Five Smart Fixes for Scratched Wood
Categories: Solutions, Your Home, Projects
Photo: (clockwise from top left) MCT, Covergirl, Getty, Flickr user: caseywest, Getty
Sometimes, the most common household items can be used in unexpected ways. Learn what you can use (that you probably already have at home) to fix scratched wood
It's never fun discovering that your beautiful wooden table is marred with a nasty scratch. But let's face it: It happens to the best of us. Whether you're on a budget or just need a quick fix, here are five do-it-now ways to fix scratched wood. Best of all? These solutions feature common items that you likely already have on hand. Let's get started!
1. Oh, Nuts
For scratches that have penetrated beyond the finish, try rubbing a pecan or walnut gently across the surface of the scratch. You'll fill the wood naturally, quickly and cleanly - and the natural oils in the nut will ensure that it lasts.
2. Make It Up
Because it's soft, oil-based and wood colored, eyebrow pencils work wonders at filling in and camouflaging anything from small surface scratches to much deeper ones. Choose a color that most naturally matches the wood, then fill the crack and buff.
3. Pour on the Mayo
If the wood is cracked, and not simply scratched, try a little Mayonnaise. Smooth enough mayonnaise over the crack to fill it, then wipe away the excess and let it sit for a one to three days. The protein and oils in the Mayonnaise will help the wood to swell and will actually fill that crack. When the crack has swelled sufficiently, wipe off any remainder and polish to a shine.
4. Ashes to Ashes
It's hard to believe, but cigarette ashes are the turn to ingredient to repair water rings or spots and surface marks. Make a small paste of ash and water and gently rub into the affected area, then wipe clean. Toothpaste also works in a pinch if you don't happen to have any ashes on hand.
5. Raid the Coloring Cabinet
Manufacturers actually make special wood crayons for this purpose, but why pay extra when you can use what you have on hand? Find a brown crayon around the same shade as your wood and simply color it in. Smooth any excess with a soft cloth and polish to a beautiful, scratch-free shine.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
seymour 2-08-2010 @ 9:46PM
Had to replace some crown molding (on ceiling) above and behind the kitchen stove; the rest of kitchen molding was forty-something years old. Had the right varnish to match but it was way too clear and light. Sat at the kitchen table with another and we both started smoking maniacally. After three apiece, we harvested the ash, mixed it with a small amount of the varnish, and voila! The new matched the old.
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julie 2-08-2010 @ 10:20PM
#4--cigar ashes work also and you can mix either with boiled linseed oil instead of water.
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poppet 2-08-2010 @ 11:44PM
Great and informative article!
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