Removing oil and water stains from wood (cont'd)

I had a white ring on a table at work (and didn't have an iron handy), but I had read that you could rub the broken edge of a walnut on a stain to remove the white ring. Not having a walnut handy either, I broke open a brazil nut and it worked! The white ring disappeared in a matter of seconds.

Mandy Rogers
- Starkville, MS, USA

The iron and cloth actually works! I thought I would have to refinish my coffee table, but this took out two white water stains with no problem. One of them disappeared right away, but the older stain took a good 15 minutes of going over until it blended back into the wood grain. It seems to help if you move the cloth around in broad circles. My guess would be that the wood oils are being distributed across the bleached area. Great tip...THANKS!

Holly Jay
- Phoenix, AZ, US

WOW - I had three water rings left from a plant on a brand new pine box - less than a minute with a hair dryer and they disappeared......Thanks for the tips on this site.

Amy R
- CO

C'mon, Inga, we're all trying to help, but be reasonable :-)

37 people have recommended the method. If 37 recommendations isn't enough, 37 thousand won't be. You'll have to decide for herself whether to risk it or call a refinishing expert. No one can possibly guarantee that you won't burn your table or otherwise make the problem worse. Good luck!

Ted Mooney, P.E.  finishing.com Brick, New Jersey

To the gal that had the scented oil spill on her wood table. The same thing happend to me. Does anyone know anything that will fix it? The table is not virtually ruined! Please help.

Megan Allen
n/a - seattle wa

Hey, I some how got an oil stain on my computer table. Is there any way I could get it out without harming the colouring and wood?

Vicky Xx
Student at York University - RIchmondhill, Ontario, Canada

Before I make a fool of myself, will the Ironing Method work on removing a NAIL POLISH ring (it is white, if that matters) on a Cherry Wood Table? It is my mother-in-law's table (she made the stain), but before I try to look like a hero, I want to know I won't look like a fool.

Jeffrey Redelman
consumer - Melville, New York

I have a beauitful wood dining room table. Stupidly I used the iron to iron the table cloth on the table and it left marks from the bottom of the iron. I have never used a polish on the table not wanting wax build up. I have always used old english or some type of oil.Please some one help me. I tryed to use the iron techque but it didnt work.

Kellie on Long Island

Kellie
buyer - East Meadow, New York, USA

Had a 4 year old white cloud like stain from a pie that I thought was cooled enough wit a hot pad beneath it, to set on my beautiful Burl wood dinning table. I was very hesitant to try the iron method as I felt it may damage it further. So I tried many other methods suggested through the years to get it out without success. What a waste of time. Finally I put the iron on low, put a pillow sheet cover over the stain and rubbed lightly for about one minute and the old pie plate size stain is 100% gone.

Sherry

Sherry
- San Diego, California

My boyfriend's grandmother gave us a beautiful antique coffee table for Christmas, and not one month later did we have 2 white rings (either from coffee cups, cold drinks, or both). I was armed with both toothpaste and mayonaise, but before I went to it I decided to Google "remove rings from wood" and stumbled upon this page. 10 minutes later, thanks to all of you and my trusty hair dryer, both rings are gone and the table looks brand new.

Thank you so much!

Mary Beth Hurst
- Murfreesboro, TN, USA

Wow, all I have to say is the Iron and t-shirt method to get water stains out of wood is UNBELIEVABLE!
I have had my table for 5 years and tonight after dinner i somehow got a 3rd water stain on it. It was so awful, I wanted to toss my table out the window!
I thought I'd surf online to see if there is any solutions to this problem and THANK GOODNESS for this website!
The 5 year old stains came out and the most recent stain (after dinner tonight) is also out!
You have made my evening!
I would love to know who came up with this brilliant solution!!!!!!!
THANK YOU!

Marisa P
- Toronto, Ontario

My partner put a bowl of hot vegetables on pine table, with a protective cloth underneath but when we cleared up we had a severe white heat stain 12" x 4". She was distraught. Checked on web for solutions and found this site. Followed numerous posters instructions on the medium hot iron through cotton tee shirt slowly moving back/forwards over stain and hey presto within a few minutes the mark had completely disappeared. Just wanted to record our heartfelt thanks to the many contributors to this site for the advice which cured our disaster.

John, England

John B
- Peterborough, UK

Well, I just tried the medium hot iron and napkin trick and it burned my table. Now not only do I have the white watermark but all around it is very dark so it is worse than ever. Tried the hair dryer on another area with a water mark and no luck there either but at least it did not burn the wood. Tried this for over 15 minutes with no results.

Sherri Underwood
- Greenville, South Carolina

Sorry that it didn't work for you, Sherri, but thanks for letting us know. When 40 people in a row say that something is a miracle, it's good to have it put back in perspective :-)

Ted Mooney, P.E.  finishing.com Brick, New Jersey

Another success story for using an iron on lower heat with a clean cloth to remove white water marks on wood. Astounding. Fabulous. Thanks much.

I suspect that the furniture of the person who didn't have success might have had a lacquer finish rather than an oil or varnish. Just a thought.

A related question: some years back I put a container holding water and flowers on a soft maple bookshelf. The container, I believe, was a tin can. The finish on the bookshelf is tung oil. The ring left behind is black. I'm wondering if the iron trick might be worth trying?

What is it about the iron that removes the white water marks? Does it simply dry embedded dampness?

Helen Glenn Court
hobbyist - Silver Spring, MD, USA

ONE DAY I PLACED A BOTTLE OF NAIL POLISH REMOVER ON MY CHERRY WOOD TABLE NOT KNOWING THE BOTTOM OF THE BOTTLE WAS WET WITH REMOVER. IT STARTED TO EAT THROUGHT THE FINISH. I CLEANED IT UP QUICKLY, HOWEVER IT LEFT A MARK. HELP!!!

LISA MENAGO
HOME OWNER - KING OF PRUSSIA, PA USA

Nail polish remover is acetone, a very strong solvent. I think you've dissolved the lacquer/varnish and have to re-do the table.

Ted Mooney, P.E. 
finishing.com
Brick, New Jersey

After moving into a new house- space was at a minimum- but I had to work on the draperies in order to have privacy. I covered an expensive cherry wood table with cardboard and two- three layers of sheets to steam iron the draperies as I installed them. 2-3 weeks later as the most of the furniture and books etc was now in place I unconvered the central table to my horror to find LARGE Large areas of white water stains from were I had ironed the draperies on the table. I thought I was going to have to get rid of the table. I am glad I did an internet search first. The Iron trick worked. It removed very large areas of white steamed in water marks that had sat for weeks on the dark finished cheery wood. 10 min is all it took. I used an old egyption cotton sheet.

Denise Woods
None - Florida

I live with a HITLER roommate and I put a flower vase full of water on his antique cabinet, After at least a week after vase sitting up there I took it down flowers have died...OH MY GOD the vase leaked and left a huge black ring plue black inside ring size of a grapefruit. My roommate is tall and he looks at this spot everynight because he goes for a walk and grabs his hat and walkman he sets right next to the stain. Tonight I put a pamphlet he had up there on cabinet on top of stain. He went for a walk I mixed ashes and mayonnaise rubbed it on and began hairdrying it. that failed but it looked a little better then I put a glob of mayonnaise on it and used the iron and by the way I had 1 hour to do this. The stain was kinda going away and Hitler walked in I told him I was ironing clothes for work, he took his shower and I grabbed more mayonnaise and MR. CLEAN SPONGE BOOM ITS GONE rub the stain with mayonnaise and Mr Clean sponge it will go away.

Mary Aube
aube and lyn - Orange, CA, USA

I purchased some scented oil jar from a store and when I opened it I put stupidly put the rubber cork on my wooden nightstand. now a few days later the oil seems to have melted through the varnish exposing an ugly ring of bare wood, at least thats how it appears. is there any solution to this without sanding and re-varnishing the whole thing?? please help me

Nitai Joseph
hobbyist - Philo, CA, USA

I spilled water on my black desk it left this horrible stain and I dont know what to do will the iron and cloth help ?

Sabrina Urquidi
- VA

Hi there

I had some carpet cleaner in a bottle and left it on the coffee table, when I removed it there was a white ring where the varnish has gone, if i use the iron technique that everyone is talking about would that get rid of it or make it worse and deepen the chemicals into the wood.?????

Koren Taylor
TEACHER - New Zealand

My husband left a bottle of rubbing alcohol on the kitchen table and my son dumped it on the table, ruining the finish and leaving ugly white marks which were much worse than any water ring. I tried everything I could think of and nothing worked. I found two solutions on this site that worked. First I tried baking soda and non-gel toothpaste and had marginal success. Then I tried the Iron and it worked best where I had done the toothpaste mix and only marginally where I hadn't. So I went back and did the whole section with the toothpaste and baking soda again, washed it off with water and dried it immediately and when it was dry I used the iron. I finished off with regular furniture polish. Wow!!

It's not an expensive table, but I certainly didn't want to replace it yet. Plus we are having company and a birthday party so I didn't want it to look aweful. Thanks to everyone who posted and to this site.

Lynne Tighe-Boland
- Richmond, VA - USA

I tried your iron on a tea towel to get out the white water mark on my dining room table, and, obviously used too high a heat (or too long). The varnish bubbled up. Now what do I do??? Help!

Julia Woolley
consumer - Watsonville, Ca, USA

The iron and linen towel method was as miraculous a cure for my old, old water mark as everyone has said. If it doesn't work for you at first, don't give up - just turn up your iron in small increments and keep on ironing and checking. In one last pass, the stain completely disappeared - it wasn't a gradual fading. I thank everyone who wrote and convinced me to try it!

Rebecca Brazeal
- Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

I just cried, you saved my job. I'm a caregiver for a man at night. He got a cramp in his foot really bad, so I made him a foot soak. The water wasn't hot enough so I got water from the instata hot faucet. I poured it in the basin and it leaked onto my foot. In pain and not thinking I put the measuring cup down on the end table. When I lift the cup to my horror a huge 5" white ring. Fearing losing my job, I went on Internet from my cell phone and found your web site. It worked; in less than 1 min my job was saved. The white ring was gone! I can't thank you enough, if his wife would have seen it she would have fired me!

[name & town deleted by editor]
- OK USA

I went on line after we put a hot lasagna pan on the table - even with cloth underneath, we got the water stain mark. It is a brand new dining room table. I took the avise of many and used an iron and white t-shirt - like magic I can barely see the mark now. I am so happy, since I found the thing that worked best. The day before my husband tried tooth paste which obviously didn't work. thanks again

Lisa Tomasino
- Orange Park, Florida, USA

I had bought a table, dark wood antique, and it has two water marks (white, dusty looking marks). I used the iron on wool setting with a white t-shirt and they disappeared. I was thrilled as could be. BUT...I went back an hour later and there were two white, dusty looking full size iron marks to replace them. What now?

Rachael Compton
- Troy, New York

The iron/blow dryer trick works! In my case and I suspect many others who responded favorably, the "Finish" is actually polyurethane or a urethane based coating(plastic). These coatings are very common even the best of furniture these days. Antique furniture that has been refinished, many times has a urethane topcoat.
The cloudy "stain" is probably due to heat or chemical interaction with the plastic, softening it and then leaving a residue behind to dry. What's happening to the disappearing cloud in the iron trick is the heat from the iron is remelting the plastic. That's why it is important to go easy at first and let the lint-free (very important) cloth cool down before removing it. If it feels sticky as you pull the cloth back, stop and wait a few seconds for the coating to set/dry again. Medium heat, no pressure, and 5-10 seconds, cool down, lift, examine, try again if necessary. Feathering out the edges may be necessary, remember...your melting plastic...go easy! If the finish is wax, varnish, tung oil, or one of the myriad of other "natural" finishes, this trick may have varying degrees of success or none at all. It has always amazed me at the amount of time and money that my wife sinks into polishing the urethane plastic finishes on our expensive Ethan Allen furniture. Plastic can look shinier with a wax coating, but a damp cloth will do the same thing if the urethane hasn't faded in the sun.

Kevin Sharpe
- New Berlin, IL, USA

I had set a pizza box on my wood kithen table and it left a white stain.I just tried the iron trick and it worked 100%,thanks ya'll

Matthew Parrish
- Columbia, South Carolina

The hot iron with a cloth did the trick on my dining room table. It really works!!!

Marcella Flynn
- Bolton Landing, NY