How to Easily Revive Old Wood and Remove Scratches

Lora Bloomquist
by Lora Bloomquist
2 Materials
$10
30 Minutes
Easy

How do I get rid of scratches on wood? Here is an easy way to revive old wooden pieces and remove those time worn scratches.

Vintage wooden pieces are fun to find while thrifting and secondhand shopping. But with age there are usually scratches and dings they’ve picked up through the years. If you’re like me, you’re eager to start decorating with them and adding their character to your home. Here is How To Easily Revive Old Wood and Remove Scratches.


I’ve picked up a few new-to-me wood pieces thrifting lately and pulled a couple more out of storage. They all need some refreshing and reviving. Here’s my go-to solution.


Take Your Grandma’s Advice

This trick is as good as Grandma’s chocolate chip cookie recipe. Tried and true. Yes, other products have been developed, but when something works, you tend to keep doing what you’ve been doing.

Old English Scratch Cover for light and dark woods, are my tried and true favorites for removing scratches and dings on vintage pieces. It’s been around for decades…right on the bottle it says, “Trusted for over a 100 years”. I also love their Lemon Oil which replenishes wood and brings out it’s patina.


How to Apply and Tips for Removing Scratches

The best part is Old English is easy and quick to apply. You don’t need anything special. Keep a couple bottles handy with your cleaning supplies, so they’ll be at the ready.


Here’s how a cute vintage recipe box looked when I picked it up at a church sale. Obviously it’s seen years of use. I love the character, but just want it to look revived before using it in my kitchen.


Wood pieces that don’t need a complete makeover like this are easily revived.

Simply grab an old lint-free cloth and squirt Old English on it. It is greasy, so you may want to wear gloves. Also be careful to not splash onto anything else (like fabric). It would leave a grease stain.


Wipe the entire wooden piece inside and out, rubbing the oil into the surface. Squirt more on your cloth so you’re working plenty of oil into the piece.

It’s like you’re giving the old wood a refreshing gulp of lemonade. It happily soaks into the grain and covers over any imperfections. Once you’ve done that to the whole surface, let it soak and dry for a bit. You may want to let it dry for several hours or overnight before you decorate with it. Otherwise it could leave a grease mark on whatever you set it on.


I use the lighter version or simply lemon oil on lighter woods such as maple and oak.

The darker version works wonders on darker wood pieces. It fills in and covers scratches and revives the tired-looking old wood. Look how much better this recipe box looks!


I had been thinking about giving this old tack box a little sanding and polying, but with a couple swipes of Old English, I think I’m satisfied!

I pulled out a few wood candlesticks and wiped a little on them too. I’ve even “aged” an old canvas painting with the darker version because the colors were a little too bright for my tastes.


Second Coat, Optional

Try it on your chair legs, your side tables, even your piano. Once dry, you can go back over with another coat for even better coverage and protection. (But make sure not to get any on your carpet).


It all depends on how much character you want to show. It’s really a personal preference.

I hope you can see how easy it is to revive fun vintage pieces, so you can use them in your home’s decor. Whether it’s grandma’s old recipe box or a couple thrifted candlesticks, you can make them beautiful again quickly and easily with tried-and-true Old English.


For more vintage reviving tips, see HERE.


Make sure to FOLLOW me on Hometalk:)

Suggested materials:
  • Old English scratch cover   (amazon)
  • Old English lemon oil   (amazon)
Lora Bloomquist
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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 2 comments
  • William William on Mar 31, 2022

    Great tip. Amazing product. I also have use Old English for decades depending on the condition of the item. It does a great job of revitalizing wood to it's natural state.

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