Easy Ways to Maintain Furniture : Finishes: Scrapes and scratches can be removed from wood without a trace.

Chances are that much of your furniture is made of wood. While attractive and durable, wood is vulnerable to scrapes, scratches and stains.

Here are some tips to help keep your wood furniture looking its best. Cleaning:

--If you dust wood furniture often with a slightly dampened lint-free cloth containing a small amount of furniture polish, you won’t have to polish as frequently.

--Choose a polish that matches your furniture’s finish, rather than its wood. Liquid polish, oil finish and paste wax produce high luster; cream polish and spray wax provide moderate luster. No matter which type of polish you choose, apply it sparingly. The real secret to a good shine is more rubbing, not more polish.

--Avoid switching back and forth from a polish containing oil to one containing wax. Applying both kinds to the same surface could cause blotches or smudges.

--To remove wax buildup, wipe the surface with a soft cloth dampened with synthetic turpentine or mineral spirits. Or use a liquid polish.

Removing stains:

--To remove water stains from wood, place a heavy, thick blotter over the spot, then press with a warm iron until the stain disappears. If the stain persists, rub it with lemon oil and let it set overnight. Wipe away the excess oil the following morning.

--Alcohol spills from drinks, medicines and cosmetics can dissolve wood finishes. Wipe up spills immediately, then rub the area with a cloth moistened with lemon oil.

--Milk spills can also damage wood finishes. Wipe the spill up, rub affected area with a damp cloth that has been dipped in ammonia and rub dry with a clean cloth. Or rub with small amount of silver polish or wet cigarette ashes, then wipe dry.

--Remove glass rings on table tops by rubbing them with a mixture of mayonnaise and white toothpaste. Wipe the area dry, then polish the entire surface.

Scrapes and scratches:

--Scratches can easily be treated with touch-up sticks. They come in numerous colors and shades and are available at paint shops.

--Hide scratches on mahogany or dark cherry by rubbing them with a cotton swab dipped in iodine. For unshellacked maple and cherry, dilute the iodine by 50% with denatured alcohol. To darken a scratch, rub it gently with the meat of a walnut. Rub the kernel of the nut directly into the scratch, not into the surrounding wood.

--For scratches in oil finishes, rub with fine steel wool and lightweight mineral oil or boiled linseed oil. Let the oil soak in, then wipe dry.

--Remove light burns with a thin paste made by mixing rottenstone or finely powdered pumice (available from woodworking suppliers) with linseed oil. Rub the paste in the direction of the grain with a soft cloth. Continue until the burn disappears.

--Repairing deep burns is a bit more involved:

1. Gently sand or scrape away the blackened wood with a single-edge razor or utility knife.

2. Select a wax or shellac stick that matches the lightest grain of the wood. Heat the blade of a curved grapefruit knife by holding it over the sootless flame of a spirit lamp or over an electric stove burner.

3. Hold the stick against the heated blade and let the wax melt into the depression in the wood’s surface. Melt enough wax so the hole is filled slightly above the wood surface.

4. Let the wax cool. Then scrape off the excess with a razor blade.

5. To match the grain, use a fine-tipped artist’s brush to paint dark streaks.

6. Seal the patch with clear polyurethane or an acrylic varnish spray.

Need help on a home repair or improvement project? Write Reader’s Digest, P.O. Box 700, Pleasantville, N.Y. 10570-7000. Suggestions and tips will be offered in future columns.