While wooden floors are a durable flooring option, they tolerate a lot of wear: daily traffic, spills, scuffs and scratches from pets, if you've got them. Moving furniture, wearing shoes inside or children playing with hard toys might damage your floors. However, you can also scratch or dull your hardwood floors if you don't clean them properly and regularly.

To keep your floors looking new, a group member of the Cleaning Tips and Tricks Facebook page asked how to remove scratches and water stains from their hardwood flooring and was recommended a range of solutions. One particular suggestion that kept cropping up was to use mayonnaise, and cleaning experts have agreed.

Divya Kharisma wrote: “Help. I will be moving out of my current flat at the end of the month, and I need to remove the scratches and water stains from the wooden floor before the cleaning inspection. Is there anything that can be done to remove it, as it appears to have dried up?”

Julie Jackson claimed: “Mayonnaise will work wonders, smother it on and leave as long as you can. The oil in it does the trick.”

Sandra Pollendine said: “Full-fat mayonnaise and leave for half an hour and then buff with a soft cloth after.” Valerie Williams wrote: “Mayonnaise left overnight, tried and tested, just wipe off.”

Sharon Hale recalled: “I had a similar mark on my wooden cabinet. Used mayonnaise and rubbed it in with a cloth. Came up like new!”

Collette Bolton replied: “Mayonnaise is brilliant. Clean first and make sure it is dry before applying.”

Ann Baker said: “I got rid of scratches on my wooden table with mayonnaise. Worth a try. It even got rid of the dust for a while.”

Experts at Cleaning Pro agreed with using this method to revive wooden floors. They said: “Believe it or not, mayonnaise is an effective scuff remover and dust repellent.  

“Using a soft cloth, gently rub a small amount of mayo on the scuffed spot and let it soak in for five to 10 minutes before wiping clean.”

They pointed out that it’s the oils in the mayonnaise that help lift dirt from the abrasions and give shiny, dust-free results.