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.
The first thing to check is that the material you’re repairing is acrylic. Acrylic is a widely used material that’s incredibly versatile, being used in fish tanks, picture frames, splashbacks, furniture as acrylic table tops and acrylic mirrors, to name just a few of the applications. If your scratched plastic is clear, then it’s most likely acrylic or polycarbonate which are the most commonly used plastics.
It’s worth noting that scratches can be removed more easily from acrylic than polycarbonate, so you may not have as much success if the damaged material is a polycarbonate sheet. Naturally, lighter scratches can be buffed out more easily than deeper ones.
However, if the scratch is any deeper than 5mm, it’s probably not worth doing as it’s unlikely to buff out. Likewise, if the scratches cover more than 30% to 50% of the area, or if the acrylic is very old, the cost of replacing the item or pane of acrylic probably will outweigh the effort required to fix it.
For light scratches on acrylic
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.
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
Deeper scratches require a bit more effort to remove, but it’s not always a lost cause. To check the depth of the scratch, run over it with your fingernail – if it catches, you can consider it a deep scratch and the following method may work to remove it.
While the process is similar to the one above, this time you’ll begin with 600 grit sandpaper. As before, wet one piece of 600-grit sandpaper and use circular motions over the scratched area for around three minutes, alternating with a dry piece as well. Next, do the same with the 800 grit paper for a further few minutes and finish with the 1200 paper until the scratches have disappeared. Dry the area with a clean cloth and then restore the shine with the acrylic polish.
You can restore the glossy shine of acrylic by flame-polishing thin sheets of acrylic (anything below 4mm thick) and then sanding or buffing the sheets. A less labour-intensive and quicker option is to choose a good quality acrylic polish which will maintain the clarity of the acrylic and can be used safely at home.
If you need any advice on how to repair acrylic or if you need to replace some plastic sheeting in your home, give our friendly team a call or drop us an email and we’ll be happy to help.
We're Here to Help
Our Help Centre is available 24/7 to explore FAQs, discover DIY ideas and advice, and even ask our community of fellow DIY enthusiasts.
Really nice table top to fit in an office. It’s very solid which is great. Compared to my previous Ikea table top it was quite difficult to drill into to attach the legs of the standing desk but I think that shows how solid it is all the way through (and not cardboard inside). Hopefully will last a very long time.
Sarah,
3 hours ago
Verified
Great service and a great product.first time buyer
Great service and a great product.
Nick ellis,
18 hours ago
Verified
Good experience so far...
Good experience so far...
I ordered a straightforward rectangular piece of acrylic from CutMy, which was processed and delivered fairly promptly. There was a slight delay, of which I was notified, and after despatch the piece arrived as stated and was securely and safely packaged. The website was easy to navigate and to place the order.
I have also submitted a design for a non-rectangular splashback but am still waiting for a quotation for the cost two weeks later. Thankfully my job is not in a rush, so I can wait a little longer. At the time that my design was uploaded I received an email saying "We are currently experiencing a high volume of quotes, which may result in a delay in our response time", so the delay was expected, but hopefully not for much longer!
Andrew Whittaker,
19 hours ago
Verified
Great service and delivery product is…
Great service and delivery product is great value for money
Alison Chadwick,
1 day ago
Verified
Great service and product.
Great service and product.
Had a question regarding delivery and was answered with no hassle.
Will use them again and recommend.
Nigel,
1 day ago
Verified
Great service and held tolerances on…
Great service and held tolerances on the cuts really well!
Roger,
1 day ago
Verified
Sent out my perspex order quickly and…
Sent out my perspex order quickly and well packaged. Quality was good and I would recommend them
customer,
1 day ago
Verified
Great service andquick turn around.
Great service and quick turn around. Good communication.
Will definitely use again.
chris sier,
1 day ago
Verified
Great service
Great service. I ordered a strip of oak veneer MDF for a shelf, it was all perfect with regard to measurement. The only downside, hence not full star rating, is because the edges of the shelve wasn’t veneered, only the top and bottom, so doesn’t look great from the front. Bit pointless having the veneer really.
Mrs K Potter,
1 day ago
Verified
V good service
V good service. All nicely cut. Some extra trimming was required because my walls aren’t straight, but that’s to be expected. We bought pre-primed panels. Only the front/back faces are primed so I still need to prime the edges. Looks good so far.
Peter,
1 day ago
Amazing customer service
Amazing customer service.
You have a client for life !
Krystian Poplawski,
2 days ago
Verified
Great product
Great product
Brian Jackson,
2 days ago
Verified
The end result was good
The end result was good. The time it took was incomprehensible.
Ivars Boss,
2 days ago
Verified
Sofa goes Orthopaedic.
Doing my back the world of good under sofa cushions.
Neil Privett,
2 days ago
Verified
Order cut to size as requested-…
Order cut to size as requested- straightforward to fit.
TC,
2 days ago
Verified
The shelves arrived quickly and fit…
The shelves arrived quickly and fit exactly. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the edges were finished with edging strip. Will definitely be ordering more for my other cupboards.
Andrew Taylor,
2 days ago
Verified
Top quality firm
Cut to the right size, very good veneer top quality oak. Pact perfectly no chance of being damaged, and well on time.
Peter Gardiner,
2 days ago
Verified
Easy to use and turn up on time
Easy to use and turn up on time
Joe,
2 days ago
Verified
Really easy to put up and looks really…
Really easy to put up and looks really good. User friendly website made ordering correct size easy and stress free.
Judy H,
2 days ago
Subscribe to our email newsletter
Sign up here for our occasional email newsletter with new products, design ideas and discounts across our huge and growing range of products. (You can unsubscribe at any time of course.)