How to Repair Furniture Scratches

Wear and tear really shows on wood furniture. Luckily, it's easy to hide them or even make them disappear. Cover up minor scratches using only regular paste wax. For medium scratches, furniture-patching sticks are available in many different shades to match your wood finish. You can even fix deeper scratches with some wood stain and a small paint brush.

Things You'll Need

• Raw walnut or pecan
• Paste wax
• Extra fine grade steel wool
• Soft cloth
• Furniture-patching wax stick
• Plastic scraper
• Oil-based stain
• Small artists' paintbrush

Instructions

Walnut Oil

1. Break open a walnut or pecan.

2. Rub the cut edge along the scratch. Natural oil in the nut will darken the scratch.

3. Buff the area with a clean, dry cloth.

Paste Wax

1. Apply a paste wax.

2. Use an extra-fine grade steel wool to rub very lightly along the wood grain.

3. Buff the surface with a soft cloth.

Furniture Patching Wax

1. Use a furniture-patching wax stick that matches the wood finish. Run the stick firmly along the scratch.

2. Apply a little pressure so the wax fills the scratch.

3. Scrape the excess off with plastic scraper or thin plastic card.

4. Allow the wax to dry about 20 minutes. Then buff it with a soft cloth.

Staining Gouges

1. Paint the inside of the scratch with oil-based stain.

2. Use a small artists' brush and work carefully, getting the stain only in the scratch. Let it sit for 15 minutes and wipe off excess with a soft cloth. Repeat if necessary until scratch blends in with the rest of the piece.

3. Let it dry for manufacturer's recommended time.

4. Apply paste wax (see Section 2) and buff with a soft cloth.

Tips & Warnings

• Furniture-patching sticks and wood stain are available at home improvement centers. If your furniture has deep gouges, you may need to strip the entire piece, sand out the scratches and refinish.