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.
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Perfect for people who don’t have access to the tools or materials to produce custom MDF pieces.
Robert Entwistle,
2 hours ago
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The product was really good quality &…
The product was really good quality & precision cut.loved it when it finally arrived.
Disappointed that it was not delivered when it should have been & had to chase it via email as the office never answered the phone.
Derek Maidment,
3 hours ago
Verified
Easy to order
Easy to order, prompt delivery
duncan ,
4 hours ago
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Easy to order and arrived in good time
Easy to order and arrived in good time. Reasonable price. Nicely made just what I needed.
Clair,
13 hours ago
Verified
Got it exactly what I ordered via…
Got it exactly what I ordered via online without any issues.
Martin Bogard,
13 hours ago
Verified
Acrilic
Parts fitted perfectly
Stuart,
14 hours ago
Verified
Prompt service
Prompt service, good quality product (a circular perspex cover to protect a marble table).
John Crocker,
16 hours ago
Verified
Perfect
Had a bit of a delay on our order. However we were informed and given the option to cancel or wait. Order received a week later. Great products and great communication.
kelly collins,
18 hours ago
Verified
Sizes perfect material perfect
Sizes perfect material perfect
Courier let them down
Although they refunded my overnight charge
A good company
Customer rick jarvis,
21 hours ago
Verified
Super helpful and got exactly what I…
Super helpful and got exactly what I wanted for my projects! The wood and acrylic I got is of high quality and is cut perfectly in the dimensions requested
Nick Prodromou,
23 hours ago
Verified
Easy to deal with and helpful
Easy to deal with and helpful. Product arrived on time and fixing to wall was quick and simple.
dornford clarke,
1 day ago
Verified
Fast delivery
Fast delivery, well packaged and great quality
John Chadwick,
1 day ago
Excellent service & delivery
Excellent service & delivery, packaging was exceptional for my order of 2x cut pieces of Perspex. Ordering was easy. Order from this company with absolute confidence.
jim jalmond208@btinternet.com,
1 day ago
Verified
Excellent product and service.
Excellent product and service.
Chris Pollard,
1 day ago
Verified
mdf-sheet-18-melamine-mdf-l470-w480 and mdf-sheet-19-cherry-veneered-mdf-l220-w250
Product was good
Only 4 stars coz they have missed edge band 1 side
Ardmel Automation Ltd,
1 day ago
Verified
I am just about to order my acrylic…
I am just about to order my acrylic splashback after receiving my samples as they were so good many thanks 😁👍
Roberta Lewis,
2 days ago
Verified
Every time i place an order its dealt…
Every time i place an order its dealt with very quickly and delivered quickly. Cannot fault the service i receive at all. Will deffently use again.
Richard Ellis,
2 days ago
Verified
Good product
Good product
John,
2 days ago
Verified
Great and quick
Great item and swift delivery.
Mr Sawers,
2 days ago
Verified
Easy from start to finish
Website excellent, product as described, delivery as expected, communicated well. Everything I want from ordering online.
Kevin Evans,
2 days ago
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Great experience
Quick delivery and came exactly as ordered.
Stuart,
3 minutes ago
Dog crate topper
The space on top of my dogs crate (he's a big dog) was wasted and I wish I'd of ordered a topper for it from CutMy sooner! The quality and sizing etc is just perfect, exactly what I wanted!
Amanda,
3 minutes ago
Verified
Perfect for people who don’t have…
Perfect for people who don’t have access to the tools or materials to produce custom MDF pieces.
Robert Entwistle,
3 hours ago
Verified
The product was really good quality &…
The product was really good quality & precision cut.loved it when it finally arrived.
Disappointed that it was not delivered when it should have been & had to chase it via email as the office never answered the phone.
Derek Maidment,
3 hours ago
Verified
Easy to order
Easy to order, prompt delivery
duncan ,
4 hours ago
Verified
Easy to order and arrived in good time
Easy to order and arrived in good time. Reasonable price. Nicely made just what I needed.
Clair,
13 hours ago
Verified
Got it exactly what I ordered via…
Got it exactly what I ordered via online without any issues.
Martin Bogard,
14 hours ago
Verified
Acrilic
Parts fitted perfectly
Stuart,
14 hours ago
Verified
Prompt service
Prompt service, good quality product (a circular perspex cover to protect a marble table).
John Crocker,
16 hours ago
Verified
Perfect
Had a bit of a delay on our order. However we were informed and given the option to cancel or wait. Order received a week later. Great products and great communication.
kelly collins,
18 hours ago
Verified
Sizes perfect material perfect
Sizes perfect material perfect
Courier let them down
Although they refunded my overnight charge
A good company
Customer rick jarvis,
21 hours ago
Verified
Super helpful and got exactly what I…
Super helpful and got exactly what I wanted for my projects! The wood and acrylic I got is of high quality and is cut perfectly in the dimensions requested
Nick Prodromou,
23 hours ago
Verified
Easy to deal with and helpful
Easy to deal with and helpful. Product arrived on time and fixing to wall was quick and simple.
dornford clarke,
1 day ago
Verified
Fast delivery
Fast delivery, well packaged and great quality
John Chadwick,
1 day ago
Excellent service & delivery
Excellent service & delivery, packaging was exceptional for my order of 2x cut pieces of Perspex. Ordering was easy. Order from this company with absolute confidence.
jim jalmond208@btinternet.com,
1 day ago
Verified
Excellent product and service.
Excellent product and service.
Chris Pollard,
1 day ago
Verified
mdf-sheet-18-melamine-mdf-l470-w480 and mdf-sheet-19-cherry-veneered-mdf-l220-w250
Product was good
Only 4 stars coz they have missed edge band 1 side
Ardmel Automation Ltd,
1 day ago
Verified
I am just about to order my acrylic…
I am just about to order my acrylic splashback after receiving my samples as they were so good many thanks 😁👍
Roberta Lewis,
2 days ago
Verified
Every time i place an order its dealt…
Every time i place an order its dealt with very quickly and delivered quickly. Cannot fault the service i receive at all. Will deffently use again.
Richard Ellis,
2 days ago
Verified
Good product
Good product
John,
2 days ago
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