Have you ever had dark wood furniture that has scratches in the wood? The furniture may be sound, but it doesn't look that good because of the scratches. This is not good; especially if you notice the scratches just a few minutes before guests are due to arrive at your house. It is much more than a little embarrassing.

Scratches and scrapes on wooden furniture are common enough, and though they are usually accidental, that doesn't prevent the furniture from appearing worn and old.

Parents with children are usually especially acquainted with damage to wooden surfaces, made by toys or other objects that don't get along very well with the wood.

There are many different scratch covers available on the market, though usually they are expensive, and they don't help a lot if you just noticed the scratch, need to have it covered quickly, and have none of the commercial products for removing the scratches.

While a person can still purchase one of the expensive scratch covers, and they do work well enough, there is a far cheaper and easier way to cover the scratches. Best of all, it takes very little time to do it.

To make the scratch cover, mix 1 tablespoon of instant coffee with just enough water to make a thick paste. Using a soft cloth or a brush, cover the scratch with the paste and allow the paste to sit for a minute or two, and then wipe off any excess. For very dark furniture, this process may need to be repeated a few times.

A quality furniture oil or polish can be applied over the top of the repair, to give the wood back the shine that it used to have. My own preference is to use inexpensive lemon oil, which not only gives the wood a nice sheen, but which also has a pleasant aroma.

Note that this will not fill in the gouges and scratches, but it sure will help make them much less noticeable. I've had occasion to use it on antique furniture, and it is not damaging to the wood that is being covered. In fact, it can be removed with warm soapy water, if there is a reason to do so.

There isn't a way that we can prevent furniture from being occasionally banged or scratched. But when it does happen, it is fantastic if we have the means to cover up the problem, without spending too much money doing it.

Learn more about this author, Rex Trulove.
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