Laminate floor scratch repair using 5 household items

The festive season is a time of joy, gatherings, and celebrations, but it can also bring unexpected challenges for your home, especially when it comes to your flooring. 

With guests moving around your home, rearranged furniture, and the hustle and bustle of Christmas celebrations, scuffs and scratches on laminate flooring can become a common sight. 

Thankfully, restoring superficial scratches to your laminate or wooden floors doesn’t have to be stressful or expensive. 

Instead of turning to expensive repair kits - or worse, replacing the floor altogether - our flooring experts at Online Carpets have shared everyday household food items that can provide simple and cost-effective solutions to keep your floors looking their best. 

Five surprising food items that get rid of scratches on laminate floor

1. Walnuts 

Walnuts are a surprising yet powerful tool for wooden floor scratch repair. The natural oils in a walnut kernel penetrate the wood, helping to fill in and conceal scratches. 

To use, simply crack open a walnut or buy a pack of walnut halves, these are available from any major supermarket and rub the kernel directly onto the scratched area in a circular motion. 

After applying, let the walnut sit for a few minutes before buffing the area with a soft cloth. This will leave you with a smoother, less noticeable scratch and refreshed laminate floors. 

2. Mayonnaise

While using mayonnaise to repair scratches on wooden floor might sound ridiculous, it contains rich oils that can work wonders on the scratched wood.

Simply apply a small dollop of mayonnaise onto the scratch and allow it to sit for several hours or overnight. The oils will seep into the wood, helping minimise the appearance of imperfections.  

If using on laminate floor, you should only wipe the mayo on the scratch, rather than letting it sit, as the oils could potentially end up damaging the protective coating.  

Wipe away any excess with a clean cloth, and repeat the process until your flooring looks renewed. 

3. Olive Oil and Vinegar

A Christmas cheese and meat board isn’t complete without olive oil and vinegar. And these can come in handy for scratched flooring, too. 

A simple mixture of olive oil and vinegar can both clean and repair scratched wooden and laminate floors. Combine one part vinegar with two parts olive oil in a small bowl, then dip a soft cloth into the mixture and rub it gently onto the scratched areas. 

The vinegar helps clean the surface, while the olive oil hydrates the wood, helping to make scratches on laminate floor less visible. Finish by wiping away any residue with a damp cloth and then wipe over again with a dry cloth to remove excess moisture. 

4. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is great for cooking and also, great for tending to scratches on laminate floor.

This cupboard staple can rejuvenate scratched wood, as coconut oil is known for its deeply moisturising properties and it helps restores shine and minimises the appearance of scratches. 

Simply warm a small amount of coconut oil in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or between your hands and then massage it onto the damaged area. 

On real wooden floor, let the oil sit for about 15 minutes before buffing with a soft cloth. If using this hack on laminate floor, try not to let the oil sit for more than a few minutes to avoid causing further damage. 

5. Banana Peels

Before you throw your banana peel into the compost, did you know the inside of a banana peel contains natural oils and potassium that can help buff out surface scratches on wooden floor or laminate? 

Simply rub the inside of the peel over the scratched areas in circular motions. Afterward, use a damp cloth to wipe away any residue and a dry cloth to buff the surface. It’s an eco-friendly and effective way to address minor damage. 

These five household items are incredibly cost-effective and environmentally-friendly ways to help treat scratches on your laminate floors and help restore their beauty. 

While these solutions are best for minor scratches they offer a practical alternative to expensive commercial products that typically include harsh chemicals. 

Damage to your flooring is super common and, in some cases, inevitable, but that doesn’t make them any less frustrating.  

Check out our other advice blogs on household cleaning to ensure you always know your plan of action when life happens: 

• How to clean laminate flooring 
• How to get rid of pollen out of carpet 
• How to get chocolate out of carpet 
• How to clean pet mess out of carpet