How to Fix Black Lacquer

Dust your lacquer finish weekly. Dampen a soft rag or cloth with clean, warm water and wipe down the lacquer surface. Quickly follow this with a dry, white cloth to remove excess water. Dusting will remove surface contaminants and may help restore some of the shine.

Cover small, light scratches with felt-tip scratch removers. These markers come in a variety of colors to match your wood. Simply color over small scratches and allow the color to dry. This will make the color of the lacquer finish even again.

For larger scratches, combine blending powder and padding lacquer to create a cover. Like the markers, the powders come in a variety of colors, and the amount of powder and lacquer needed will vary by the size your repair area and the specific product. Mix the powder and lacquer per product instructions to achieve your color and apply it with a fine artist's paintbrush. Allow the lacquer to dry overnight.

Inspect your repair work in the morning. If the repaired area appears lighter than the rest of the furniture, apply a second coat of powder and lacquer and allow it to dry overnight.

Mix twice the amount of powder into the lacquer as you used for the initial repair. With a very fine pointed paintbrush, connect the grain lines from the surrounding wood through the repair area with the darker color. This will help the repaired are blend in with the rest of the wood. Allow the lacquer to dry overnight.

Inspect your work in the morning. If the area appears more glossy than the rest of the piece, sand it lightly with #0000 steel wool.