How to restore the essence of your piece of furniture?

That first nasty scratch on your beautiful piece of furniture can be very disappointing. So what can be done about an unsightly scratch other than having the whole piece refinished? Thankfully, there are some touch-up products that can be used to restore your piece of furniture to its original charm. Here, we are going to explore three of the most common touch-up products that can be easily and safely adapted for home use.

Touch-up pen

Wood touch-up pens are available at most paint stores. These pens are filled with the wood stain rather than ink. Because these pens have wide applicator tips, they tend to conceal scratches very easily. The best way to use a touch-up pen is to apply it along the length of the scratch until the stain fills the scratch. You can then wipe the excess stain from around the mark using a damp rag. Using a touch-up pen is an effective way to cover the scratch without making a mess.

Acrylic paint

From your nearby art supply or craft store, purchase several small brushes, a small bottle of clear flat liquid acrylic, and some acrylic paint. Use a brush to apply the paint to the scratch. If you go wrong, wipe out the paint while it's still wet and try again. Acrylic paint is very forgiving. When the repair dries, paint on top of the scratch with the liquid flat acrylic. The flat luster will reflect less light and make the scratch less obvious. Remember that the paint will deepen as it dries, so make your final color a shade lighter than what you want.

Wax sticks

Colored wax repair sticks are commonplace; they can be found in just about any paint store. If your scratch is really deep, a wax stick is your most ideal choice for a quick fix-up. Simply rub the wax stick into the scratch and then scrape the wax level to the surface using a credit card. At last, get rid of the excess wax from around the scratch with a damp cloth.

These three Mohawk touch-up products will allow you to make satisfactory repairs to most scratches on your furniture. Just keep in mind that the goal is to patch the scratch well enough so it does not draw attention to itself; you want the scratch repair to go unobserved by your guests. In the refinishing business, such restorations are said to be "invisible to the casual observer". That is, only a close inspection will reveal that a repair has been made, but otherwise the repair goes unnoticed.