Dealing with scratched hardwood floors

Hardwood floors are highly desireable for most homeowners, but they do come with their share of challenges when it comes to cleaning, maintenace, and repairs. After a few months or years of heavy use from kids, pets, and moving furniture, it may be time for some DIY fixes

Hiding Scratches: If you've got a good eye for matching colours, you can actually use crayons or markers, or purchase wax sticks from a hardware store to fill in scratches. Try to match the stain colour on your floor, but don't worry if it's a little off. If the colour is close, once the scratch is filled, it'll look like a varation in the wood grain.

Polishing floors: You can make a polishing solution for your floors from household ingredients. Mix equal parts olive oil and vinegar. Pour solution directly into scratch and let stand for 24hrs. Wipe away and apply using same method until scratch is filled and covered. This method should fill most scratches.

Clever Decor: It's not a long term solution, but it's sometimes the most practical way to fix a large unslightly scratch. Try covering scratch with a rug or get creative with your furniture arrangement.

Spot Sanding: This fix is a permanent one that takes elbow grease and some research. Here are the basics, however I can't stress enough that you need to thoroughly look into this prosses. Ask a worker at your local hardware store for tips and tricks. For deep scratches you'll need to spot sand area with a fine steel wool or sandpaper, use a wood filler, stain and seal the repaired area. Give yourself a full day for this fix.