprits for minor car damage. If you do find yourself in a situation where you need to repair door dings and scratches on your car—and you don’t want to spend a lot of money to have someone else do it—learn how to do it yourself.

Scratches

Scratches on your car doors are common, especially for older cars that still require physical keys to unlock. It’s very easy for you or someone else to accidentally scratch your car. If this happens, don’t worry—there’s a simple solution. All you need is a paint touch up kit, which you can use to fill the scratch on your door and make the damage vanish. A repair kit will be your best bet, but you can also use natural solutions you may already have in your home to buff out the scratch, such as toothpaste, sandpaper, or shoe polish.

Dents and Dings

These can also threaten your car’s appeal. The good news is that, if you don’t want to spend money to have someone else repair a door ding or dent on your car, you can find plenty materials at home to do it yourself:

• Plunger: Splash water on both the dent and the plunger. Use the plunger to push and pull at the spot until it disappears.
• Boiling water: This is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to fix a dent. You can use this method on areas of the car where you can pop out the dent from the inside, such as the bumper. Simply boil a pot of water and dump the water on the damaged area, then pop out the dent.
• Vacuum cleaner and a bucket: Cut a hole in the bottom of your bucket to fit the size of the vacuum cleaner nozzle, then place the bucket over the dent. Secure the bucket with tape and turn on the vacuum to suction out the dent.