I accidentally scratched my Merlot rear bumper on my '02 (used paper towel to get a spill off quickly) and need a way to buff out the scratches. Any ideas?

 

From my experience, Meguiar's Scratch-X works pretty well on superficial scratches. It might take a few applications, then apply wax (I use Meguiar's Gold Class). Others will have other suggestions, possibly even doing some wet sanding if the scratches are severe. I have no experience with sanding. Good luck.