Natural Remedies For Restoring Wood - Right From Your Cupboards

Wood is the most frequently used material in making furniture, even though other materials such as metal and plastic are gaining in popularity. As one of the more expensive materials, there are ways that you can help to either restore or protect the finish of your wooden furniture from the effects created by living in a family setting.

So when your pets cause scratches or your husband forgets to use a coaster, your daughter spilled her nail polish and your son redecorated with crayons, here are a few homemade remedies that can be used to give your wooden furniture its original luster and sheen. 

Cat claws and dog scratches

If you have an over exuberant animal who is constantly scratching on your furniture, a more permanent solution, such as clipping or training, may be needed to reduce extensive damage to the wood. However, for scratches that already appear, you need to examine to determine how deep they run. Scratches that are only surface deep and do not go beyond the finish can be easily smoothed out with a simple solution of olive oil and lemon juice. 

However, deeper scratches that go to the wood can be filled in with mashed almond or walnut and the color restored with tea bags, coffee grounds, eyebrow pencil or iodine, depending in the original color of the finish. 

Ring around the table

Not using a coaster can create a water ring that can be extremely hard to remove. However, there two simple items in your house that can fix this: mayonnaise or shoe polish. Mayonnaise can be applied with a soft cloth and left overnight (keep the pets away so they don't lick it away). If you are without this salad addition, you can use a clear shoe polish to achieve the same results. The polish needs to be softened and once again applied with a soft cloth to achieve the desired result. 

Please note that you might also be able to do furniture repair on dents by applying steam from an iron through a thin cloth or paper towel. Any white discoloration from the steam on your wood finished can be addressed by the method above. 

Color it all

A surprisingly effective method for removing nail polish that may have spilled on your wood furniture is hair spray. It can be hard to prevent nail polish from dripping, no matter how careful the process was. In the event, simply apply enough hair spray to completely cover the spot and then leave it there for at least 20 seconds. Do not allow the spray to completely dry but wipe it away with a clean dry cloth. It may require more than one application but, it is suggested that you should be persistent because it works.

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