Nobody likes to drop their iPhone – especially when it ends up scraped and scratched. This could be enough to send anyone into a tizzy, but depending on the severity of the damage it may not be a lost cause. A scuff on an iPhone screen or shell is nothing to be overly concerned about and can often be remedied easily and at home.
Much like any other ailment, there are all sorts of home remedies that people claim can fix a scratched smartphone. Here are a few ways that some people have tried to get an iPhone looking good as new, so make sure to isolate the damage with tape and cloth, power down the device and read on:
1) Toothpaste
It may sound a little crazy, but toothpaste has been frequently touted as a means for scratch removal dating back to CDs. By putting a small amount on the end of a cotton swab and rubbing in a gentle, circular motion, scratches have been known to disappear, according to Mashable contributor Kyli Singh. Wipe excess toothpaste from the device with a lightly damp cloth and you're (hopefully) back in action. Creating a paste out of baking soda may be able to deliver the same results.
2) Glass polish
It might seem kind of obvious, but some people might not even think to reach for this when trying to buff out a scratch. According to Expert Reviews contributor David Ludlow, it's pretty effective, too.
“Put a dab of cerium oxide compound on to a polishing cloth,” Ludlow wrote. “Rub it vigorously in circles over the scratch, until the compound is fully expended and has dried up. Use your second cloth to remove the remainder of the cerium oxide from the phone. Check carefully to see if the scratch is still visible; if it is, repeat this step. It can take a while: we took over an hour to get a scratch out of an iPhone 4S.”
3) Vegetable oil
If the scratches aren't coming out, Telegraph contributor Daniel Johnson wrote that vegetable oil is a great “temporary and cosmetic fix.” If time isn't on your side, this is a great way to hide the damage in the interim.
That being said, not all scratches can just be brushed away – some of them are deep and accentuated by actual cracking. To get an iPhone 5c screen replacement cost estimate, contact iResQ today.