5 Tricks To Hide Scratches On Wood

Over time, the rhythm of the residents leaves marks in all corners of the house. Furniture, doors and wooden floors are the most likely to suffer injuries, among which scratches stand out. However, the good news is that scratches on wood can be disguised. In this article we’ll talk about how.

When we buy wooden furniture or rent an apartment with a parquet floor,  the emotion is such that we do not consider or underestimate the dangers that this entails. 

Of course, we are not talking about the danger to people, but about exposing wood to scratches or marks that leave marks. Therefore, it  is extremely necessary that we have knowledge of certain homemade techniques – and the not so homemade ones – to disguise the scratches in the wood. Here we’ll talk about five tricks that can help you.

Tricks to hide scratches on wood

1. Use wax

Among the varied uses that can be given to wax, one of them is to cover scratches, cracks and other marks on wooden furniture. Using it is simple: first, scrub the furniture with wax. You can also use hard wax to fill in the spaces. Then you can polish it with a sponge or cloth and you’re done! The scratch should disappear.

2. Use ground coffee and oil

We should mix a teaspoon of ground coffee with a little oil, preferably vegetable oil, but whatever you have at home will do. Two tablespoons of oil should be enough.

Afterwards, stir until you get a dark mixture – as if you were making coffee. Apply the mixture to a slightly damp cloth and wipe over the wood; let it act for 3 hours. The last step is to clean the furniture with whatever product you usually use.

3. Solution for floors

Wooden or parquet floors are often scratched by chairs or furniture we place or move on them. Fortunately, it’s possible to make many of them go away without too much trouble. Do you want to know how to do this?

For soft scratches with little depth, it is possible to use markers. These must be of different colors so that we can mask the scratches without any problems.

On the other hand,  with the deepest scratches, those that tear some of the material, we must be more careful. First, we must apply a little water to the scratch and leave it for 24 hours. It should just be a little water, as the purpose is for the moisture to make the wood rise.

The second step is to use a wax to repair these floors. Obviously, the color should be as close as possible to the floor color. With a hair dryer, you need to heat the wax to apply it later with a plastic spatula to the floor. Finally, remove the excess with a cloth, as it is just a matter of covering the scratch.

4. Use the iron

Did you know that a totally everyday appliance like an iron can help hide scratches in wood? That’s right. To start with, you should dampen a cloth and place it on the scratch you want to repair.

Meanwhile, heat the iron until it reaches a temperature close to the maximum. Then rub the cloth in a circular motion for about 10 seconds. If it dries, you can moisten it a little more and continue until finished.

What effect do we get with this trick? Simple:  moisture and heat will cause the wood to swell. So, similar to what happened with the parquet on the previous board, the scratch will be healed from below to the surface.

While it’s true that the risk cannot be solved 100% depending on its depth,  this trick will allow you to make it less visible. At first glance, you won’t even notice it’s there.

5. Apply toothpaste and oil

Yes, interestingly, this combination can help mask scratches on the wood. You should just dampen the toothpaste with a little vegetable oil and rub it over the marks. Then let it act until dry and remove the excess with a slightly damp cloth.

As a final recommendation, we will make two observations. The first is to put protective stickers under chairs and other furniture  so that we don’t scratch the floor when moving them.