These Easy Furniture Hacks Leave Them Looking Brand New
You don't need a new mattress — just try this hack instead!
Do you love your furniture, but feel yourself getting tired of it looking worn? There’s no need to spend thousands on new pieces. Save money and sidestep furniture shipping delays by making your well-worn pieces look and feel like new again with these easy home furniture hacks — no replacements necessary.
Wipe out heat marks with a salty soak.
Want to nix the white rings left behind after placing a hot item on a wood surface? Mix some salt with a few drops of olive oil until a body scrub–like texture forms and apply to the stain, then let sit 30 minutes before wiping, says Harry Peters of TidyChoice cleaning company. The oil reopens the wood’s pores and the salt draws the stain-causing moisture out.
Level a wobbly table with wine corks.
Fixing an uneven table leg is as easy as opening a bottle of wine, says Jo-Anna Rooney, owner of APrettyLifeInTheSuburbs.com. “Just grab the cork and slice a thin disc off of it, then use wood glue to affix the disc to the bottom of the shortest table leg. Continue adding more discs until the table sits flush. Not only is the cork barely noticeable, but it will also protect your floors from scratches.”
Fill wood furniture dings with a walnut rub.
If the legs of your dining table chairs or coffee table are looking scratched and worn down, the nutty fix is likely already in your pantry. Just remove a walnut from its shell and use slight pressure to rub the nut onto the dings or scratches. “Next, rub over the area with your finger —this helps the wood absorb the nut’s oil, which will expand it and actually close up the scratch,” says Brad Holden, senior editor for FamilyHandyman.com. If the scratch is too large for walnut magic, try using a furniture marker (find it at a home-improvement store) in a shade that matches the wood to fill in the scratch.
Renew a leather chair with coconut oil.
A little coconut oil is all it takes to restore worn, cracked leather furniture, says Peters. Just dip a cloth in the oil and rub in a circular motion over the worn surface. Leave for 10 minutes, then buff with a soft, clean cloth. The oil lifts dirt and moisturizes leather, eliminating small surface cracks.
Give a mattress new life with pillow support.
A sagging mattress looks less-than-best and can impact sleep quality, but before shelling out for a new one, try this trick from Rachel Singer, founder of MashupMom.com. “Lift up the mattress and place a pillow under where the sag is — use a second pillow if there are indents from two people — then lie down to test if the pillow is in the right spot and adjust as needed.”
With home items more expensive than ever, it’s worth looking to alternative measures to spruce up your home. Hopefully these home furniture hacks leave them looking brand new.
A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.
