Stone chips are the most common car damage on the road — a tiny piece of gravel, one well-timed flick, and you've got a fresh nick in your bonnet. Left alone, moisture gets under the paint and rust starts. Fixed early, nobody will ever see it.
Here's the 30-minute method.
What you need
- Your hand-mixed touch-up paint bottle (with clear coat)
- Microfiber cloth, mild car shampoo, water
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Toothpick or fine-tip applicator
- 2000-grit wet sandpaper (optional, for rust)
Step 1 — Wash the area (2 min)
Rinse, shampoo, rinse, dry. Can't skip this. Any oil or wax stops the paint bonding.
Step 2 — Degrease (1 min)
Wipe the chip and 5 cm around it with isopropyl alcohol on a clean cloth. Let it flash off — don't wipe it back on with a dirty rag.
Step 3 — Inspect (1 min)
Look at the chip closely:
- Down to primer (grey) — Skip to step 5.
- Down to metal (dull silver) — Gently scuff with 2000-grit, wipe again with alcohol.
- Already rusty (orange) — Scuff until the rust is gone, wipe, and move fast before it reappears.
Step 4 — First coat of paint (2 min)
Shake the bottle for 60 seconds. Dip a toothpick, not the cap brush. Dab a tiny dot into the centre of the chip. Do not overfill — less is more at this stage.
Step 5 — Wait, then build up (15 min)
Let the coat flash (10–15 minutes). Add the next thin coat. Repeat until the paint sits just below the panel surface. Most chips need 2–3 coats.
Step 6 — Clear coat (2 min + drying)
Apply 1 coat of clear over the colour. If the chip is slightly recessed, you can apply a second clear coat after 15 minutes to fill the dip.
Step 7 — Walk away (24–72 hours)
This is where most DIYers go wrong. The repair looks done after an hour, but the paint is still soft. Don't wash or touch for 48 hours minimum. After 72 hours you can polish the edge flat for a totally invisible finish.
When the 30-minute method won't work
- Chips bigger than a 1-cent coin — consider spray repair
- Chips with cracked surrounding paint — you'll need to sand the edge back
- Deep gouges on a crease — body shop territory
Prevention tips
Once you're done, consider a clear paint protection film on the front of the bonnet — it takes the hits so your paint doesn't have to.
Ready to fix a chip? Get your matched bottle here.