When purchasing a piece of solid wood furniture, you are making an investment that should last you and your family for years. Nicks and scratches are sometimes inevitable though, so keep your furniture looking beautiful with these quick tips from about.com on how to correct minor surface damages.

Wood Polish

Using wood polish to cover any surface scratches is one of the simplest remedies available. These polishes come in a variety of shades to match almost any shade of wood, so choose one that most loosely matches the finish on your piece of furniture and blend it into the surface damage. A thin coat of wax can also help to remove superficial surface scratches.

Homemade Remedies

There are various items that you can find around your home to remedy any minor discolorations or scratches on your furniture.

Crayons are one easy way to hide a surface scratch. Simply find the crayon color that most closely matches the shade of your furniture’s finish and rub it into the scratch.  Mixing two crayon colors together can sometimes produce a better match for the color of your furniture’s finish. After apply the crayon to the scratch, smooth the mark with a soft towel.

Brazil nuts and walnuts are one natural way to fix a scratch in lighter woods.  Cut the nut in half to release their oils, rub it into the surface scratch, and smooth when finished.

One less obvious remedy is the iodine that you might find in your medicine cabinet. Iodine works well at masking scratches that have been made in darker woods.  It might take a few applications to achieve the right shade, but using a Q-tip to gently apply it into the scratch will hide the mark from sight.