If your scratched plastic is clear it is likely to be either acrylic or polycarbonate, which are the two most popular clear plastics. Scratches can be removed more successfully from acrylic than polycarbonate. Once polycarbonate is scratched it is not really possible to remove scratches. Scratches can, however, be removed from both clear and coloured acrylics. Follow these handy tips from plastic product providers The Plastic People, and your acrylic or products made from it will continue to shine.Light scratches, as you can imagine, are much easier to combat than deep ones.
To remove light scratches in your acrylic, you’ll need an acrylic or plastic polish, 800 and 1200 grit sandpaper and water to soak the sandpaper with. Alternate between the above two steps for about three minutes. Your acrylic may still look scratched – but we’re not done yet! One of the most common questions associated with acrylic or Perspex is can scratches be removed or repaired? The answer depends on how bad the damage is, but in most cases, they can be removed relatively easily. Follow our guide on how to repair visible damage to your acrylic sheets. Before buffing, clean the plastic surface thoroughly so any loose debris doesn’t further scratch the plastic. Use warm water and a few drops of dish soap, or a small amount of rubbing alcohol applied on a clean cloth or cotton round.
Wet a piece of the 800 grit sandpaper and run it over the marked area in a circular motion, then repeat with a dry piece of the same grit sandpaper – you’ll need to alternative between these wet and dry sheets for around three minutes. Don’t panic if the acrylic begins to look frosty or have more scratches on it, as this is part of the process. Once you’ve done this, move on to the 1200 grit sandpaper and repeat the same process until all of the scratches have disappeared. Lastly, dry the area with a clean cotton cloth and apply the acrylic polish. The result should be a piece of acrylic that looks as good as new, with no visible marks. For deeper scratches to acrylic
Make sure that the acrylic sheet is cleaned either with dish soap or Novus No. 1. Then, follow this procedure to remove moderately deep (under 5 mm) scratches from acrylic:
The silica in toothpaste may be just abrasive enough to touch up minor scratches. Squeeze out just enough to cover the scratch and, working in small circles with a cotton round or clean, dry cotton cloth, buff until the surface begins to even out. Rinse residue with water and examine your work; it may take a few applications and up to 10 minutes of elbow grease before you get the results you want. div>