Among household wood floors, a mahogany wood floor is regarded among the more aesthetic and durable options. Mahogany is a durable wood that is inherently resistant to scratches and staining. However, continued use and neglectful handling can take a toll on the most durable of hardwoods. Thus, people having mahogany wood floors should know how to remove the scratches from their floors. This is a simple process that can be done without professional assistance, using some basic household supplies.
Cleaning the Mahogany Wood Floor
You need to thoroughly clean the mahogany wood floor before treating the scratches. This ensures that the debris is not impacted by the scratches during the scratch-removal process. Ensure that you don’t use hard abrasive agents that can further scratch the surface. To clean the debris, repeatedly mop the floor.
Then clean the mahogany wood floor with a cleaning solution made of lukewarm water and dishwashing soap. You can use a sponge to lightly scrub the floor. Remember to rub the sponge in the direction of the wood grain. To remove hard stains around the scratched surface, use a solution made of tap water and white vinegar. Dry the floor before proceeding.
Buffing Mahogany Wood Floor Scratches
Buffing ensures that the outline of the scratches is reduced and they are camouflaged in the background of the mahogany wood grain. You can use a steel wool pad for this. Ensure that you limit your buffing to the scratches only. You can also use fine-grain sandpaper grits. Buff in direction of the wood grain. Don’t use sanding screens and scouring pads or buffing compounds containing harsh mineral spirits as these can harm the mahogany wood floor.
Waxing Mahogany Wood Floor Scratches
Using a dry mop, clean the debris created by buffing. You can also vacuum the floor. To fill up the scratches, you can use wax. Paste wax is recommended for this purpose as it easily attaches to finished wood surfaces. After applying the wax, re-buff the floor, in the same manner, explained above. Paste wax acts as a filler material for deep scratches.
Coloring Mahogany Wood Floor Scratches
To ensure that the scratches are comprehensively eradicated, you need to treat them with a matching color. This a bit of trial and error phase wherein you need to use various approaches to find out which one is most effective. Use mahogany-colored repair markers available at hardware stores. You can fill in the scratches with mahogany-colored wax sticks also. However, this requires repeated buffing since the wax needs to be sanded to be disguised.
Finishing Repaired Mahogany Wood Floor
It is vital to finish this repair project by applying a wood finish. This conceals the presence of repaired surfaces and contributes towards the overall durability of repaired, buffed surfaces. Apply a branded wood finishing compound using a paintbrush. However, using medium or low-gloss finishing compounds is recommended since they are better equipped to conceal the presence of deep scratches. You should use water-based finishing compounds that are easier to handle and can immediately bond with the mahogany wood floor.
Source: www.DoItYourself.com
