Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

Removing Heat and Water Marks from Wood Furniture

I am trying to get a heat stain off my pine table. As well as water marks? Any suggestions?

Thanks
Tanya from Milton, ON

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Removing Heat and Water Marks from Wood Furniture

For heat marks or water marks on wood furniture, mix some wood ashes with mayonnaise (really!) and rub the glop into the stain with a soft cloth. You may have to use more than one application, but there's a good chance the stain will become invisible. Once it has disappeared, polish with regular furniture polish. And next time, use a trivet or a coaster!

By Becki in Indiana

Ashes on Light Oak

This worked wonderfully-but now I have black from the ashes in the grain of the wood (light oak). Any ideas how to remove that? (01/03/2005)

By Kim

HairDryer to Remove Water Marks from Wood Furniture

Try a hairdryer, heat the watermarked spot, using a very soft cloth to rub hard. The sooner the better, but sometimes will work with old watermarks. Cloth must be absolutely soft -- no seams or anything that will scratch the finish. A diaper is best. Let sit and cool. Then apply your regular furniture polish. (05/11/2005)

By Robert

Thanks for the Tip

Thank-you so much! This worked on a white heat mark that had gone through from a hot teapot on a thick rush mat!! Also worked on 2 white heat marks that had happened last Christmas. I mean, these were not small marks! Thought my pine table was ruined but thanks to your tip it looks as good as it ever did! (09/27/2005)

By Cornish Queen

Mayo With Ash Worked, Mayo Alone Didn't

I had already tried Mayonnaise on a water stain and it didn't work. So I got some ashes out of the wood-stove, mixed the mayo again and this time it worked! Thank you so much! (10/12/2005)

By Sharon Forbes

Miraculous

I just couldn't believe this when I read it but having tried all else on a very large heat mark on a dark mahogany table (and yes I did have mats out) I thought I had nothing to lose. Miraculous- Thanks! (11/13/2005)

By Anne Davies

Hairdyer and a Diaper

Hairdryer and diaper worked great on a white watermark on antique sewing machine with original finish. First tried mayo only with little or no results Wiped up mayo and then heated stain with hair dryer while rubbing with diaper. Stain is completely gone.

Thank so much (12/12/2005)

By Rick

Mayonnaise and Ash

I had previously tried everything and this morning found your site and also the mayonnaise and ash trick I cannot believe how ridiculously easy it has been to remove a white heat mark on our large antique dining room table! A big thank you!! (12/18/2005)

By Rod (UK)

Aloe and Baking Powder

i tried aloe vera oil and baking powder and it worked better than anything I'd seen in my life. (12/31/2005)

By pongo

Hair Dryer

Hairdryer worked great on a 3 day old watermark. Just hold it close to the wood and watch it disappear. AMAZING! (01/15/2006)

By William from GA

Burnt Some Paper and Twigs for Ash

Thank you! I didn't have any wood ashes, so I burnt some paper and twigs and got the ashes. It worked! my favorite dining table is saved! (01/18/2006)

By wendy

Mayo

My Mother always used Mayonnaise to remove water stains from any of the wood furniture. Depending on how the water was on it you may need to leave the mayo on the surface for a long time. (01/26/2006)

By Jackie

Works

Wow - really works - Felt a bit daft mixing the mayo but watched the mark disappear - thank you ! (03/09/2006)

By John in Grandborough UK

Mayo and Ash

How great it was to see that others "in-the-know" are able to pass on these old tricks of the trade. My grandfather who was one of the great Master Craftsman of Grand Rapids, Michigan Furniture making fame - used this same formula for working "magic" on many priceless pieces of furniture that passed through his hands. He never once had a complaint, and as many have already observed, it's such an "easy fix". Grandpa said it's because of the fats in the oil - and the wood still was porous and would drink in the oil once it was broken down with heat. I'd love to know how many gallons of mayo went onto the furniture he so lovingly cared for. He not only built priceless pieces, but, cared for old ones that were brought to him by folks to who sought out the very best hands to care for their furniture. Thanks for the opportunity to give him one more pat on the back, Bev in Grand Rapids (04/19/2006)

By Beverly K. Combs

Thanks

WoW it really worked. Thanks for the help. (08/01/2006)

By Nick

Amazing

Ok, we are house sitting for some neighbors while we are in between house. Being a guy, honestly, I had no idea a warm plate could leave a white heat mark on a table. So, heated up my plate, ate lunch and oops, a big white stain/mark on our friend's table. We initially thought of replacing the table or getting a furniture repair company in to fix it. Found this post. Got some ash, mayonnaise, mixed it up and rubbed it in with a soft rag. It didn't work as well until I took a hair dryer and heated the spot while rubbing vigorously. Amazing! Not even the smallest remnant. Thank you, Becki! (08/08/2006)

By Chris

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Removing Heat and Water Marks from Wood Furniture

I have old dark water marks on a light wood table top. How do I remove them?

Billie from Roy, WA

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RE: Removing Heat and Water Marks from Wood Furniture

Oil and vinagar works for me everytime. Put a bit of both on rub in and wipe off with a cloth. (08/26/2006)

By Kinga

RE: Removing Heat Marks from Wood Furniture

The day after having friends over for dinner, we successfully removed seven prominent heat marks from our refinished 1860s walnut dining room table by first using toothpaste (Colgate Cavity Protection) followed by mayo and ashes. We were so happy to find this website with suggestions and advice. 9/26/06 (09/26/2006)

By Kay

It worked... but now its too shiny.

One of our relatives place a HOT cup of tea on our new black-stained rubberwood dining table from World Market and left a huge white ring. The mayo and ash only worked after we really heated it up with the blow dryer.

The problem is now that spot looks too shiny (overpolished, or too much heat from blow dryer?). I cleaned the area to remove any excess oil. I very lightly rubbed 150 grit sandpaper over the area, but now it looks slightly whiteish. I used a cream polish over it, but with no change. Can anyone give some tips to help us save our satin-finish? (09/27/2006)

By Brian

Hair Dryer

The hair dryer realy does work! Make sure its not on the same spot for a long time as the varnish may bubble) any tips for bubbling varnish? (10/26/2006)

By vicky

RE: Removing Heat and Water Marks from Wood Furniture

This is just not working for me! I tried the mayo, heated mayo, tooth paste, tea. Then I finally burnt some paper to make ash - then I mixed that with the mayo. I scrubbed and scrubbed under a blow dryer - still nothing. The one mark I am working on was just made this morning!(11/23/2006)

By Katelyn

RE: Removing Heat and Water Marks from Wood Furniture

I tried using mayonnaise on my white water mark, but it didn't seem to help. Then I tried the hair dryer, and I could NOT believe my eyes when it gradually disappeared! Thank you for great advice! (01/20/2007)

By Anna Maria

RE: Removing Heat and Water Marks from Wood Furniture

I bought a used walnut table with white heat marks on it. Nothing I've tried has worked. I tried the mayo and ash, which slightly took the white mark off, but still alot there. I realize the ash provides a 'grit' similar to steel wool, so how long do I need to scrub and how hard? I'm scared of removing the shiny finish. Also tried the hairdryer, to no avail. (02/16/2007)

By Anna

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Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

How do I remove water marks from wood furniture?

Linda from Penryn, CA

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RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

For dark finishes like Walnut, if the marks can't be removed without totally refinishing, I would try applying some "Old English" dark furniture polish. It's similiar to furniture staining, and works great to hide lighter spots and scratches, while blending in with the rest of the wood finish. (You may want to test it first to see if it will give the desired result.) (03/24/2007)

By tismom

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

Could not believe my eyes! I didn't have access to ashes so I used a small amount of baking soda. You cannot tell the mark was there, and it was a significant one! (03/29/2007)

By Deb

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

The steaming iron did not work. It left a bigger white stain on my table. (04/10/2007)

By HockGan

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Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

How do I get rid of a bad water mark on my pine table?

Kevin

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RE: Removing Heat and Water Marks from Wood Furniture

I tried the ashes and Mayo, nothing, then the toothpaste, nothing happened so I got the iron out turned the steam on, put a cloth over the top of the stain and like magic my heat stains disappeared. I had numerous stains that were hidden under my tablecloth for years now my dark stained table is like new again. Thanks for all the tips, I new one of them had to work! (11/20/2006)

By Cheryl

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

This hint is a life saver! We just experienced flooding from the Nor'easter and the front base of our 100 year old bookcase (we bought less than a month ago) had all sorts of watermarks.We tried Old English, Howard's Restor-a-finish and my husband was just taking out the steel wool when I went online and found this. The mayo and woods ashes worked a little but really kicked in with the hairdryer. THANK YOU to whoever discovered this! (04/21/2007)

By Laura Berman

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

Hard to believe, but it does work! I had a water mark that was a few months old, even though the casserole was put on a straw trivet, the steam still made a mark...tried the oil and vinegar, didn't work, burned some paper and mixed with mayo (wasn't sure if miracle whip would work, but the mayo did!)....applied and rubbed, nothing, did another application and then heated with blow drier, half disappeared, and on the thrid try the entire mark is gone. The mark was the circumfrance of the casserole, so wasn't small....and now you would never know!!! Thanks for the great trick....felt kinda silly, so mixed it up when no one was home, but you can bet I'll remember this one to pass on to others!!!! (04/30/2007)

By stephanie

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

This morning I found water marks on the dining table from a couple hours earlier, a cherry dining table made by Stickley (a new one, not an heirloom).

Tried something new of my own thinking and it works pretty well: toasted (roasted) sesame oil, the brown kind used for flavoring, not the clear or amber kind used for cooking. You can find it in the supermarket or an Asian food store not far from the soy sauce.

It's not a perfect solution, but since the table already had a little bit of mottling from hard use and some cat scratches (from when we forget to clip their nails and they go table surfing), I wasn't looking for perfection.

By regular applications of the oil, gently rubbing it in by hand, and a little bit of hairdryer use (although the warmth did not seem to add all that much), and sometimes just letting the oil sit on the stained spots, the spots gradually darkened to approximately the normal shade. It left it a little darker around the edges of where the stain was, but only slightly.

The oil seems to have a penetrating quality, and because it has color in it, that seems to help the process. Again, not perfect, but the table looks a lot better now. (05/28/2007)

By Ronski

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

Mayonnaise has always worked for me. But the morning after our Fourth of July party I found watermarks on my coffee table that mayonnaise couldn't seem to touch (even leaving it overnight). I just tried the iron and it worked beautifully and quickly. Thank you so much! (07/09/2007)

By Loganbiz

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

I just bought a cherry Dining room suite for $200 from a garage sale. It had big white heat stains all over it! The seller said some were new and some a couple of years old(from casarole dish size to multiple coffee cup size. He wanted $300, thinking I had to sand and try to match finish and colour I offered $200. That thought changed when I found this forum. Thinking the mayo and ash was completely crazy. I tried it with "Miracle Whip" and a yes HEAT GUN. It worked!!!! I noticed the trick was to get it so hot, that when you wipped off (the almost cooked) mayo it gave off smoke/vapour when touching the hot uncovered wood. I wish I took before and after shots. Who ever thought of this or first and added this to the forum, I lift my glass to you. CHEERS! (07/22/2007)

By Jay

RE: Removing Marks from Wood Furniture

Many years ago I had a spot on our wood dining table from a straw-like hot pad being used under a very hot dish. The result of course was a big mark on the table. First I mixed a little cream of tartar and made a paste and rubbed it on the spot. Then I used a pecan nut and the oils from it totally removed the burnt spot. (10/11/2007)

By Ruthie

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

The ash and mayo mixture worked great! I just used it on a cherry wood coffee table. A dinner plate size white mark left from the day before from a warm pizza box. Put the hair dryer on high and had to work it around the area for about ten minutes. I then repplied the mayo mixture a second time to spots that seemed not so easy to get rid of and eventually they all disappeared. The table looks just like new! Thanks so much for the help. (11/03/2007)

By Sue

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Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

How do I remove water marks from wood furniture?

Janet from NY

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RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

I just tried using mayo, ashes, and a blow dryer to remove a white water stain from my hardwood floor. It worked well, thanks for the tip. (02/10/2008)

By Stewart

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

My mark was more of a cloudy white on a brand new cherry table I had forgotten to use a trivet on. I found the steam iron/hair dryer advise and decided to use the protected version with the doubled up t-shirt and steam iron. It took a couple tries, but it looks new again!

The Wrangler on YahooAnswers explains, "If the problem is only moisture blemishes (white rings, white fog, etc) then it is a simple matter of moisture trapped inside the finish itself. A quick, simple method of removing excess moisture from a wood finish, is your hair dryer. No sanding, no chemicals, no mess. Just apply some warm air to the surface to help the moisture evaporate. Do not let it blow continuously in one spot...the surface could get too hot. The idea is to help the moisture evaporate, not damage the finish."

It makes sense to me! It's more the heat that helps evaporate the trapped moisture, than the steam helping, but maybe that helps to equalize the environment. It worked and I'm happy!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! (02/27/2008)

By candyjw

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

I was extremely skeptical about how the mayo would work, especially since I don't own a hair dryer, and was put off with rubbing ashes of any sort into my table. But I had to do something, so I decided to take my weak steam iron and hold it over a dab of mayo with a heap of baking soda mixed in, while buffing the water mark with a paper towel. I made sure not to keep the iron in one position, holding it about 2-2 1/2" from the mark. Well, it worked! I had to turn the light on to make sure my eyes weren't failing me, haha! Thanks so much for this advice. (03/03/2008)

By dulcinea

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

Amazing! This will have saved some of our deposit on our rented furnished house! Thank you everyone. (03/25/2008)

By katie

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

Amazing! We left a ceramic pot on a very dark brown table and I used Old English oil instead of the mayo. I was surprised how much heat I needed from the hair dryer but rubbed plenty of oil on the water mark, then used the dryer about 1 inch from the surface. Using a circular motion, I heated it up as much as possible, always looking if the finish would bubble, but it didn't. Took me about 5 minutes of rubbing and heating before it completely went away! Simply amazing, thanks for the post. (03/26/2008)

By Eric

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

I just accidentally put a water mark on a piece of furniture (mahogany, I think) that my father-in-law made about 45 years ago. If my husband had seen the ring, he would not have been happy. So, I found this site. What a life saver! I tried the hairdryer first to no avail. But then I mixed mayo and baking soda and could not believe my eyes! It worked in about 10 seconds! I then got excited and took the mixture to our pine furniture, unfortunately it didn't work, it just looks like I have a greasy spot on the trunk. You win some, you lose some. But yea for getting it out of the mahogany! (05/05/2008)

By Beckie

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

I had to iron some clothes on a coffee table in the living room and I put down two thick towels before using my steam iron, it did manage to leave a few white rings in one corner. My boyfriend was so mad, his parents got him the table for Christmas. Thank God for mayonnaise, Old English, and my little pocket hair dryer. Fixed it up for him after a big fight to make up. (05/30/2008)

By Taisha

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

I set a mug down on a piece of paper on my girlfriends desk (which belonged to her deceased grandmother). Yes, a recipe for disaster. So, I hopped on this site and had at it. Before I found the site, I had rubbed pledge on it...no good. Then I tried wood markers, the kind you get at the hardware store to mask scratches, and no good. I then found this site. The blow dryer and mayo did not work. I decided to try the toothpaste. I discovered a travel size tube of CREST sensitivity original formula. I rubbed really hard with a damp cloth then almost gave up, until I noticed the tiniest edge looked different. So I rubbed like crazy, I think it went dry and worked up friction, and gone..yes! This site saved my relationship. Bless you all.

By a friend (06/04/2008)

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

My brother called me in a panic that his dinner guests had placed a hot pizza box on his dining room table! When he picked it up, there was a white foggy water mark on it. He tried a bunch of stuff, including blaming his wife, and then called me at work. I googled, found this site, and told him to try either mayo and baking soda or the Old English and hair dryer trick (he had been using an iron to try to dry it). He just called and said it worked, and the stain is totally gone! (06/20/2008)

By Jennifer

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

Thank you for your good advice. I had an old water stain on a set of wood shelves. I tried non-gel toothpaste and it worked very little. So I tried baking soda paste, again, little success with much effort. So I mixed some ash from the fireplace with some mayonnaise and used my hair dryer and it worked beautifully. Hooray! Thank you, thank you, thank you. (06/30/2008)

By Dot

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

I awoke to find two white heat or water marks on my very dark breakfast table. Before I resorted to kitchen concoctions I decided to try my hair dryer. Worked great! I held the dryer very close to the spot and moved it in a small circle for a couple of minutes. Every once in a while I wiped with a very soft cloth, although I'm not sure this was necessary. I followed up with some spray furniture cleaner and it looks like it never happened. Amazing! (07/07/2008)

By Superbee

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

When I saw the water stain on a precious antique vanity given to me by a loved one who has since past that was left by a house guest, my heart sunk. Maybe people shouldn't get attached to things, but everything that was left to me by this person is special and I felt as if I would cry. Once more, the house guest who left it couldn't have been a sweeter person and was so apologetic. I thought that it would never be fixed, I should just accept it and move on. But, I found these postings, decided to try some mayo and baking soda and WOW! The huge water stain was gone in less than a minute of circular motion on a rag. I wiped it off with a damp cloth and polished it. You would never know what happened. A big thank you to all of you! (07/10/2008)

By Gina from Saratoga Springs

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

The steam iron and white tea shirt really work. It took me literally less than 1 minute and the ugly white mark left by a pizza box was gone. All I can say is, oh my God, I'm so happy. Thank You. Gail (07/14/2008)

By GailDG

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

Thank you so much for the tip regarding mayo and baking soda. My oak table has been stained for over a year and I had tried many remedies in an attempt to remove it. My table is beautiful again. Penny 7/21/08 (07/21/2008)

By

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

Hooray. It worked on my five year old water mark on mahogany. (07/22/2008)

By A.Y. Grant

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

Thank you for the mayo tip. It worked like a charm! I used it on a rather nasty piece of furniture that I had no interest in refinishing, and was thrilled with the results. If I happen to leave a coke on someone's Steinway (not), I'll remember the trick! (08/04/2008)

By desperate piano tuner

RE: Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

How impressed was I with the mayo solution for getting water ring marks removed from my dining table. (08/17/2008)

By Marie

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Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

How do I remove water marks from wooden furniture?

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Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

How do you remove a watermark on a wooden dining room table?

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Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

We have two 'white' spots on our wooden kitchen table that I can't seem to get out. I have tried mayo and Old English.

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Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

I have water marks on wood furniture and wonder how best to remove them? Thanks.

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Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

How do I remove water marks from wood?

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Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

How do you use the wax paper, cotton cloth, and iron to remove water marks from wood?

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Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

How do I remove circular water marks from a pine dresser unit? They were made by cups, glasses, etc.

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Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

How do I remove a recent water stain from my antique oak counter?

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Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

Use mayonnaise to remove water marks on wood from glasses. This works like a miracle. Cover water mark with mayonnaise and leave on for a couple hours.

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Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

Remove white water rings from wood with a solution of white distilled vinegar and vegetable oil. Rub with the grain.

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Removing Water Marks from Wood Furniture

How do you remove water spots from a cherry wood dining room table?