Don’t know how to remove scratches from your hardwood floors? This woodworking expert has a surprising hack for you.
L and J Wood Works (@landjworks) posted a video to its TikTok account on Feb. 3 that has a quick fix tip for visible floor scratches—and you may even already have a bottle of the secret ingredient in your home.
Since it was posted, the video has garnered over 407,000 views.
Use this trick to remove scratches
Land J’s video opens by showing a badly scratched hardwood floor.
“Little lifehack, if you’ve got all these scratches on the floor that won’t come off,” the narrator says as he points out the damage on the floor.
“Take anything that’s oily, like a lotion, and just do this,” he squirts out a dollop of CeraVe lotion onto the scratches and begins to rub it in using two fingers. He then polishes the floor with a rag.
The scratch does not vanish completely, but it is certainly less noticeable. “They stand out a lot less,” the narrator states.
So, does this work?
What methods work?
There are plenty of DIY fixes for floor scratches available on the internet. While L and J seem to be the only ones to use CeraVe specifically, many sources agree that an oily compound is useful in hiding minor scratches.
Better Homes & Gardens recommends a mixture of apple cider vinegar and olive oil. It also suggests using coconut oil.
Bob Vila suggests a baking soda and olive oil mixture to remove scratches.
The UK’s Better Maid site agrees with Better Homes that an apple cider vinegar and olive oil mixture is a good home remedy for scratches.
All of the sites also agree that rubbing a walnut or a walnut stick on the scratches is an effective fix. “The oils from the walnut fill in the wood, and surprisingly work really well,” according to Better Homes & Gardens.
Bob Vila also suggests products specifically designed for scratch removal, including Scratch Away and Old English Scratch Cover.
It should be noted that these fixes are only designed for superficial scratches. Deeper damage may require more drastic measures, such as sanding and refinishing.
The Daily Dot contacted CeraVe via email for a statement.
Mixed reactions in the comments
Several viewers responded to the video with their own DIY remedies.
“I’ve always used coconut oil,” wrote Betty Napier (@bettynapier0).
Another viewer commented, “Use cashews or walnuts.”
“English oil has tinted clean oil that will camouflage scratches,” another added.
And some disagreed with the advice or added caveats.
Moor Painting Mississippi (@moorepainting) advised, “Yeah don’t do that!”
“Stand out a lot less, but the oil also holds dirt/dust,” one viewer claimed.
Another suggested, “Just buy a variety of brown markers. and color them in. that oil will attract dirt.”
And another warned, “Now that’s gonna be an issue if you ever need to sand them!”
The Daily Dot reached out to L and J Wood Works via TikTok comment and direct message for further comment.
@landjworks #lifehack ♬ original sound – L and J Wood Works
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