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It’s a question that many car owners have. Does toothpaste ruin car paint? The answer is complicated, but the short answer is no. Toothpaste doesn’t cause any type of chemical reaction with your car’s paint and it won’t ruin it over time as some other substances might.
But there’s also something you need to understand about toothpaste and car paints, which we will discuss shortly. Surprisingly, toothpaste is a great car polish! It’s important, however, to be careful not to get any in the paintwork or on your tires.
In this article, you’ll find out why toothpaste isn’t bad for your car and what can actually damage your vehicle instead!
What is Toothpaste?
Toothpaste is a paste or gel dentifrice used with a toothbrush to clean and maintain the aesthetics and health of teeth.
Toothpastes generally contain the following components:
- Water (20–40%)
- Abrasives (50%) including aluminum hydroxide, calcium hydrogen phosphates, calcium carbonate, silica, and hydroxyapatite.
- Fluoride (usually 1450 ppm) mainly in the form of sodium fluoride.
Toothpaste is used for freshening breath, cleaning teeth, reducing tooth decay and gingivitis by removing plaque from the surfaces of teeth. It acts as a mechanical agent to remove food and dental plaque from the teeth and also has a mild antiseptic action.
It carries medicinal agents to prevent tooth decay by acidifying saliva or neutralizing its bacterial content.
Toothpaste is available in many flavors including mint, bubble gum, wintergreen, spearmint etc.
Does Toothpaste Ruin Car Paint?
No, toothpaste does not ruin car paint, but there’s a caveat to this. Toothpastes are not abrasive in the same sense as sandpaper.
The only reason toothpaste could damage a car is if someone rubbed it vigorously on their vehicle’s paint and left streaks of paste behind, or if they put so much paste on that rubbing it caused scratches.
As long as you don’t rub toothpaste on your car’s paint or put too much paste on the surface, it will not ruin your vehicle.
Do not use toothpaste to remove bugs or tar from your vehicle. It may be tempting, but the abrasive paste can cause more damage than good. You will need a common household adhesive cleaner for those jobs.
If you must clean windows with it, first spray the window with water so that the toothpaste can glide off.
Will Toothpaste Remove Scratches From Car?
Yes, you can use toothpaste to remove scratches from your car. Yes, the same exact toothpaste you use to brush your teeth every day. Toothpaste can be abrasive enough to remove scratches and other surface damage.
Scratches on car paint can be sanded down and then buffed to remove them completely, but it might not work for deep scratches or those that cross layers of clear coat.
For minor surface damage from rocks (e.g., pebbles), tar spots, bug droppings, and overspray from painting or other projects in the garage, toothpaste can work wonders.
Toothpastes are also abrasive enough to remove minor surface scratches such as those caused by pebbles.
This is a more convenient option than dedicating your time to sanding down each scratch on the car paint.”
How To Use Toothpaste To Remove Car Scratches
To remove car scratches with toothpaste, the first step is to clean your car thoroughly. The idea is to get rid of every dust and dirt particles from the car body.
Then, take a clean cloth and some toothpaste. Use the toothpaste to remove all the scratches on your car body with circular motions. Wipe off any excess paste from the car surface before proceeding to other steps.
Repeat this process until there are no more visible scratches. You may also need to use a separate rag for each dried coating of tooth paste.
Now, rinse the car with water and dry it off to remove any residue on the surface of your car.
The previous steps will only work if you’ve already cleaned up all dust particles from your cars body because toothpaste is not strong enough to remove these dirt particles without first removing them completely.
Lastly, take a soft rag and use it to polish the car.
Does Colgate really remove car scratches?
Now, Colgate toothpaste does not offer much benefits in terms of removing car scratches.
Conclusion | Does Toothpaste Damage Car Paint?
Does Toothpaste ruin car paint? We believe you already know the correct answer to this question. But if not, the answer is no, toothpaste does not damage car paint, but you have to be careful with it.
The abrasives in the toothpaste can cause more damage to the paint. If you’re looking for a way to remove scratches, we recommend using a clay bar or a compound that’s designed specifically for scratch removal.
It is also best not to rub vigorously when removing sanding marks from your car as this too will add new scratches and swirl marks.
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