ᐅ Scratches on the Kallax After a Dog Visit – How to Make Them Less Visible?

Hello everyone,

I recently noticed some scratches on my Kallax shelf, which seem to have been caused by my dog. Specifically, these are superficial marks on the painted surface, likely made by my dog’s claws. My question is: What methods or products would you recommend to make these scratches as invisible as possible without having to sand down or repaint the entire shelf? It’s important to me that the solution is easy to apply and ideally does not require strong chemicals. Has anyone had experience with special wood care products, wax sticks, or similar items that work well on Kallax (birch finish)? Thanks for your suggestions!

lexanderso schrieb:
Which methods or products would you recommend to make these scratches as invisible as possible without having to sand down or repaint the entire shelf?

For superficial scratches on painted surfaces, using wax sticks or color-matched furniture touch-up pens is often the best solution. It is important to match the exact color tone of the Kallax shelving unit to avoid any noticeable contrasts.

A practical and gentle method is:

1. Clean the surface and remove dust
2. Lightly treat the area with furniture oil or wax to refresh the wood at the damaged spot
3. Carefully follow the scratch with a touch-up pen and wipe off any excess material

Avoid aggressive sanding, as the thin veneer can be easily damaged. From my experience, completely repainting is usually complicated and visually challenging unless done professionally.

You can repair scratches on Kallax with a colored pencil in a matching shade. Then apply furniture polish, and you're done.

Jonna schrieb:
For superficial scratches on painted surfaces, using wax sticks or color-matched furniture touch-up pens often works best.

That’s a good approach, but I would like to add that the type of Kallax shelf is crucial. The birch Kallax version usually consists of a wood fiberboard with a thin foil coating, which makes handling a bit more challenging compared to solid wood-like furniture.

If the scratch only affects the foil, tracing over it with a wax stick often only offers temporary improvement, since the area is not truly protected or sealed. Therefore, I recommend the following procedure for better durability:

1. Clean the area with a mild detergent and allow it to dry thoroughly.
2. Check whether the foil around the scratch is still adhered or if it has started to peel.
3. Carefully fill small spots with clear wood glue (use sparingly to avoid uneven surfaces).
4. Once dry, sand lightly—very gently to avoid damaging the thin foil.
5. Afterwards, touch up carefully with a paint pen or clear coat pen specifically designed for synthetic resin or melamine surfaces.

For deeper scratches, it may be necessary to obtain replacement foils and apply them as overlays, since simple touch-ups will leave the damage visible in the long term.

A general question for you: How deep are the scratches approximately? Are they just superficial or noticeably indented?

pauPierce schrieb:
A general question for you: How deep are the scratches approximately? Just surface level or noticeably indented?

Thank you for the detailed explanation. The scratches are indeed noticeable—I can run my fingernail over them and feel a slight indentation. However, they are not deep enough to expose the wood underneath; rather, the top veneer is roughened or slightly torn in some areas.

I think the issue is that simple wax sticks or furniture polish won’t last long—this is exactly why I was skeptical about conventional products.

Maybe the tip about using wood glue or a clear varnish pen makes sense. But at the same time, I hope it won’t be too complicated or become more visible. Does anyone have experience with these types of varnish pens on melamine surfaces or laminate coatings?

I also once had the pleasure of dealing with small scratches on my Kallax, caused by a very lively dog 😉. In short: wax sticks are great for minor surface marks, but if the scratches are noticeable to the touch, it’s worth using a specialized clear lacquer pen from a hardware store (mine was from Hornbach).

Here’s my specific tip: let the lacquer pen dry well on the affected area (up to 24 hours), then very carefully matte the surface with very fine sandpaper (grit 400 or higher) so the lacquer doesn’t look too glossy at the edges.

The result has lasted for months now, even with further animal activity 🙂

A small tip: before applying the lacquer, lightly wipe the area with a damp cloth so that once it dries, you can better see exactly where the lacquer needs to be applied.