Jane Hughes
In most homes, the dining room table is the focal point of family life.
It’s the centerpiece of family gatherings and a place not only to enjoy the meal, but to communicate and share stories about everyone’s day.
However, it’s probably the piece of furniture that takes the most beating and is most exposed to wear and tear.
With all that’s going on during the dinner, it’s particularly susceptible to scratches.
And, once you’ve found the perfect table, the last thing you want is for its flawless appearance to be ruined by scratches.
For this reason, caring for your dining table and preventing the damage is crucial to maintaining its beauty for years to come.
To help you achieve this, I’ll share a couple of tips and tricks on how to protect dining room table from scratches and how to revitalize them once the damage has already been done.
So, let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
How To Protect Dining Room Table From Scratches?
The dining room table is probably one of the most, if not the most, used piece of furniture in your house.
And, if you’re using a dining room table, you will most likely scratch it at some point or other.
There’s no way to avoid this and the only way to 100% protect your table is to not use it all, which, of course, defeats its purpose.
However, there are ways to minimize damage and keep the scratches at a minimum.
After all, the dinner table is often a major investment and you should do your best to keep it protected.
By doing so, you will also highlight its beauty as the focal point of the dining room.
Luckily, in most cases taking care of your dinner table won’t even require much time or effort, just some regular maintenance and proper protection.
Keep The Dust Away
- Ultra soft, non-abrasive microfiber cleaning cloths will not scratch paints, vinyl, glass, finishes or other surfaces
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- Absorbent cleaning cloths soak up eight times their own weight
- Pack comes with three different towel colors (blue, yellow, and white)
- Rinse and reuse the durable, washable cleaning cloths 100's of times
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While you may not think that it can cause much damage, dust on the table can easily lead to scratches on your dining room table.
If you fail to clean it on a regular, at least once or twice a week, the dust will build up and cause small scratches every time you move something like a plate over it.
There are a couple of things you should pay attention to while dusting your dinner table.
It’s best done with a soft cloth as a traditional feather duster may only cause it to spread more.
Make sure that the cloth is clean and dry (or slightly dump). For more thorough cleaning, try micro-fiber or lint-free cloth.
You shouldn’t wipe the table too hard, as it may cause more damage than good. Instead, use gentle circular motions, preferably in the direction of the wood grain.
Use Table Pads Or A Tablecloth
- EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR FURNITURE - Our quilted table pad will prevent any damage from happening to your table. Our...
- VERSATILE- Can be used as primary tablecloth or under your favorite tablecloth for a beautiful gentle, flowing drape on...
- LIGHTWEIGHT PROTECTION – Protects Your Table from Spills, Chips, & Scratches. Accidents happen especially if you have...
- EASY CARE INSTRUCTIONS – Wipe Clean With A Damp Cloth ***NOT MACHINE WASHABLE – DO NOT IRON*** The vinyl surface...
- MATERIALS – Surface is 100% Vinyl With 100% Polyester Flannel Backing Table pad features an extra-thick polyester...
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Since you can’t always stop occasional scratches, using a protective layer will at least help you keep the damage from the table’s surface.
Table Pads are a handy and cheap way of protecting your table from accidental damage.
They are especially handy when it comes to moving heavier pans and dishes around the table.
They also provide space to place your glasses and utensils without worrying about them leaving their mark on the table’s surface.
- HIGH QUALITY MATERIAL: Our rectangle tablecloth is made from high quality durable PVC which gives you superior strength...
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- WATERPROOF, STAIN RESISTANT & WRINKLE FREE TABLECLOTH: Crafted of premium vinyl PVC thick materials, our tablecloth...
- MULTIPLE PURPOSES: This easy to clean heat resistant table cover is suitable for buffet dinners, dining table, tea...
- EASY CARE: Our wipeable tablecloths wipes clean with a damp cloth (recommended). Do not machine wash. Do not bleach and...
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However, when a whole family or any other group of people sits to eat, it’s probably better to use a tablecloth and cover the whole table.
Besides keeping the table safe, the Tablecloth will also make it look more attractive with all materials and designs available.
You can go with linen or cotton tablecloths and chose the design and color that is the best match for the rest of the dining room.
Adding A Glass Tabletop
- 36" inch round clear glass table top &high quality glass table top
- Recommended for office tables, lobby tables, business meeting tables, dining tables, kitchen tables, desk , patio table...
- Available sizes : 12", 14", 18", 20", 22", 23" ,24",25", 26", 28", 30", 32", 34", 36", 40", 42", 48", 60"
- Clear glass processed to be as close to perfect as possible through a curing process yields no air bubbles
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For more permanent protection, you can install a glass tabletop on your dining room table.
Besides protecting from scratches, it will also prevent all the accident liquid spills from reaching the table surface.
Adding a Glass Tabletop can also increase the appeal of the whole table. It will make it look more elegant and stylish and add a new note to the dining room.
However, while providing the most protection, this is also the most expensive way of keeping the scratches away. Plus, it won’t reduce your cleaning duties.
Most dining room tables are manufactured in darker color tones.
The reflective surface of the glass on top of the dark background will make all the dust and every fingertip, every streak, and every crumb extremely visible.
How To Remove Scratches From Dining Room Table?
Even with all the precautions, you may still scratch your dining table.
When this happens, there are a couple of things you can do.
Removing Scratchers With Sandpaper
- RECTANGULAR SAND PAPER: 10 sheets of 180 grit sandpaper for grinding and polishing. Product size is 9 x 11 inches, you...
- HIGH QUALITY SANDPAPER SHEETS: Made of waterproof silicone carbide and electro coated. Electro coated ensures the grit...
- WET AND DRY USING SANDPAPER: High quality silicone carbide and electro coated suitable for both wet and dry...
- EASY TO IDENTITY: The grits of the abrasive paper are printed on the back of fine sand paper, so you can easy to...
- WIDE APPLICATION: The sand papers are suitable for usage in art and craft, wood, metal, and plastic applications for...
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You can use steel wool or sanding paper to lightly scrub the area with scratches. Remember to always sand in the direction of wood grains.
Start with more coarse sandpaper (180 grit) and then even the surface out with something lighter like 240 grit sandpaper.
Deeper scratches may require smoothing the area with 320 or 400-grit sandpaper.
Once you finish, you should wipe the surface with a mineral spirit and a cloth and use polyurethane to coat the surface and give it a more natural look.
Removing Scratches With Crayons
- Choose between a 13-piece and a 17-piece furniture repair kit, Wide Range of Uses: It has both markers and crayon type...
- The 13-piece kit includes Six Repair Markers, Six Paper Wrapped Wax Sticks Crayon Type Filler, and One Wax Stick...
- The 17-piece Includes Eight Repair Markers, Eight Paper Wrapped Wax Sticks Crayon Type Filler, and One Wax Stick...
- PREMIUM QUALITY - Top quality markers and wax sticks that cover scratches, nicks, scuffs, and discoloration on...
- EASY TO USE - Simply draw over the scratch, allow it to quickly dry, and watch the scratches disappear right before your...
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Another nifty trick is using the child’s crayon.
They’re made of a selection of vaxes with the added strengthener and come in various colors which makes them perfect for the job.
Simply rub the Crayon in the appropriate color over the scratched area until it’s full of vax.
Then, use a credit card or something similar to even the surface out. If needed, repeat the process several times.
Conclusion
Accidents will happen no matter how careful we are.
Just wearing a piece of heavy jewelry or a big watch at the table poses a risk of creating scratches.
With all the people sitting at the dining room table, an occasional scratch will occur sooner or later.
Unfortunately, these scratches can ruin the look of your table and make it seem old, and diminish its appeal.
Still, while the scratches will happen, this shouldn’t stop you from trying to get them to a minimum.
Following the advice mentioned above gives you the best chance to keep your dinner table looking beautiful and fresh for as long as possible.
