Gateleg Table

With four dogs, a cat and four children running around the house, furniture gnawing, scratches and drawings are inevitable. This was the typical scenario in our house when we were kids.

I still have this vivid picture of the scratches and crayon inscriptions on the surface of our oval gateleg table. There are scratches on the surface and more at the bottom part. Bite marks also decorate said table. People in love have this urge to carve their names on wood, right? Well, children armed with writing materials will do the same too.

Back then, we have yet to realize that our substitute for paper is an antique. This was probably the reason why mom would create ruckus every time we release our artistic side. Nicks are allowed on the wall where we etched each of our annual height increase, if there was any. My mom even reached to the point of folding the oval gateleg table and hiding the same for us not to leave our marks.

To be honest, we helped our mother discover different ways to remove our sketches and out pets’ scratches and bite marks. From wood fillers to sealers to cleaners and polishes; these things are a staple in our cleaning closet. Here are some of the things we did to clear up our mess.

For the crayon, we used vinegar. We also tried toothpaste. If some mark still remains, we used the trusty hair dyer and heated the area slightly until it softens then we use paper towels to blot away the marks. Believe me this worked on our oval gateleg table.

Another alternative is to use commercial products intended to address specific furniture problems. It is advisable that you first apply it in a conspicuous area to be safe. Again, this happened to our oval gateleg table. However, it was I who poured a solution over the scratches and we ended up with a discolored gateleg table. Fortunately, my mom still has a few tricks off her sleeves—a tablecloth! So no one noticed anything.