How to remove scratches on furniture - what to paint over and rub over

The mood can be spoiled if a scratch is found on the furniture, how to eliminate the damage without a trace, will it work? You can make traces almost invisible using specialized compounds and traditional methods. For these purposes, stain, polish, acrylic paint, wax, shoe polish and other simple products are suitable. Some products will help you paint light scratches the desired color, the main thing is to choose the right tone.

Removing scratches

Most often, scratches appear on the table, because we actively use its surface. Less commonly, damage may occur on a wooden cabinet or other interior items, for example, during careless transportation. Wood itself is a durable material and can last for decades. Therefore, it’s a shame when a piece of furniture is scratched and loses its impeccable appearance. But there is a solution to the problem. You can remove scratches from wooden furniture using professional and improvised means and even food.

Specialized means

Manufacturers have taken care to provide owners of wooden furniture with means for restoring the surface, which can be used independently, without resorting to the services of craftsmen. This list includes:

• Special furniture touch, similar to a stationery proofreader. The product is easy to apply with a brush from the bottle and dries quickly. It can be used to remove shallow chips, abrasions, and scratches.After restoration, a layer of furniture varnish or wax is applied to the desired location, depending on the type of surface.
• Oil polish. If the top of the furniture is coated with a polyurethane composition, an oil-based polish is suitable for its restoration. Restoring scratches begins with cleaning the damaged area with fine-grained sandpaper. During work, the sandpaper is periodically dipped in mineral oil. Then the prepared area is coated with polish and allowed to dry.
• Wax pencil. These products are sold at any hardware store. Wax comes in different shades and is easy to match to the color of the surface. Removing the scratch in this case is as easy as shelling pears. The damaged area is wiped with a damp cloth and allowed to dry, after which all that remains is to rub away the damage with a pencil.
• Hard and soft wax. These remedies work similarly to the previous one. The scratch is first cleaned of dust, then the indentation must be sealed with wax, rubbing it in a circular motion. After 15-20 minutes, excess product is removed with a soft cloth swab. Hard wax must be melted before application.
• Stain. Liquid formulations are suitable for polished furniture that has many abrasions and shallow scratches affecting only the top layer. The color of the stain should match the color of the furniture or differ slightly. You need to cover the entire surface with the composition so that the treated area does not stand out. After the stain has dried, the surface is polished.
• Acrylic or alkyd paint. Painting is a quick way to restore old shabby furniture covered with many scratches. Before painting your favorite chest of drawers, the surfaces are sanded and degreased.After the paint has dried, apply a protective layer of finishing varnish.

Some craftsmen repair furniture using self-made mastic. It is prepared by mixing 40 g of beeswax, 30 g of turpentine, 10 g of alcohol. The wax is pre-melted in a water bath. Apply the still warm mixture to a wooden surface using a rag and rub in gently. However, few people will want to use this method, given the large number of other restoration means.

Folk remedies

Regular food products, cosmetics and household chemicals can help fix scratches on furniture. There is no need to spend money on buying a special product, you just use what you have in the house.

For the restoration of wooden furniture the following may be useful:

• Walnut. Half the kernel is rubbed onto the damaged area, and the defect becomes invisible. To eliminate deeper scratches, the nut is crushed to a powder, mixed with 1-2 drops of olive oil and used for its intended purpose. It is advisable to repeat the treatment periodically.
• Black tea. This product is suitable for tinting surfaces covered with scuffs and small scratches. A tea bag is brewed in 100 ml of boiling water for 20 minutes. Then apply the composition to the surface using a cotton pad. You can use tea to cover up light scratches on dark furniture. Strong coffee is also used.
• Mayonnaise. This simple product also does a good job of removing scuffs and scratches. Mayonnaise is only suitable for unpolished furniture. Apply a small amount of the product to the scratch, allow it to soak in, and rub in with a piece of soft cloth. The next day, polish with a rag.
• Lemon. For the restoration of light-colored furniture, a mixture of lemon juice and vegetable oil is suitable. Both products are used in equal proportions. After rubbing the mixture in, polish the surface with a lint-free cloth. You can replace lemon juice with table vinegar.
• Eyebrow pencil. The cosmetic product is suitable as an express method for restoring furniture of the same shade. Paint over the scratches with a pencil and lightly shade the repair area with a cloth. During the cleaning process, the pencil is erased. Therefore, it is used repeatedly.
• Shoe polish. High-quality cream renews not only shoes and boots. It can be applied to furniture to hide surface defects. The product must be applied precisely. After drying, polish the restored area with a soft cloth.

If there are children in the house, you can borrow wax crayons or plasticine of a suitable color from them to repair furniture. To restore snow-white surfaces, white toothpaste or melted candle paraffin is suitable.

Damage to gray furniture can be covered with cigarette ash by mixing it with a small amount of water to form a paste. Scratches on a table made of dark oak or mahogany can be removed using a cotton swab dipped in an iodine solution. To avoid getting dirty, it is better to wear rubber gloves on your hands.

Tips for preventing scratches

To keep your favorite furniture looking good, you should take care to prevent scratches and abrasions.

Using coasters for dishes, vases and other items

If various objects regularly appear on your table, use pads that protect the surface from abrasion.These could be beautiful fabric napkins or something else that will prevent the table from being scratched while moving vases, plates, flower pots, and the like. When placing the microwave on a wooden countertop, place rubber or felt mugs under the legs.

Avoiding sharp objects

You should not cut bread and other products directly on the table; special boards are used for this. Do not move heavy household appliances with metal legs or massive decor, which can leave marks, on a wooden surface. It is also worth carefully rearranging wooden furniture, protecting it from the sharp corners of other interior items.

Application of protective coating

Furniture will look like new longer if you cover its surface with varnish or a wax-based composition. As the protective layer becomes thinner, it will need to be renewed. The additional costs will pay for themselves by extending the life of the furniture.

If you take care of tables, cabinets, chests of drawers and other interior items made of wood, they will always look great, pleasing the eyes of home owners and guests. But even if minor damage appears on the surface, it can always be eliminated with professional and available means. First, it is better to carry out the treatment on a small area. If this area is noticeable, you will have to rub the product over the entire surface.