| TYPE OF FINISH |
PROCEDURE: SCRATCH REMOVAL |
| Plastic |
Regular applications of automobile wax will fill in minor scratches. |
| Dark Wood |
Rub nutmeats (walnut, Brazil nut or butternut) into scratch. Or touch up with a furniture crayon, eyebrow pencil, or shoe polish in a shade to match finish. |
| Mahogany or Cherry |
Apply aged or darkened iodine. |
| Maple |
Apply aged or darkened iodine diluted 50 percent with denatured alcohol. |
| Oil |
Using a fine steel wool pad, rub lightweight mineral oil, boiled linseed oil, or paraffin oil into scratch. Wipe dry. |
| TYPE OF STAIN |
PROCEDURE: STAIN REMOVAL |
| Water marks or rings |
Place a clean, thick blotter over stain and press down with a warm iron. Repeat. If that fails, try applying a cleaning polish or wax. OR, apply camphorated oil with a lint-free cloth, rubbing with the wood grain. Wipe dry and repeat. |
| White marks |
Rub with a thin paste of wax and mineral spirits. When dry, apply a thin coat of wax or cleaning polish. Or, rub with cigar or cigarette ashes, using cloth dipped in wax, lubricating oil, vegetable shortening, lard, or salad oil. Wipe off immediately. Rewax. |
| Milk or alcohol |
Using your fingers, rub liquid or paste wax into the area. If that fails, rub in paste of boiled linseed oil rottenstone (available at most hardware stores). Use powdered pumice for dull finishes. Wipe dry and polish. Or, apply ammonia with damp cloth and polish immediately. |
| Cigarette burns |
Rub area with scratch concealing polish. If that fails, apply rottenstone paste (available at most hardware stores). If the burn is deep the area may need to be refinished. |
| Heat marks |
Rub area gently with dry steel wool soap pad a tiny area at a time, wiping up powdery residue. If that fails, rub with a cloth dampened in camphorated oil or mineral spirits. Rub dry with a clean cloth and repeat. Or, rub gently with fine steel wool, wipe off and repolish. |
| Sticking paper |
Saturate paper with lightweight oil and wait several minutes. Rub area lightly with fine steel wool and wipe dry. |
| Nail polish |
Blot spot immediately. Rub area gently with fine steel wool dipped in liquid wax. Wipe away and rewax. |
| Paint spots |
If paint is wet treat like a nail polish stain. If dry, soak area with linseed oil. Wait until paint softens. Wipe away paint with a cloth dampened with linseed oil. If any paint remains, apply a paste of boiled linseed oil and rottenstone (available at most hardware stores). |
| Candle wax |
Harden wax with an ice cube, catching the moisture as ice melts. Using your fingers, crumble off wax. Gently scrape remaining wax off with an old credit card. Rub with a cloth dampened in mineral spirits. Or place a clean, thick blotter over stain and press down with a warm iron. Rub area with liquid polish. |
