You could restore your wooden furniture and get rid of scratches with this handy cleaning hack.
If you’ve got wooden furniture in your house, you’ll know it can be a pain to keep clean and tidy. While it might look stunning, it can quickly accumulate scratches, dents, and other blemishes that stop it from looking as perfect as it did when you bought it.
These marks can happen on tables, chairs, and even wooden floors, and can leave you wanting to tear your hair out as there’s no obvious solution for how to get rid of the small scratches and indents.
But according to cleaning fans on social media, there is a simple way to revitalise your wooden furniture – and all you need is a food product that can be picked up at any supermarket.
The hack was shared on Facebook after one mum asked for advice in a group for fans of cleaning guru Mrs Hinch. She shared a picture of her wooden floor that was covered in small scratches and asked for advice on how to clean it, as her young son keeps getting “black marks” on his hands and knees from crawling on the floor no matter how often she scrubs it.
While the mum initially told people to “ignore the scratches” on her floor as that wasn’t what she wanted help with, several commenters told her that if she did want to buff out the marks, she should use walnuts.
A packet of the nuts costs around £2.50 when you shop in supermarkets like Sainsbury’s and Asda.
One person wrote: “Rub walnuts on the scratches!”, to which another replied: “Yes, walnuts are brilliant for removing scratches on wood. Take them out of shells, break so the inside is visible, and rub where the scratches are and they’ll vanish!”
Other commenters also responded to the mum’s initial request for advice on cleaning her floors. Many told her to try using a cream cleaner to lift any remaining dirt in the wood or go over the entire floor with a Magic Eraser.
In a later comment, she said she had just scrubbed the floor with a sugar soap, and a few hours later she tried wiping at one spot with a wet wipe and found it was coming up clean, so she believes she’s successfully solved her problem.
Using a walnut to remove marks on wood has been discussed on the internet in the past, with a Reddit post from a couple of years ago urging people to try it.
The poster said: “Rub a walnut on damaged wooden furniture to cover up dings. I tried it for the first time today and it worked.”
House cleaning expert Petya Holevich from Fantastic Services also previously spoke to Ideal Home about using walnuts to remove scratches, and explained that the trick works because of the natural oils present in the nut.
Petya said: “Rubbing a walnut on wood can diminish the appearance of scratches because the natural oils in walnuts can help mask minor scratches and improve the wood’s appearance.”
However, the trick only works on light scratches and should not be used on deep cuts and grooves. Care should also be taken when using it on lighter woods, as the walnut oil may stain.
Jack Mills, a furniture expert, said: “It’s worth being aware that this method can sometimes stain light wood, so it’s best not to use it on expensive furniture or cherished heirlooms. You should also steer clear of this trick if any of your family have a nut allergy as it could prove dangerous.”
How to get scratches out of wood
- Walnut or almond method: Rub the meat of a walnut or almond directly into the scratch. The natural oils help darken and fill in the scratch. Buff with a soft cloth.
- Olive oil and vinegar: Mix equal parts olive oil and white vinegar. Dip a soft cloth into the mixture and rub it into the scratch. Wipe away any excess and buff.
- Wood marker or crayon: Use a wood touch-up marker or crayon that matches your wood colour. Fill in the scratch, then buff with a soft cloth.
Before trying any hack on your floors, we’d recommend conducting a patch test. This should stop you from damaging any large areas.