Polished wood furniture can be a thing of rare beauty, but unless your pieces are kept behind lock and key, they’ve probably accumulated some scratches and dings. Fortunately, with just a little effort, you can hide those flaws. Here’s how to quickly repair scratched wooden furniture.
Home remedies and commercial products
Your local hardware store sells products that can repair scratched wooden furniture, but your pantry and children’s playroom also contain remedies. Try these techniques if you’ve got surface scratches on a favorite wooden table or chair.
- Rub the scratch with oil and vinegar. Thoroughly mix one part white vinegar with one or two parts olive or canola oil. Apply the mixture in an inconspicuous area of the piece to ensure it doesn’t mar the finish. If it doesn’t, rub the oil and vinegar into the scratch in a circular motion, then buff with a clean, soft cloth toward the wood grain. You may need to repeat this process several times, but oil and vinegar are a good fix for fine scratches.
- Rub the scratches with a walnut or pecan half. After rubbing the nut on the piece, work the oil into the scratch with your finger.
- Rub scratches with a used tea bag. The oil in the tea will help fill in the scratch. Dry the surface after applying the tea to prevent water rings.
- Rub a child’s crayon in a similar color across the scratch. First, clean the area to remove dust and debris that may keep the crayon from sticking. Then, rub the crayon on the scratch, moving both back and forth across the scratch and with the direction of the scratch. Use a credit card to remove the excess wax, then buff it with a clean, soft cloth.
- Hardware and big-box stores sell furniture repair kits. These kits contain markers that fill in scratches. You can also find liquids you can rub into furniture to restore scratched wooden furniture to its original beauty.
- Use commercial wood putty in a shade that matches your furniture for deeper scratches. (Wood putty is for finished wood furniture; wood filler is for unfinished.) Use a putty knife or cotton swab to fill the scratch with the product, then use a cloth or your finger to rub away the excess. Wait until the product dries, at least 15 minutes, and then gently sand around the scratch with 200-grit sandpaper to remove excess filler. Repeat this process until the scratch is level with the furniture’s surface.
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