With summer just around the corner, April is the time that most car owners get around to assessing their vehicle’s exterior and fixing any problems that may have occurred during the winters months. In the Northeast, dents, dings and scratches are bound to happen when snow hits the ground. With a few helpful tips, even the deepest, most obvious scratches can easily be removed.

The first thing that any car owner should do when encountering a nick or scuff mark is to go to the local auto parts store and purchase the materials necessary for the job. The three main ingredients that are needed are primer, body compound and paint in your vehicle’s color.

To obtain the correct shade, check your vehicle’s identification number, which is stamped into the dashboard on the driver’s side in most cars, according to EHow.com. Provide this number to your auto parts store and they can match the exact shade of paint for your vehicle. If possible, never choose a color using an eye test – a mismatched paint job will often look worse than the scratch itself.

After purchasing your tools for the job, wash the scratch and the surrounding area with a mild laundry detergent to remove any excess wax. Next, take a small section of sandpaper and grind away any rust that has accumulated. If the scratch is fresh, this step may be avoided.

At this point, you will want to take some masking tape and newspaper and isolate the scratch, says Christopher Bibey of Associated Content. After sealing off the area, take a plastic knife and apply body compound to the area. Make sure not to use a metal knife or you could significantly damage the paint job.

Let the body compound dry and then sand the area flat to create an even surface to paint on. Next, apply to primer to the scratch and give it time to dry.

Finally, take the smallest paint brush that you own and gently paint over the scratch. Be certain not to use too much paint or it may give the car an uneven look.

If you hang on to all of the materials that you purchase, you can fix most any scratch an no cost for the life of your automobile.