Finished and Fixed: Wooden Furniture

Most of our homes are peppered with wooden pieces of furniture. And itʼs no mystery
why! Wooden furniture provides a classic, elegant and versatile addition to compliment
any design. With use and age however, wooden furniture is vulnerable to being
blemished. Scratches, stains, and dents, all work their ways into it overtime. There are a
few simple tricks that can help keep your furniture looking new.

1) Hide Scratches with Markers.

One simple solution that is most effective on darker woods, is to use a furniture touch-up marker, which you can find in your local hardware and home improvement stores. These are a very convenient, quick way to color scratches that have caused discoloration. It does not make a mess, and uses a small amount of stain to carefully fill in the scratch.

2) Mineral Spirits
Mineral spirits are a safe way to clean and polish wood furniture to keep it looking its
best! This is important as water will damage finished wood, causing further discoloration
and minor distortion. Because most standard cleaners use water, overtime they can
damage your furniture. Mineral spirits will not only clean, but can penetrate the polish to
remove embedded dirt. Any stronger solvent will damage the finish itself, so the mineral
spirits will be a good option to wipe the dirt away.

3) Rub Scratches Away
If you are careful not to rub the stain beneath the finish, you can use a fine, steel wool
pad to gently remove and buff fine scratches. To do this, mix a steel wool pad, as fine as
you can find, with a Danish oil. Using a flat hand and rubber gloves, rub gently with the
grain. Avoid corners and edges, as you could easily discolor the furniture by removing
stain. This is good only for light scratches that have not penetrated into the stain or the
wood itself. Once this is done, allow the wool to dry outside before throwing it away.
This is extremely important, as it can spontaneously combust if thrown away wet.

Keeping your wooden furniture looking new is a simple and inexpensive task that takes
very little time. It will allow the design of your room to remain clean and tasteful, as well
as preserve your furniture for years to come.