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Letter 10275
Removing water stains from
wood furniture
- Summary: Heating a white towel or t-shirt with an
iron was found remarkable at removing rings and white water stains
from furniture. Fairly similar results were reported with
a hair dryer.
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- Slightly off
target? Jump to:
- 31774 Removing oil
stains from old Pagoda
- 16383 Oil stain
removal from wood furniture
++++
Q. Oops! Our kid left a cold drink
on our dining room table overnight and now there's a nice,
new water ring. What's the best of the ten million ways to
fix it? Need a little help.
Gary M
Treasure Hunter - Marietta, Georgia
+++++
One way to remove white water stains from wood is to
use a hot iron on a
smoothly-textured, lint-free cloth placed over the stain,
iron very briefly (seconds), lift the cloth, and
repeat until stain is gone. It really works!
Heather G
- San Antonio, Texas
+++++
I was considering refinishing a desk I
had bought from Bombay Co. when I put a hot TV diner down on
the surface. Ironing out the water rings and heat stains
works!! I tried all of the other
tips, such as Armorall, salt and olive oil, peanut butter
and mayonnaise. I tried for a week and finally got it out
with just my iron on medium heat and a dry cloth.
Jenay
R
- West Monroe, Louisiana
+++++
The ironing
worked... used an old t'shirt...
low setting on my iron and voila... the fresh water mark
created this morning is now gone... an old water stain
didn't come completely off... but is greatly
diminished
thanks so much
Gil C
- Washington DC
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+++++
Was horrified to discover very large
stain from coffee pot on dining room table after Christmas
dinner. Used warm
iron and table napkin on stain. Hey, presto, stain totally
removed. Had another small stain
that had been on table for two years, guess what, warm iron
and napkin removed that also.
Frances
H
- Perth, Scotland
April 29, 2006
Erase white wood
stains with a Hair dryer in about five
minutes. I put a paper plate down
on the table it was too hot and made the stain. I didn't
find it until the next day. I couldn't find the iron so I
improvised, and grabbed the Hair dryer instead. I held the
dryer about 4 inches from the stain for about 5 minutes and
at the same time buffed it with a dry cloth. It came right
out!
Shellie
B
- Medina, Ohio
May 5, 2006
Iron and t-shirt
works!!!! I was surprised that
the white marks came right off!
Caroline
S
- Chandler, Arizona
July 24, 2006
Wow. Unbelievable. After FIVE YEARS of living with two cloudy
white heat stains on my good dining
table, and covering them up with a tablecloth....I finally
found this website and used the heat/iron method. It works
brilliantly, and the table is as new. Thank you to who ever
posted this tip.
Lesley
Coull
- Aberdeen, Scotland
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September 12, 2006
Bought brand new sideboard, had baby, got lovely flowers, sat
flowers on new sideboard, now got nasty dark brown ring mark. Please
help.
VICTORIA MORRISON
JERSEY - UK
September 15, 2006
I am in the process of completely redoing an old dresser that I
think is cherry or mahogany. I took all the old finish off with a
sander and had lined the drawers up on a table in my garage. One of
the kids put the cat's water dish on one of the drawers and of course
it was spilled. Now there is a dark stain on it. Is there any way of
getting it out? Please be very specific. I read something about using
Oxalic Acid [link is to product info at Amazon] but am not sure
how to go about it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Laura Velasquez
consumer - Reading, Kansas
September 28, 2006
I just tried the method that uses a cotton piece
of fabric (no lint!) and an iron to get out cloudy white water
stains.
It worked beautifully on a 12 by 15 inch solid water stain.
Simply amazing! You simply
iron the piece of cotton on top of the stain. I started with a warm iron and then used a higher setting
as I felt comfortable.
Janis Ireland
- Appleton, Wisconsin
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October 3, 2006
I have a wooden table finished with black
paint, I had put a cold bowl on the table and to my horror
it left a white cloud.... I tried the iron method that was suggested on your
website...and it
worked actually worked!!!!!thx
for the advise!
Abi
Jacob
- Toronto, Canada
October 3,
2006
Used a face cloth and iron, and all of my
husbands 'toast sweat' is now gone!
Melissa
Peter
- Fredericton, NB Canada
October 11,
2006
Brilliant. A KFC bucket had created a few
damp heat stains on a table in my parents' house.
Using a
medium-heat iron on a small cloth I discovered it all
disappeared. Thank you to whoever
first mentioned this! I'm saved from a lot of trouble from
my parents!
Tim
Caines
- Torquay, United Kingdom
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November 22, 2006
We used the t-shirt and medium heat iron on our
fresh water ring (left from a hot cup of tea). The ring is gone! But,
I do caution about the heat of the iron. The temperature got a bit
too hot and it ended up permanently leaving some lint from the
t-shirt behind. The lint looks much better than the ring, so we're
happy. Make sure you're patient and take your time with a cooler
iron.
Julie Dandliker
- Oakland, California
November 26, 2006
I too got material stuck to where I was trying to remove an old
water stain. Now I have two awful areas on my wood surface. Any
suggestions for getting rid of the new disaster?
Judy MacAulay
- Mission, BC, Canada
December 2, 2006
I had two circular white water stains on a
beautiful teak dining table. For 5 years I've been covering them with
place mats. Ten minutes with a white napkin and an iron at medium
heat, and the table looks brand new again. Thanks so much!
Susan Wieland
- Providence, Rhode Island
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December 16, 2006
I am absolutely amazed at the brilliant
person who suggested using heat on water marks. I bought
mahogony furtniture (expensive) I loved and was being so
careful. I put a cloth on the table to protect it. The heat
from a hot tea went throught he cloth and left a mark mark
the size of loonie. I have asked and asked and noone could
help until I finally found this site. I used a blowdryer and
wiped as I heated. It took about 10 min. but it worked,
amazing the spot is totally gone. I am thrilled. Thank you
so much.....I can't wait to tell everyone who had no answers
for me except to refinsih the whole table. Thank you
again.....
Diane
Cantin
Administration - Windsor, Ontario, Canada
December 28, 2006
HELP ! Ruined roommate's bar ! I had a poinsettia on my
roommate's brand new, beautiful, black wood bar for the
holidays and the water leaked through its can. Now there is
a terrible water ring and I'm afraid the wood is saturated.
ANY IDEAS ?! HELP !?
Susie
Oszustowicz
fashion - Dallas, Texas
January 14, 2007
I tried the iron and cloth on a white
heat stain on my teak dining room table - it worked! That
stain had been there for 2 years! Then I used the toothpaste
solution on a more recent dye stain from a colored piece of
paper (paper stained the wood) and it took it out.
Thanks!
Russell
Cooper
- Norwalk, Connecticut
February 2, 2007
I am one happy girl right now! who ever
said about using an iron on a water mark left on wood~is a
superstar! I tried a few things already that I found on the
internet AND they didnt work!!! I was about to give up ~~
thanks so much!!!
Heather
K
- Lancaster, Pennsylvania
February 10,
2007
I used the hot iron on the white water
stain and Thanks guys, it worked a treat. keep up the good
ideas
Ian
Spencer
- Port Kennedy, Perth, Australia
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February 11, 2007
How can I get white water stains lined with a brown ring from
antique pine table tops?
Carole Fultz
retired housewife - Escondido, California
February 20, 2007
hooray,UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!
My friend found this website and emailed it to me after I ruined my
friend's table with a hot coffee cup. We thought we were gonna have
to have the whole thing sanded and refinished but in 2 minutes the
table was like new again!!!!
It's really hard to believe! Where would we be without google!
Just a few additional remarks:
I think it's a good idea to make sure the steam is off.
Also, I think the cloth doesn't necessarily have to be white,
especially if the furniture is not white. (for example, I used a
brown t-shirt on my brown table, that way if you leave it on for too
long, you'd get the same color lint at least :))
Also, make sure the surface is clean so that you don't iron the dirt
in.
Good luck!
Deniz
- Brooklyn, New York
February 22, 2007
It totally works, hot water stain heat stained
table used hot iron method and it took about 10 minutes.
Dustin Pause
- SF, CA, USA
March 17, 2007
Awesome tip with the iron! My wife and I just got
a beautiful antique table from her boss and I thought I had ruined it
when I forgot and sat a box of hot chicken wings on it, leaving nasty
white heat marks. A white lint free cloth, a hot iron and 5 minutes
of ironing fixed it! AWESOME TIP!
Thanks!
Josh Richardson
- Centreville, Virginia
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April 13, 2007
Thank you so much for the advice on
removing white heat marks from wood. We used my Mom's dining
room table for Easter Dinner and when I removed the
tablecloth discovered a hot dish had made white marks. I
used the linen table napkin with an iron and the marks are
gone!!! I'm sure my Mom is looking down from heaven and is
pleased too!!!
Judy
DeCaire
- Clio, Michigan
April 14, 2007
My nephew and a friend put a hot pizza on
our antique cherry wood table and left 9 or 10 circular 2"
marks on it. I thought it was ruined permanently but I tried
the soft flannel cloth and a medium iron (steam off!) and
after 10 minutes only one nickel sized stain remains and
that is where the wooden nail is on that end of the table
and I'm guessing it sunk in deeper there because of the
opening.
In any case, it's much better and I wanted to let folks know
and say thank you for the wonderful tips!
Vandra
Morgan
- Searcy, Arkansas
May 14, 2007
Fantastic tip about the iron and white
cloth! It really works, I have just literally removed the
damage that I did to my teak dining table 2 days ago when
trying to steam iron linen curtains that were far too big
for my ironing board. Who would have thought that I could
fix the damage with the culprit!! Thanks very much for the
tip.
Shirley
Phillips
- Lydney, Glos, UK
May 27, 2007
I had company & placed hot plates on my brand new
mahogany dining table, for the coffee & tea
pots............when I was cleaning up, they left rings
through the protection...........remembering my grandmother
using polish to repair a similar problem, I tried
it.............have been applying many applications of
polish and buffing.......most of the problem is gone, but I
still have an obvious shadow........am I headed in the right
direction and just have to keep at it or should I start
crying??
Michelle
Sherwood
consumer - Spring Hill, Florida
June 3, 2007
It worked!! I was skeptical, since heat
made the mark in the first place. I used a hair dryer first.
Didn't work for me. Then I used the iron. No more white
marks :-) Make sure you use the iron on medium heat with NO
STEAM! I used a t-shirt cloth. Worked great. My husband
swore it wouldn't work, but it did. I used lemon oil to
polish and the table looks like new. Thanks for the
advise.
Steph
Pribula
- York, Pennsylvania
June 3, 2007
How can we remove water stains on bare wood? I put some
planters on a radiator cover, made of light bare wood, and
the planters leaked. Does the iron method work on bare wood?
Mary Jean Babic
consumer - Brooklyn, New York
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June 5, 2007
Wow! I had a white cloudy water stain from a
flower pot on my solid birch table, I thought my table was ruined.
The stain had been there for several months. Today I tried the medium
heat iron and a t-shirt and the stain is gone. I then rubbed it with
lemon oil and unless you knew there had been a spot there you really
can't see it. Thank you so much! My husband & I are very
impressed.
Debra Martens
- Smyrna, Tennessee
June 7, 2007
I had great results today with the iron method on
my 60 year old cherry dining table which recently had received three
water marks. Two disappeared and the 3rd is much fainter. I followed
the iron (no steam and only about 6 seconds)up with another home
remedy of equal parts apple cider vinegar and olive oil and rubbed in
the grain and buffed out with a dry soft cloth. It looks gorgeous and
90% better.
Rose Anderson
- Helena, Montana
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June 24, 2007
Going to kill husband! hi we just bought a fairly
polished dining table and had to transport it 3 hrs.
apparantly my husband did not know the blanket he used was
damp and therefore we got it home and it has several water
stains all over it. will the iron method work for this
please help me!!!!
ELICIA RADIN
CONSUMER - STANTHORPE QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA
June 30, 2007
A lot of wood stains will come out with a product called
Magic Eraser [link is to product info at Amazon]. It
has taken out white heat stains on a coffee table of mine,
and dark spots on a end table.
Also those white rings will come out the old way with any
kind of ashes, mayo, and alot of rubbing.
Jennifer Beety
- Washington DC
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July 4, 2007
Had a vase of white lilies on my new highly polished mahogany
dining table and the pollen has fallen onto my table. I immediately
wiped with water and cloth but this has caused an unsightly stain. I
beg for your help to my dilemma.
Jacqueline Mcdonald
- England
July 8, 2007
I have a finished wood table and left hot bread
rolls on the exposed surface too long and as a result, 2 white heat
stains appeared. I tried toothpaste, mayo + ashes, oil and none of
those suggestins worked.
I finally tried the iron method as suggested - a dry cloth and the
iron set to medium level. Do not use steam.
I used for 10 minutes, wiping after each iron and it worked!
Thank you to this site for saving my favorite table!
M Viola
- Toronto, Ontario
July 23, 2007
Unbelievable!!! Thank goodness I stumbled across
this website while looking for tips on how to remove white water mark
stains from wood. I have a beautiful 1943 Lane cedar chest that
belonged to my parents...unfortunately about 10 years I sat a pail of
water down on it, sprang to answer the phone, got distracted
thereafter for several hours ....forgetting totally about the pail
quietly obliterating my family piece. I could have cried. For the
past 10 years I have had to cover it with a quilt. Needless to say I
was quite dubious about the ironing tip so I tried a few of the
others here first-- the stain barely budged, if at all. As a last
resort I went and got the iron and a t-shirt. I started out on a very
low setting with a dry iron...slowly advancing the heat setting and
monitoring what was happening about every 5-10 seconds in hopes to
catch it quickly if it was making things worse. After raising the
heat level slightly higher than medium...VOILA----that 10 year old
HUGE pail water mark is gone...and I mean GONE!!!!! I am just
thrilled to bits...THANK YOU..THANK YOU...THANK YOU...to all who have
shared their success with this tip....so I came back to add one of my
own since my stain was HUGE and 10 years...but it is only a memory
now:)
Sarah Jesse
Owens
- Sacramento, California
July 28, 2007
A word of warning.
My wife left a ice cream bowl on a coaster on the coffee table
overnight. The humidity caused it to go right through the coaster. I
dried the area with a paper towl when I discovered it this
morning...oops mistake. I scratched the finish. Then I did the iron
and used an old white t-shirt. The water spot came right out except
for were I scratched the varnish. Don't try to rub the spot out, just
use an iron (haven't had to try the blow dryer).
Jonathan Lefor
- Columbus, Ohio
July 28, 2007
We recently purchased a very expensive dining room table for our
new home. At first, I was so nervous about it, that I kept it covered
with a tablecloth, but realizing I was covering up the reason we
bought it in the first place, its beauty, I removed the cloth only to
have my son set a glass of juice outside the placemat. It caused a
pretty bad water ring and I am afraid of using anything on it, for
fear of making it worse. Will the iron method work on water rings?
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Sheila K.
- Airdrie, Alberta, Canada
August 6, 2007
If you are cautious and want to hire a furniture refinishing
expert to come in and fix this stain, no one will fault you, Sheila
-- it is your own new and very expensive table!
But, c'mon :-)
-- we printed testimonials from twenty-six people who have have said
the iron method worked on water marks and rings. How many more
testimonials must we print before you feel we've given you enough to
decide whether to try it or not? :-)
Sorry about your misfortune, and good luck whichever way you go!
-- Cousin Ted
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Ted Mooney, P.E.
finishing.com
Brick, New Jersey
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August 18, 2007
LEFT A HOT TEAPOT ON MY WIFES PRIDE AND JOY A HIGHLY POLISHED
CHERRY DINING TABLE LEAVING A WHITE MARK ABOUT THE SIZE OF A SAUCER.
TRIED THE WARM IRON AND LINEN CLOTH HAY PRESTO AFTER ABOUT THREE
MINUTES THE MARK DISAPPEARED BEFORE MY VERY EYES MAGIC!!!!!!!!!THANK
YOU WHOEVER POSTED THIS SOLUTION YOU SAVED MY BACON
D. NEWINS
- DUNDEE, SCOTLAND, U.K.
August 22, 2007
We left a solid wood entertainment center outdoors temporarily and
covered as best as we could with a tarp but rain still leaked in, now
some of the edges and seams have dark (almost black) water stains.
Any suggestions?
Donna Alston
hobbyist - Bethesda, Maryland
August 28, 2007
I placed a warm cardboard pizza box on my coffee
table, and about an hour later discovers a huge white, heat stain.
Shot hot air at the stain for about 10 minutes using my hair dryer on
hot and am so relieved to tell you the stain in gone! Thanks for the
great advise!
Maria Palis
- Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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August 31, 2007
I too want to report success with the ironing method of
removing water marks (or, clouds in this case). BUT be
forewarned to keep the not-too-hot iron moving, and don't
stay on it too long, and do not apply heavy pressure. Keep
checking every 30 seconds as someone above suggested, or you
may damage the wood surface!
I followed up with lemon oil and it is 95% perfect.
Aurora Lee
- New York, New York
September 4, 2007
My daughter thought she would iron on my dining table
with a towel under it.
Now I have this massive white smudge and white iron indents
on my beautiful table
Please I'm desperate to get it off.
Juanita White
mother - nsw, Australia
September 30, 2007
After daughter placed KFC box on polished furniture, was
horrified to find white cloudy stain this morning
Having used the hairdryer for only a fwe seconds the stain
has gone. Just want to say great big thank You for this
help. I was already to pay french polisher to do his stuff.
SAVED!!!!
Wayne
F
- Nottingham. United Kingdom
September 30,
2007
THAT WAS AMAZING! I'm living with a
surrogate mother right now. Her grandson was over and left a
burrito on her cherry wood table. It left a mark. The
ironing thing WORKED!! I was so amazed and as she said, she
was so "geeked!" lol. Thanks guys!!!
ashley
doute
- flat rock, Michigan
 
November 11, 2007
Juanita - any luck? I wasn't thinking and made some
t-shirts with iron on transfers on top of the wood table.
Well - it left a nice white mark on my espresso table.
Anyone know how to remove this?
Thanks!
David O
- Arlington, Virginia
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