It helps to know how to remove small dents from a car. Depending on the shape and size of the impression, you can use very simple things to return the surface to normal. Round dents and car dings are easier to repair on your own than you’d think. However, for dents that are shaped like creases, it could be harder to self-fix and would need professional assistance. That’s due to these types of damages break or bend the metal. But there are many other DIY ways on how to fix small dents.
Ready to learn which of these tricks are the best? Have a look at our list of hacks to remove small dents from a car.
1. Get a Dent Out a Car With a Hair Dryer
After scouring the internet, you should run across many different tutorials on using a hairdryer to remove small dents. Once you compress air to generate enough cold air, it will make the material react. Your best chance to do this is when a shallow dent near the metal is the thinnest.
To start, grab yourself rubber gloves, a package of dry ice, aluminium foil, and a can of compressed air. Apply heat to the dent using the hairdryer, and keep the dryer at least 6 inches away from the surface of your car. Then cover the dent using a piece of aluminium foil and be sure to keep your rubber-coated gloves to protect your hands.
Next, rub dry ice over the aluminium foil that is covering the dent. You can also use the liquefied compressed air to cool the dented area. The rapid shift in temperature helps the dent pop out which should happen within the first minute.
2. Get a Dent Out a Car With a Plunger
This method works due to suction power. You can also use plunger-like instruments that work in case you want a more sanitary option. Cup plungers have been known to work the best in this case.
Using a wet sponge, drench the entire area with water. Place the plunger over the dent and try your hardest to apply pressure to the area. Assuming that the dent is not too large, the plunger should easily remove the dent.
Repeat pushing the plunger up and down until the dent pops out. You may also notice a more dramatic result after applying some heat to the metal first. Then you could use the plunger with ease.
It could take a few tries before the metal pops back into place. This technique works particularly well on larger pieces of metal, such as fenders and doors, if they have been bent inward. It could work on steel as well as aluminium, depending on how small the dent is, but this won’t work well on plastic parts.
3. Get a Dent Out a Car With Boiling Water
Finding a way to reverse an object is one of the best ways to remove the small dent. For plastic bumpers specifically, if you try taking off the bumper, it could be more difficult to push the dent out. This is due to how stiff the plastic is — luckily, there is a solution for that!
This boiling water method is one that almost always works. This method particularly works for if you have small dents on a plastic bumper as well as any other plastic parts of your car. The hot water can soften the plastic to the point where you can push any protruding parts of a dent and straighten it.
Boil a pot of water and begin pouring it onto the dented area of your bumper. Then pop the dent out by reaching for it from behind the bumper. Next, pour cold water onto the bumper and it will cool and fix the plastic area. For a less abrasive process, try paintless dent removal instead.
4. Get a Dent Out a Car With Dry Ice
Dry ice is primarily used as a cooling agent but can also be used to remove a small dent from your car. The method uses dry ice at -109.3 Fahrenheit in order to pop the dent out. Even if this is the most convenient option for you, you should still wear protective, insulated gloves and handle this case with extreme care.
Apply the dry ice onto the dent and rub it around until you can feel or hear the dent pop back into place. You should be able to feel it eventually pop out as long as the dent is not too deep. In that case, you can also try to heat the dent first with a hairdryer, and then apply the dry ice for the dent to pop out.
Store your dry ice in a cooler until you are ready to use it. When selecting a heating tool, choose one that will heat the surface the hottest it can get. Wrapping the ice in a towel and placing the dry ice in the middle of the dent is sure to do the trick. You can hold it there for 15 minutes or more if necessary.
Make sure to wear a pair of thick yet well-fitting nitrile gloves for extra protection. The towel may not be enough to keep your hands protected from the extreme cold. At the same time, you do not want to wear gloves that are too thick to avoid hampering your movement.
Do not allow this substance to touch any part of your skin without this protection either. You can be at risk for frost-bitten hands without it. The substance will turn into gas once melted so always be extra careful!
You Officially Know How To Remove Small Dents From a Car
Take some time to test out these different methods and ideas to remove small dents from your car. In the case that your vehicle needs extra love and attention, then consider consulting with a professional first. But for those wondering how to remove small dents from a car, any of these solutions are a great place to start!
