Hardwood floors are highly desirable for most homeowners. Though beautiful, they come with their share of challenges when it comes to cleaning, maintenance, and repairs. After a few months or years of heavy use from kids playing with toys and chairs being shuffled around, it may be time for some DIY fixes.
Hiding scratches
If you’ve got a good eye for matching colors, you can actually use crayons or markers or purchase wax sticks from the hardware store to fill-in scratches. Try to match the stain color on your floors, but don’t worry if it’s a little off. If the color is close, once the scratch is filled, it’ll look like a variation in the wood grain.
Polishing hardwood floors
You can make a polish solution for your floors from household ingredients. Mix olive oil and vinegar in equal parts. Pour it directly into scratches and then wipe it off after 24 hours. It may take several applications, but this homemade polish will fill and cover most scratches.
Clever decor
It’s not a long-term solution, but sometimes the most painless way to fix scratches in your floors is to cover them. Get creative with a rug or furniture arrangement.
Spot sanding
For deeper scratches, you’ll need to spot sand with fine steel wool or sandpaper, use wood filler, and stain and seal the repaired area.
If your hardwood floors are beyond all DIY-style help, it’s probably time to call in the professionals to see how much refinishing the floors might cost. Depending on the cost, it might even be a good opportunity to switch up the type of flooring. You’ll have a clear idea of where the highest traffic areas are, which you could use to your advantage when determining the best way to spend money to prevent seeing so many scratches in the future.