Kitchen Hacks
The Fridge Staple You Didn't Know Could Fix Your Hardwood Floor Scratches
Video proof ahead.
Having to be responsible for scratches in my hardwood floors is, not to be dramatic, one of the worst feelings in the world.
In terms of emotional pain, it ranks up there with finding out your favorite coffee shop has closed, or that your go-to sunscreen has suddenly changed formulas for no reason. But in each case, life must go on, so let’s move to the next stage of things: furiously researching to find a way to fix the situation.
In the case of coffee shops and sunscreen, I’ve been there, but probably can’t help you. With the floors on the other hand, experience has actually made me just a little bit wiser—which is why I can tell you that there is something you can do for those scratches, and it doesn't involve sanding your floors and starting anew.
And that’s to fill them with mayonnaise. No, seriously.
This method of healing cracks works best for smaller and more shallow imperfections in your floor, but it’s worth a shot on deeper grooves, too. If you’re wondering why this advice sounds kind of familiar, it’s because mayonnaise is already a tried-and-true secret for getting rid of water stains on wood.
How does it work? Per one source, “the protein and oils in the mayonnaise will help the wood to swell and will actually fill that crack.” As for the “steps,” it’s pretty simple: clean the area to remove as much dirt as possible, then apply a heap of mayonnaise directly to the floor. Some members of the DIY-sphere would have you leave it on for just a few minutes at a time, while others would prefer you allow the mayonnaise to do its thing for 30 minutes or more, before gently wiping the area with a soft rag.
If you’re still thinking, wait, you really want me to put mayonnaise on the floor? Yes, I do! Chances are that you’ve currently got a jar of it in the fridge or pantry right this second—it's always a good time for a mayonnaise-based salad, after all. Plus, you’ve got nothing to lose. Except those ugly scratches in your beautiful floors.
I said I'd give you video proof of the wonders of your favorite emulsion, and here it is. One final tip: When you’ve finished mayo-treating your floors, don’t forget to add any color-matching final touches with another pantry staple—a walnut.
Do you have a tried-and-true cleaning secret? Tell us in the comments below!
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Written by: Karen Lo
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20 Comments
Why would you clean a floor only to smear,wipe and and leave a remnant of smelly mayo behind?
Is this a test of whether someone has common sense to do something so stupid?
Especially if one has pets and doesn't want them licking the floors? SMH...
(One more editorial tsk-tsk: explaining how it works (or actually, not) by citing a "source", when that source - TipHero.com - simply says the same thing, with no evidence or source itself whatsoever - is something my 10th grade English teacher would've docked me two full letter grades for. Plus, have you *looked* at the site? It's garbage. Current front page example headline: "707-Pound Man Who Refuses to Lose Weight Says ‘I’ll Eat ‘Til I’m Dead’". You cited THAT site? For a SCIENCE explanation? Shame on you, Food52.)
(Disclaimer/qualifications: Outside of my day job, I'm a woodworker and knifemaker - I work with *lots* of different kinds of valuable wood, and finishes, for woodworking and the handles of my ($800+) chef knives. As to the chemistry: I know enough to have a US patent on a catalytic hydrocarbon fuel synthesis process...)
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