Your car is a major part of your life. In fact, most people spend so much of each day driving that their car starts to feel like an extension of their body.
But sometimes it can seem impossible to keep your car looking perfect. No matter how much time and money you invest in cleaning the interior and washing the exterior, your car is still constantly vulnerable to dents and dings.
Other motorists are often careless, which increases the odds of your car getting bumped from time to time. That’s why understanding dent removal is so important.
This article takes a look at how to get a dent out of a car quickly and easily. Keep reading to learn tips for fast repairs that will help keep your car looking great.
1. Use a Toilet Plunger
Without a doubt, the quickest and easiest way to remove a dent from the side of your car is by using a toilet plunger.
This works especially well if the dent is rather large and is located on a nice flat portion of your door or fender.
The technique for using a plunger to remove dents is similar to plunging your toilet. The key is to create a suction grip that will pop out the dent, much like the suction that frees a clog in your toilet bowl.
When done properly, this method for popping out a dent will do the job in a matter of seconds and you likely won’t be able to tell that there was ever a problem.
2. Use a Hairdryer
Another method of dent removal is to use a hairdryer and compressed air. This method utilizes a combination of hot and cold air to push the dent out.
The key is to use the hairdryer to heat the surface area where the dent is located. This will cause the plastic to expand. Next, apply cold air from a can of compressed air to make the plastic to contract. The result of this sudden shift in temperature should cause the dent to release and pop out.
You will likely need to continue this process several times in order to achieve the desired results.
3. Use Dry Ice
Believe it or not, dry ice is also effective for removal dents.
The key to this method is to simply rub some dry ice on the dented area. Just be prepared to be patient. If it doesn’t work immediately, continue rubbing the dry ice against the damaged portion of your car. Then switch to a hairdryer and apply heat.
The extreme temperature of the dry ice in contrast to the heat from your hairdryer will cause the plastic to repeated contract and expand.
If you’ve been in an auto accident that caused damage to your truck, you should probably consider hiring a truck accident attorney.
4. Use Boiling Water
The next method is to try boiling water. This method works really well on plastic parts of your car like a fender or bumper.
Fill a pot with water, then place it on the stove and let it boil. Once the water has reached a full boil, carefully pour it over the dented area of your car.
Be very careful to not get burned. Apply the water a little at a time, letting the plastic cool for a moment between each application of super-heated water. This allows the plastic time to expand and contract, which is essential for forcing the dent to pop out.
If this method doesn’t produce immediate results, try to be patient. After you’ve used about half the water in the pot, pour a glass of cold water over the dented area before applying the remainder of the boiling water. This will cause the plastic to suddenly contract and expand.
One major advantage of using boiling water to remove a dent is that the water will be the only thing coming into contact with your car, thus there is less chance of scratching the paint.
5. Use Hot Glue & Wooden Dowels
The next method presents a bit more risk to your paint. But it will also provide greater leverage for popping the dent.
Buy a wooden dowel and cut it into 2-inch sections. Now place a screw on both sides of each dowel.
Once this is done, use your hot glue gun to add a dab of glue to each down and stick them to the dented area of your car.
Give the glue time to dry. And once they feel secure, you can begin gently pulling on them in order to force the dent out. Just make sure you’ve applied enough glue and give them plenty of time to dry.
You’ll need to be patient, and don’t be too forceful when tugging on the towels or you might end up removing patches of paint.
6. Use a Vacuum Cleaner
Get your vacuum cleaner and a plastic bowl. This is another method that using suction to manipulate the dent.
Cut a hole in the bottom of the bowl, then tape the bowl over the dent. Now turn on the vacuum and place the suction end of the hose in the hole in the bowl. If the dent isn’t too shallow, this should create enough suction to pop out the dent.
7. Use a Long Metal Rod & Rubber Knockdown
Sometimes dents can be fixed by simply creating suction. Often they must be gently worked out by applying pressure around the edges until the entire dent is slowly worked out.
You can do this accomplish this using a long metal rod that is extended beneath the surface area of the dented portion of the car and then use a rubber mallet to hammer out the dent an inch or so at a time.
This method requires patience but can be very effective at repairing smaller dents where suction won’t do the trick.
8. Use a Specialty Dent Removal Tool Kit
Lastly, you can also buy a dent removal kit. These kits are relatively inexpensive and are specifically designed for this task.
Tips for Quick and Easy Dent Removal
Getting in a dent in your car or truck can be frustrating. Fortunately, these tips can help make DIY dent removal a breeze.
Keep scrolling to see more great automotive tips and advice.