Wooden furniture are often prized possessions and it hurts to see an ugly scratch hampering the beauty of the furniture. We come up with a solution so that you can repair a deep scratch and not have to dispose of your favourite furniture. Fixing gouges in wood is however easier said than done and you must follow the given instructions properly before you do it yourself. So let’s heal that scratch in your furniture so that the next time the guests come, you do not have to hide it beneath covers.
Removing scratches from wooden furniture requires not much of your time. You just need to know the methods and for that we come to your aid.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Often an extremely important step is skipped while attempting to repair a deep scratch in the furniture. You must never begin before thoroughly cleansing the furniture. For that a solution can be made from a capful of mild dishwashing soap to gallon of warm water in a bucket. This solution is effective in getting rid of all the grease and dirt that accumulates on the furniture over the years. Lint free cloth can be used to dip in the solution and firmly wiping the furniture end to end. The excess water can be wringed off afterwards. The wood needs to be rubbed off nicely and left to dry for a while. Only after the completion of this process can you proceed to fix the scratch.
SOME HANDY METHODS:
USING TEA
If you thought removing scratches from wooden furniture wasn’t your cup of tea, think again! Tea bags when used properly work wonders in fixing gouges in wood. For this purpose we cannot use herbal tea or green tea as black tea works the best. A black teabag can be taken in a mug and a few tablespoons of hot water can be added. Then let it steep for some time depending on the fact that the longer tea steeps, the darker the effect. So adjust accordingly. The region can be dabbed with a cotton swab and care needs to be taken, so that the excess is wiped off. The excess can leave stains in places where it was not intended and can defeat the entire purpose.
WALLNUT MEAT TO THE RESCUE
Initially you can use the walnut oil to conceal the surface scratch and then the walnut meat can be carefully rubbed into the scratch. This when repeated multiple times and polished with a soft rug, makes removing scratches from wooden furniture quite easy.
USING MINERAL OIL
An effective paste can be made from mineral oil and pumice. This paste is good as gold when it comes to erasing scratches. A steel wool can be used to rub this paste in the scratches and cracks. The healing begins after application of this a few times and instead of a professional you can easily do it yourself.
COVERING UP INSTEAD OF REMOVING
Often the scratch is so bad that getting rid of it is almost an impossible task. However even then there is something you can do to preserve the beauty of the furniture. You can mask the scratches through some methods and they would be as good as gone.
So while removing scratches from wooden furniture is not always possible, dealing with it is always an option.
Wax crayons can be used to apply on the scratch and the colour can then be blended with fingers. Similarly paint can be used to a good effect in eliminating the slightest trace of the scratch. Water-colour paint can be used for this purpose and once completed the concealing part, it can be filled with varnish.
Equally effective is the usage of felt tip markers on the scratch. It can be used to colour the scratch and due the powerful colour that stays on for a fairly long duration this can be more than just a temporary solution.
USING INSTANT COFFEE
Your favourite beverage gets rid of many a headaches for you, and it can even sort out your furniture trouble. A thick paste of coffee granules and water form a very effective mechanism to hide or get rid of furniture scratches. This thick paste is to be rubbed carefully onto the scratch and then onwards it’s just the goodness of coffee at work.
WITH IODINE
The saviour in minor human injuries is also very potent as a tool to repair a deep scratch in the wooden furniture. Cotton swab can be used the same way it was used to apply tea and iodine can be applied around the affected area. Again in similar fashion the excess must be wiped out to prevent unwanted marks and stains on the furniture.
ADDRESSING OTHER ISSUES:
Apart from an occasional scratch, the wooden furniture are also susceptible to white spots, discolouration etc. Spills of water and alcohol can often lead to white spots that make the furniture appear in bad shape. This can be effectively treated by wiping it with furniture polish. If the problem persists then denatured alcohol can be tried out and usually is a sure protection against it. Even then if such problems cannot be treated an abrasive can be put to use.
You can have a homemade abrasive made of cigarette ashes with vegetable oil turned to a paste. This paste can be rubbed onto the area to get rid of the persistent problem. Black spots which occur due to water penetration is probably the hardest to get rid of. Unless the spots are on a clearly defined surface the entire furniture has to be stripped and then refinished later. But other general problems do have pretty simple and easy to use solution.
FINAL WORDS:
Wooden furniture are not just precious but they are also lovely assets to own. However in the course of everyday activities it is almost impossible to escape an occasional scratch. To dispose of a furniture after every little scratch is not a feasible option. It also can pose a serious hole in the pockets. So we came up with some easy hacks to deal with such situations. These are methods that can repair a deep scratch or mask it. Either way it definitely requires no professional help and you can do it yourself. So removing scratches from wooden furniture is no longer a difficult or an expensive process and it can be conveniently done sitting at your home.
