Furniture is the type of home asset you might not be easily convinced to get rid of. If you are the type of homeowner who aims at a complete renovation once several years, learning how to repair old furniture might not be high on your list. However, if you like certain pieces of furniture and you don’t want to get rid of them, here are some quick tips on how to repair them so that they look as good as new.

It’s always nice to have a restored old piece of furniture in your home. Source: Pinterest

Dealing with minor scratches

More often than not, the type of repairs you have to do involves minor scratches. They don’t seem like a big deal, but they surely take from the beautiful look of your furniture. If you feel like it would be too much to throw away your furniture only because it has some scratches on it, you will find the following suggestions helpful.

If possible, try to maintain the original color. Source: Pinterest

– Use nut paste to hide the imperfections

For this type of repair, you will need paste obtained from walnuts or Brazilian nuts. It works for light to medium colored wood, in particular. What you have to do is to rub some paste into the scratch. Use a cloth to make everything look smooth, and you will be surprised to see how unnoticeable the scratches have become.

– Wax crayon for a semi-pro job

But if you have no other choice, you can paint your furniture piece and it’ll still look great. Source: Pinterest

Wax crayon is an excellent solution for issues such as scratches. Use the wax crayon on them and make sure that you get one that is as similar as possible in color. With a blow dryer, ensure that the wax melts and covers the scratch completely.

– Iodine as a home-based solution

If you don’t have any of the stuff mentioned earlier, you can always use iodine. It may take several applications, but, eventually, the iodine will make the lighter wood under the scratch match colors with the rest of the furniture.

Dealing with dents

Don’t throw away perfectly good bentwood chairs! They will only require a bit of your attention and the result will be fantastic. Source: Pinterest

A more challenging type of furniture trouble you might have to deal with is a dent. Depending on its size, it can be more or less time-consuming to repair it. Use a pin to prick holes so that moisture can get inside. Place a damp cloth on the dent for that to happen, but make sure that you don’t wet the surrounding area.

Then you must apply steam to help the fibers swell and fill the dent. Sand the area and apply wax or oil, depending on what was used before for polishing the furniture.

Getting rid of whitish marks on your furniture

All the methods described here don’t involve too invasive techniques. You don’t need a set of knives or a durable sharpening system for them so that you can get to work as a woodworker from times past. One thing you can solve without too much work, or becoming an expert in woodworking, is any white mark that has affected the varnish of your furniture.

This restored old wooden desk is now a beautiful interior element. Source: Pinterest

While they are unsightly, these watermarks – which is what they are – don’t represent a significant challenge. There are various methods to follow, but you only need things that you most probably have around the house.

One solution is to use a bit of rubbing alcohol to clean the watermark. Another method is to get a dab of toothpaste and rub it into the watermark for a while, making sure to follow the direction of the grain.

You can always repaint your furniture and it will look brand new. Source: Pinterest

A successful way to deal with watermarks is to sprinkle them with table salt and then rub them with vinegar. Mineral oil can also be used, and it may even give your furniture a beautiful polished look. As you can see, all these repairs are easy to perform and don’t require a special certification.