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Water stains / rings on wood furniture (cont'd)
before & after photos courtesy of Vikki K., Valley Village, California
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WOW! After delegating a beautiful drop leaf cherry side table to plant holding duty following the unfortunate setting of a hot cup of soup on it. I am pleased to report that the white ring is GONE after following the directions of this thread with an iron and t-shirt. The table has been returned to it's former duty in the living room and I feel like I have saved a thing of beauty. Thanks for the information.
Sherri McKenzie- Las Vegas, Nevada
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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, Mississippi
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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, Arizona
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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 [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Colorado, USA
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Trying to protect the dinning room table's surface, I also used a foam-backed pad under the table cloth. However, I may have left the pad on the table too long. When I removed the cloth and pad, the foam backing on the pad stuck to the finish of the Cherry table and has left not only marks but also rough areas were the foam seems to have embedded itself into the finish. - New Philadelphia , Ohio +++++++ Should I follow the advice for removing water marks from my G Plan table with an iron? I am very sad to see the water mark but would be even sadder to see a burn. Please help? Inga Salterhobbyist - London England |
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This is a scary decision to have to make, Inga; sorry you're in that position, but c'mon :-)
By my count, 37 people have recommended the method, and many have suggested particular settings for the iron, etc. If 37 recommendations isn't enough, 37 thousand wouldn't be. We're sorry for the damage to your very special table, but you have to decide for herself whether to risk it or call a refinishing expert.
Sorry, but no one can guarantee that you won't burn your table or otherwise make the problem worse. Best of luck whatever way you go -- Cousin Ted
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 Ted Mooney, P.E. finishing.com Brick, New Jersey |
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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 Redelmanconsumer - Melville, New York
January 13, 2008
I have a beautiful 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 tried to use the iron technique but it didn't work.
Kellie on Long Island
buyer - East Meadow, New York
January 18, 2008
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
- San Diego, California
January 21, 2008
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 mayonnaise, 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!
- Murfreesboro, Tennessee
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February 1, 2008
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!
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Ed. note: Heather G of San Antonio was the first to suggest it here, back in 2005. Where she first heard it she didn't say :-)
February 10, 2008
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
- Peterborough, UK
February 13, 2008
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
February 13, 2008
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 nice to have it put back in perspective as an excellent tip in most cases, but not a foolproof miracle :-)
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 Ted Mooney, P.E. finishing.com Brick, New Jersey |
February 26, 2008
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 [linked by editor to product info at Amazon]. 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?
hobbyist - Silver Spring, Maryland
March 5, 2008
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 THROUGH THE FINISH. I CLEANED IT UP QUICKLY, HOWEVER IT LEFT A MARK. HELP!
LISA MENAGOHOME OWNER - KING OF PRUSSIA, Pennsylvania
March 5, 2008
Nail polish remover is acetone [linked by editor to product info at Rockler], a very strong solvent. I'm afraid it has dissolved the lacquer/varnish and you'll have to re-do the table.
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Ted Mooney, P.E. finishing.com Brick, New Jersey |
March 25, 2008
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 uncovered 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 Egyptian cotton sheet.
Denise Woods- Florida, USA
April 7, 2008
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 plus black inside ring size of a grapefruit. My roommate is tall and he looks at this spot every night 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- Orange, California
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For some reason, we don't see your relationship with your roommate flowering into romance, Mary :-) Regards,
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I spilled water on my black desk it left this horrible stain and I don't know what to do will the iron and cloth help ?
Sabrina Urquidi- Virginia, USA
May 21, 2008
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.?
TEACHER - New Zealand
July 16, 2008
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 [linked by editor to product info at Amazon] 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 awful. Thanks to everyone who posted and to this site.
- Richmond, Virginia
September 5, 2008
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 Woolleyconsumer - Watsonville, California
October 24, 2008
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
October 24, 2008
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 instant 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]
- Oklahoma, USA
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November 1, 2008
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 advise 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
November 3, 2008
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
November 28, 2008
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.
- New Berlin, Illinois
November 30, 2008
I had set a pizza box on my wood kitchen 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
January 1, 2009
The hot iron with a cloth did the trick on my dining room table. It really works!
Marcella Flynn- Bolton Landing, New York
January 13, 2009
Hot Iron and Lint free Material worked a Treat .
Wife may stop nagging me now !
Thank you.
- Penkridge, UK
January 16, 2009
This was great information to find and it solved my problem. I have a great honey oak finished dining table we used for lunching one day using chili mugs. When we finished I noticed a significant white "heat" stain about 3" in dia. wherever a mug had been placed. I used a flour sack towel folded over once and a medium hot iron on each stain for about 10 minutes. This worked perfectly without any damage. Thanks so much!
Mark R [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Elk River, Minnesota
January 20, 2009
"I have a pickled oak dining table. I had a black fabric table runner and put three candle holders on it. The black runner transferred the outline of the candle holders onto my table. Now I have three huge black rings on the middle of my table. Please help!"
Leslie Gleasonconsumer - Coral Springs, Florida
January 26, 2009
I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS....my aunt had a cherry table and her grandson left watermarks on it. She was upset so I went online and googled the question as to how to get the stain out and just left her house with my iron and t-shirt in tow and alas no stain left whatsoever. Thank you all!
Cindy-Marie Smith- East Lyme, Connecticut
June 4, 2009
WOW! Guests left glass rings on a teak table and I fretted over what to do about it until I found this thread. IT WORKS, it really, really works. I used an iron and white tee shirt. Fabulous - thank you.
Heidi Douglas- Groton, Connecticut
July 11, 2009
Holy Wow!
My piano had a HUGE water stain from a plant that was leaking. I am not kidding, I have covered it for 3 years with books or anything to not show the hideous stain. I read about steam ironing it, tried it and it is all but disappeared! Took a good 15-20 minutes, but I just can't believe this worked so well. It is my husband's late Mother's piano, so you can imagine how awful I felt when we found the water mark. Thank you all soooo much for this tip!
- Valley Village, California
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Ed. note: And thank you, Vikki, for the before & after pictures which now lead off this topic!
July 28, 2009
I've just bought a Georgian/Regency flame mahogany night stand at auction. I knew it had a couple of very obvious watermarks,and so it was obviously cheaper than if it was perfect. Had a quick look on the internet - on the off-chance of finding a remedy - and found this site. I was in two minds about sticking an iron on a 200-year old piece of furniture, but I gave it a go with a cotton shirt. Set the heat about halfway and left it on for increasingly long periods. And it works! Amazing! Don't be put off by the steam which you'll start to see when you lift the iron & cloth - just wipe it off. That's simply the moisture escaping from the wood. Marvelous!
Neil Murray- Suffolk, UK
August 3, 2009
New babysitter tonight - apparently he didn't know *not* to put the hot pizza box directly on the kitchen table. HUGE white spot... I turned on the iron per these recommendations, held my breath and began ironing an old t-shirt over the stain. IT WORKED! The stain is completely gone! FYI: I started with a low setting (4) and slowly went up (6-ish)... Thanks so much!
Esse Kimball- Austin, Texas
August 2009
I had a beautiful Dark Red/Burgundy Color Wood Desk with a soft shine.... I left for vacation for a couple weeks and while I was out someone had used my office/desk. They left me a beautiful Water Ring-(Quite Large) as a present when I got back.
I tried letting it soak in Mayonnaise for the night as instructed by several sites on the internet...This just softened the look of the ring, Also, I tried hot iron on white cloth...No change,
Then I found a site that said to try a non-gel toothpaste, to gently scrub into wood water stain in a circular motion. This did the trick. You can barely see the circle...Its virtually gone.
- Caldwell, Idaho
August 13, 2009
I have been married for 42 years and looking at my mother in law's table stains for all of that time. The table is 66 years old and my wife has never seen the table without the stains. I tried the hot iron and cloth technique and it did eventually work. I had to be persistent and spend several hours on some of the stains, but it sure did work.
fj cas- York, Pennsylvania
August 13, 2009
FANtastic - great trick. my dad used it & has been suitably impressed. worked on our wood table where plant had been overwatered & 'leaked' over several weeks without us realizing - GREAT TIP. THANKS
Steven Smith- London, UK
September 3, 2009
i spilt some water on the wooden table so I decided to put polish on it and it left a big white mark, I went on the internet and saw on your website that it said use an hairdryer so I did and the stain
was gone in 10 mins. After I put wood polish on it and it was done!
- London, UK
November 8, 2009
WOW! I just tried using the t-shirt and Iron method and it completely removed the water rings on my wood table. Thank so much for the tip : )
C. Brown- Seattle,Washington
November 11, 2009
Ironing and an old white t-shirt did the trick. I just did it. Felt like an idiot when my wife came by and saw me doing it, but when we removed the t-shirt, the stain was gone. I'm a believer.
John Shanks- Bartlett, Illinois
December 8, 2009
The iron and cloth didn't work for me. Still have white heat/water rings on teak veneer table. I also noticed that after the treatment the grain in the stain seemed coarser and raised a bit. Now it looks like time to refinish.
Sam Reeves- Albuquerque, New Mexico
December 18, 2009
WOW! All I have to say is THANK YOU, EVERYONE! My fiance brought home an armful of magnificent roses. It was only when their time was up that I realized the damage wrought to my wonderful old oak dresser. You all saved the day.. and my peace of mind! I can not be more thankful ...
Cat Paredi- West Palm Beach, Florida,
December 29, 2009
After a festive Christmas celebration with a flaming Christmas pudding, I discovered a round white ring on my Bombay Co dining table. I tried many of the products recommended here: Restor-A-Finish, Mr Clean Magic Eraser, mayo, all to no avail.
I've had too many disasters with irons to try that, so I used the hair dryer. It was taking a long time to get any results (over 20 minutes) by holding it several inches away so I tried it right up close to the wood and it worked! The most effective was almost like using the hair dryer as an eraser - even touching the wood - and the ring which had been thick and very white disappeared! Miraculous. I rubbed it down with Restor-A-Finish [linked by editor to product info at Rockler] to minimize any damage I did, but am very grateful. Thank you!
Rebecca Chute- West Linn, Oregon
January 3, 2010
My husband left my brand new beautiful wooden salad bowl in the water overnight. To my outrage, the bowl was filled with white water marks. I took the advice of this website and used a hairdryer and white cloth and all the marks disappeared.
Thanks for the advice!
- Smiths Fall, Ontario, Canada
January 17, 2010
There was several white stains on our dining room table from hot food in heavy paper plates being placed on the table. I thought my table was destroyed but after finding this site and using the iron with a tee shirt it is like new again. I just could not believe that all of the stains were completely gone. It was magic!
Thank you for the great advice.
- St. Charles, Missouri USA
January 26, 2010
I can't tell from the responses if the iron method works on Dark water stains. Lots of success with white, cloudy and rings. Please let me know if it worked on dark water stains. ( I would greatly appreciate this information before my mother kills me or disowns me).
Pat Fabian- Coon Rapids, Minnesota
February 1, 2010
WIcked trick, works great thank you.
Nige c [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Macclesfield UK
February 6, 2010
Yes, I was wondering that too, about the dark stains I mean. We've got new beautiful cherry wood kitchen work tops which I lovingly oil however I seem to have acquired a horrible black water mark the size of a side plate and would love some advice about how to remove it.
Moyra Cumming- Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
February 21, 2010
You are superstars! Hot iron worked on a huge water stain on a pine table - thank you so much! Took less than a minute too, brilliant!
Dawn Marsh- Bucks, England
February 23, 2010
I could not believe it - IT WORKS like magic. The white baseball size spot is gone.
Phyllis Wenzel- Midland, Michigan, USA
February 28, 2010
I bought a cherry table about a year ago from a friend that was moving. After I got it home I noticed several white water rings. I tried everything (or thought I did)short of having it refinished. Tried the iron and white cotton cloth today and I am thrilled w/the results. This REALLY works. No more unsightly white rings. Thanks for all the posts.
Sharon Nixdorf- Louisville Ohio
March 3, 2010
I tried all of the above and nothing worked so I got fine sandpaper and sanded out the white mark. THIS WORKED. I almost didn't even need the Old English scratch cover but I put it on anyway. Hey I even went over other flaws with the sand paper and the furniture looks like new. This did not cause any damage whatsoever. It was quick and easy.!
Gail Herrell- Royal Palm Beach Florida, USA
March 12, 2010
Wow Wow Wow the steam iron method really does work! My beautiful Ercol dining table had a hot place put on it and I was devastated to see the white mark left behind. Too afraid to use an iron I began using a hair dryer. This didn't do anything so I very slowly began to use a dry iron over a tee shirt. Nothing happened. I then plucked up the courage to use the steam. I couldn't believe my eyes. The mark disappeared. I am in a state of shock. I really didn't think this could possibly work. To anyone with a similar problem, I say go ahead and do it. IT WORKS.
Sandra Bolton- London England
March 27, 2010
Goodness me! I cannot believe that the ironing tip actually worked, I'm so pleased. Have sat looking at stains on nest of tables for months after having tried everything else I could think of. I would love to know where this idea first came from.
Lani Oakes- Nottinghamshire, England
April 3, 2010
My room mate left 2 large white stains on oak urethane covered sofa arms, and also left a damp and hot plate on the love seat, leaving another white stain.....
Worried about having either needing to refinish both arms, or finding some other way to do this, till I found this.
Worked perfectly, used a "COTTON" tee shirt and the iron on medium. No more stains. Wish I'd remembered this, used it years ago, to raise the wood grain and lightly sand out a
cup ring.
Thanks!
John
- Gresham, Oregon
April 6, 2010
So I must have got nail polish remover on my nice finished desk. I woke up and there was a small white cloud mark. I knew I would be annoyed by this for the rest of my life so first I tried Some rubbing alcohol because at first I didn't think the alcohol in the Remover made the stain even though now I'm sure of. When that made the stain worse I panicked and tried basic soap and water which did nothing. I immediately looked it up on google and was told to try toothpaste and that did nothing either. I found this site and used the Iron and Fabric combo but if anything in my situation it made it worse! So I kept thinking and by now this small mark became a huge stain. I then went to my cabinet and pulled out some Olive Oil. I put a little on a cloth and sprinkled salt over the oil. I then rubbed the cloth on the desk and wiped off the remains and voila! It's 90% gone. It actually made the entire desk smoother. I don't know what gave me that impulse but it worked and I'm so happy with the results!
Kelly Abel- New York, New York
April 10, 2010
Was nervous about the warm iron technique, so I tried the Magic Eraser [linked by editor to product info at Amazon] suggestion: worked perfectly! Just don't rub too hard.
Sigrid Groves- Baltimore, Maryland
April 21, 2010
I never leave the house with any windows open.....last week I did and a small table near the window got wet with rain spots...I just got done ironing the table
with a soft white cloth and it looks so much better.....thank you so much....I will pass this tip along to my friends. Amazing how that worked....happy now! :)
Thanks again!
- Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
April 26, 2010
This doesn't work. Tried it on a piece of brown-black stained ikea furniture that had a cold drink left on it overnight. absolutely nothing happened. if your furniture doesn't have a clear or lacquer top coat don't bother trying this...
owen hill- Toronto, Ontario
April , 2010
Hi, Owen. None of my IKEA furniture is real wood. It's all just particle board with a thermofoil skin (very thin wood-toned laminated plastic) on it.
If yours is like mine, sorry, this wood furniture tip would not work. But as you see on this thread, the tip has worked on hundreds of pieces of wood furniture.
Regards,
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Ted Mooney, P.E. finishing.com Brick, New Jersey |
May 3, 2010
HELP... water left overnight on my end table!
I guess my son spilled water on my end table last night before going to bed. I woke up this morning to a pool of water and when I wiped it away...I found the wood to be bucking or bubbling...like...
What can I do?
Thank you in advance...
- Tinton, Falls, New Jersey
June 17, 2010
Used an old undershirt and a dry iron on medium. WOW.
Jay Isbell- Atlanta, Georgia, USA
July 5, 2010
Thanks to everyone who posted tips. When my husband put a pizza box directly on our brand new Eames table, I woke up to a large, white stain. I was horrified. I called the manufacturer and they recommended the vaseline method. Didn't work. I went on this site and saw everyone posting about using a hot iron on a white t-shirt. I was nervous to try it, but it worked wonders! It only took 15 minutes to have my table looking good as new. I followed with some citrus oil and it looks perfect again. Thank you posters!
Lauren Bruce- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
July 20, 2010
Works a treat but I used clean white kitchen paper towel instead, 2 layers and use a fresh piece each attempt.
If the furniture has small chips and marks wipe with a cloth moistened with a similar colour wood dye and polish.
Larger chips can be filled with children's wax crayon, available in so many colours you are certain of the right one.
quite badly scratched wood furniture can be restored by polishing with similar colour boot polish, ie light tan for pine or beech, ox blood for cherry and mahogany and dark tan for brown furniture.
- Wigan, Lancashire, England
August 6, 2010
The cloth and iron worked like a charm....thank you!
Warren Munro- Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
August 13, 2010
We had a 4" circular water stain on on a lacquer finished maple wood table which was caused by a wet cloth. The stain was not deep but had caused a circular area of whiteness on the surface. With the use of an iron set for rayon/polyester temperature and a kitchen cotton dish towel we gently applied a small amount of heat to the affected area. We monitored it frequently and found that the stain was very quickly removed. When the cloth was lifted in the monitoring process there appeared to be a misty film the beneath the cloth; which we did not understand. The result was that the stain was completely removed and it was impossible to see where it had been. Rationally we were not able to understand the process that had taken place, but it was clearly very successful.
Ron Williams- Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
September 2, 2010
WOW IS RIGHT! Thank you so much for this advice. I was afraid to try it at first so I tried it on a hidden spot to make sure it would not damage. After that I went ahead and did it. I Am so pleased with the results. It's gone.
Thanks Again !
- Herkimer, New York
September 12, 2010
I am so excited. I had earlier in the day tried the vinegar and oil. It did not work. To my amazement,I tried the iron and cloth, It worked. Not only did it work on the white patches on my table, my daughter had spilled oil from an fragrant oil diffuser it made marks on the table. It is great. WOW, IT LOOKS PERFECT:) THANKS. I oiled my table after to get the glow back. Love it....
Michelle RippyHomemaker - Bakersfield, California USA
October 25, 2010
I discovered a very large, cloudy stain on my great-grandmother's diningroom table when I removed my tablecloth - it made me sick! I viewed this site - looking for a way to remove it and decided to try the t-shirt and iron procedure that many readers had responded to with good results. I was so nervous - but it removed the entire stain on the first attempt! - Keep the iron at a lower temp until you feel comfortable to increase the heat and buff with the t-shirt immediately afterwards. Thank you so much !
Julie W [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Augusta Georgia USA
November 7, 2010
I got a water stain on the piano my husband inherited from his grandmother. Yeah, yikes!
I tried the ironing trick with the t-shirt and it worked! The stain didn't come out completely, but it looks worlds better. All I know is that it's going to take a long time for my husband to notice it.
Thank you!
- Arlington, Texas, USA
November 8, 2010
Hey guys!
So I may be in some strife! I've borrowed a tall boy off a friend... and had (I think it was) perfume or it could have been an essence sitting on the top of it. Anyway, it's come to me giving it back now... and I fear I have ruined her tall boy, to which she will be sooo angry! Any ideas what I can do? it's a white ring, but its not a dent, it looks like the paint has just lifted off..., with like this sticky stuff on it, so I scratched some of that off cos it looked horrible, and you guessed it, underneath the sticky stuff is even whiter ring.. what to do!? HELP
student, exercise physiologist - melbourne
November 29, 2010
I'm so very pleased. Yesterday, I set a lot dish on my dining room table, and to my great dismay found it left a white ring. I looked on line for help, and found this site with all the positive responses, and decided to try the hair dryer and napkin first. It worked wonderfully, thanks for this site, such a blessing!
Ann Duval- Wilmington, Delaware
November 30, 2010
When re-arranging furniture, I temporarily sat a burgundy candle on my (very) antique, French Provential bedside table, was called away & forgot to move it for several days. Now I have a burgundy stain that has soaked into the wood! I'm just sick about it! Will the iron trick work on this?
Dee Diehl- Norfolk, Nebraska, USA
November 30, 2010
Hi, Dee
My suspicion is that an absorbent towel or t-shirt well heated by the iron would do a lot towards pulling a wax based stain out of the table. But if I had a very antique table I might call an expert instead of going by trial and error.
Regards,
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Ted Mooney, P.E. finishing.com Brick, New Jersey |
December 8, 2010
I had lined my wood kitchen table with several layers of wax paper and then put hot cookies on to cool. I didn't feel like I left them on the table very long, as I was actually concerned about getting the white marks.........but I guess it was still too long because I had about 20 little white circles where the cookies were. I used the hot iron on a cotton cloth and at first got discouraged, but I kept at it and after about 4-5 minutes in each area..........the spots are GONE! My table is only a couple of years old so I was really upset thinking I had ruined it. Thanks for the tip!
Julie Provost- Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
December 10, 2010
I just did the iron over a tee-cloth trick! Amazing! My father's an antique's dealer and he hadn't heard of this! So relieved, it's my boyfriend's table!
Caroline Fowle- Bristol, Avon, United Kingdom
December 21, 2010
I live in a zoo! :) A bottle of rubbing alcohol dripped onto our dining room table. Now there's an ugly white ring. Is there a way to remove it? I welcome ring removal suggestions. Thanks!
Lita FloodHome Worker Superstar (wannabe) - Chicago, Illinois, USA
January 12, 2011
While cleaning my hardwood dining room table and chairs, I had my small bucket of water sitting on the table. When I removed it...there was a huge white water ring on the table. Immediately, I Googled the problem and the iron technique was the first in the list. I tried it and was thrilled that it worked completely. No sign of a water ring now. Just an FYI, this technique also works with candle wax. My grandmother taught me years ago to use a thick towel and an iron to pick up any wax that may hit your carpet or furniture and dry.
Margie Skidmore- Weirton, West Virginia
January 28, 2011
I was VERY skeptical when trying the iron and lint-free cloth method, as I had made the stain while ironing the table-cloth while it was on the table! (Will not attempt that again!) However, the white stain was very large and ugly, so things couldn't be worse so....... To my delight and amazement, the stain has now completely disappeared. It took some time, but it was large and VERY WHITE! Thanks a million for the tip!
Barbara Blunkell- Kent. United Kingdom
February 2, 2011
BRILLIANT!!! So glad I came across this site.
My teenage Grandson and his friends had put their drinks down on a polished mahogany cabinet, and left unsightly white ring marks.
The cabinet houses a television, and I was going to give them both away as I no longer need them, but when I discovered the cabinet was marked I decided just to bin them . I tried the Iron and cloth this evening( I used men's handkerchiefs) and hey presto, the marks are gone.
Now I can give them to someone who can make use of them rather than just bin them.
Thank you.
- Leeds, England, United Kingdom
March 20, 2011
My boyfriend had inherited a beautiful antique, Cherrywood "occasional" table. I sat it near a window with a potted plant on it. Of course, I watered the plant, only to discover I had apparently over watered and had a saucer size horrendously white water ring on it. So for the better part of a year, I kept a DRIED flower arrangement over the spot.
Today I googled fixing water rings, found this site, and used the ironing method. Someone else had suggested using a dark T-shirt to avoid white lint residue. YAY! It worked perfect! Ironed 10 minutes, on medium high, always moving the iron and checking frequently. The mark is 99% gone. Gave the table a good shine with lemon oil and its barely noticeable.
Thank goodness for people that share their knowledge on the internet!
- Independence, Missouri, USA
April 6, 2011
We have a pricey wood kitchen table/counter with beautiful mahogany wood veneers, but a suspect varnish. Several weeks ago I placed a hot pie on a folded cotton towel, resting on the tabletop. OOOPS. When I removed the towel there was this 3 in diameter cloudy spot. Nothing appeared to help UNTIL I used the IRON at medium heat. In just a few minutes the spot vanished! I wish I had taken pictures. I can't wait for my hubby to sit down at the table and notice it's fixed. He will be amazed and happy we don't need to get the table refinished.
Thanks for the suggestion- PS The spot resembled a whitish cloudy area; not rings.
- Oxon Hill, Maryland, USA
April 19, 2011
Unbelievable. It really works! I got a free desk off of Craig's list yesterday. It is really beautiful, an old fashioned office desk. Only thing it, it had tons of water stains on it. I found this site and tried the ole iron and t-shirt technique and wouldn't you know it??
I wish I took pictures of it before I started, but the ones I took after the first round of ironing then after a third round are amazing.
- SF, California
May 9, 2011
I can't believe this is easy and WORKS! The white towel/iron solution is a mess free, chemical free, instant winner! Amazing.
Dee G [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Jacksonville, Florida
May 24, 2011
Just the answer I was looking for! Using the iron (low setting over a thin cloth) on my dining room table took out a large water mark in only a couple of minutes. After polishing, there is no trace of the spot! Thank you so much!
Dawn Jensen- Valle Crucis, North Carolina, USA
June 14, 2011
Fantastic - have lived with a water mark on the table for years before finding this website. 5 seconds with a hot iron and white t-shirt and it's gone completely. Thank you so much. Now for getting nail varnish and sudocrem out of the carpet courtesy of my 2 year old!
Trudi Whittington- Canterbury, Kent, England
June 14, 2011
This site was a life saver! I had a couple of water stains from plants I left my my dining room table. The table is textured so it took over an hour with med heat with an iron, but the table is good as new.
S. Platt- Long Beach, California
June 18, 2011
I left a water glass with condensation on a wood desk, I tried this solution but now the ring is gone but now its kinda blotchy (definitely lighter colored where I did it) and it looks and feels like the finish has come off a little. Any clues as to how to fix that?
Margaret Dreyer- California, USA
June 24, 2011
OMG! I have a relatively new black wooden table. Had some kids over and they ate mac n cheese off of white paper plates that were sitting directly on the table top. When the plates were lifted I had 4 very visible heavy white rings left on my new black table. Needless to say, I was not happy. I tried a furniture scratch cover polish but the stains would not budge. Well, I googled the problem and found a bunch of home remedies. Yours seemed the simplest, so I tried it first. Very happy to say it worked like a dream and the stains are completely gone!!!
FYI - I used a thick white towel and a very hot iron. It did take about a 1/2 hour or so in total for them to be completely removed. All it took was your remedy and a little patience. Thank you!
- Littleton, Colorado
June 26, 2011
My granddaughter spilled water on a tablecloth while filling water glasses and then sat her hot plate of food on the spot. When I removed the tablecloth after dinner the outline and plus of her plate was on the table. I thought it would be there forever and decided to look at it as a memory....but it was large and I had just bought the table. It is a solid wooden table and far out of my budget at full price but this had been in a model home display and had maybe five other marks of water I'd guess..so using a linen napkin and my iron, I tried the ironing suggestion...being very skeptical I might add..thinking I would probably end up with the iron outline on it to go along with everything else!! Well, it worked!!! Last night's stain is gone so are all the other stains from quite awhile ago!! I could not believe it..I suppose the whitish stain is moisture trapped under the finish on the wood and the iron draws it out with it's heat. That's just a layperson's reasoning!! Anyway, I highly recommend the napkin and iron trick!!
Bernita Stairs- Fredericton NB Canada
July 1, 2011
Hey, Thanks a lot! I tried the hair dryer on high for 3-4 minutes like you suggested and most of it came out (about 90%). Looks much better!
Scott Roughen- Woodland Park Colorado
July 5, 2011
I cannot thank you enough. My dearest husband put his pizza box on the coffee table and when he picked it up a great big white cloudy mark on the table:( I found this website and tried the iron with a piece of muslin. IT WORKS !! :) It even got the can ring mark off that has been there forever. THANK YOU THANK YOU :)
Olivia [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Watford, UK
July 11, 2011
I can recommend this method of water stain removal.
My parents' 40 year old teak veneer table had several old water marks from vases & goodness knows what. (Have a cup of tea while doing this - just don't spill it!) I used an old cotton cloth & medium - hot iron & after 10 minutes the marks were gone. I polished the entire table with a spray on bees wax/lemon oil furniture polish & it looks like new, along with the matching side cabinets & coffee table. Fabulous. Cheers from Down Under.
- Maitland, South Australia
July 25, 2011
I used a warm/hot dry iron and a white t-shirt. I could hardly believe my eyes as a 5 x 5" water stain disappeared from my dining room table!!! Its like a miracle! I really thought I had ruined our beautiful oak table. Thanks sooo much for the amazing tip!
Donna williams- New Tripoli Pennsylvania
July 26, 2011
Hair dryer and cotton t-shirt. Oh what a relief!
Staying at the "mother-in-law" house. She is out of town and not sure if I left a hot coffee cup or if it was leakage from a coaster but noticed a round circle of slightly different color (lighter) on the coffee table. To be honest I'm not even sure if I did it! lol - but better safe than sorry.
They are hard core here about using the coasters. Even though the wood is really beat up and old (insert bad joke here about how that may be a bit like the owners of the house) ahem.
Anyway, was lounging on the couch, noticed the round mark glaring at me and hopped on a search here. Found you all first.
Got out the blowdryer and actually tested a very white mark on another table which has been there for all eternity. That one magically began fading and I knew I had a chance!
Round mark is gone (which I may or may not have created, and I will neither confirm nor deny any accusations) - even though I had tried cleaning it first with some Murphys oil soap. I was afraid the preliminary cleaning job might have dulled my chances but all is well with the world.
What is up with all these pizza box tragedies?
And you ladies asking about nail polish remover - come on! That is like paint remover - it takes off nail polish!
Suddenly I began to notice all kinds of marks I could attempt to fix - but this might bring about some questions upon the return of the lady of the house so we'll just keep that idea in the "don't think I should do that" bin.
A big thanks to you, Conair, and Hanes for making me sleep well tonight.
- Old Greenwich, Connecticut, USA
July 26, 2011
Hi, Jill.
Although this thread is getting awfully long, I'm certainly enjoying reading the stories, and believe others are too, so keep it up! We deleted your last name for plausible deniability if mom-in-law stumbles across the thread.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
finishing.com
Brick, New Jersey
July 29, 2011
This was amazing! Other sites said to use toothpaste which did nothing. The iron worked and I'm so happy!
A Pierce- Portland, Oregon, USA
August 1, 2011
Wow. You saved me. I'm staying with my step father who would have a cow if he came home from work to see the ring on his beautiful wood table. Your trick worked like a charm!
Danielle Steele- Miami, Florida, USA
August 5, 2011
Awesome! Works like a dream! I was about to refinish my table and tried this. No more water marks!
Tom Wall- New York, New York
August 10, 2011
This really works!...1920'-1930's Cherry Wood drop-leaf table, purchased at auction with heavy water stains for 10 dollars completely restored with this method, no ghosts/shadows on table of any sort...I highly recommend this method...the heavier water stains, just needed a little more elbow grease, but worth it...had I thought of a before and after pic, it would be posted...
Mike Bounds- Newark, Ohio USA
August 20, 2011
I just tried this iron/shirt method immediately after reading the posts. Yes indeed, it worked for me. I had a coffee table that was special to me. It got stained with water last week after my cat spilled a glass. The water had seeped under some papers and magazine and stayed wet overnight. Thanks for the idea. The part I couldn't get off was the ink from the printed pages of the wet magazine. Scrubbing with the shirt helped but I didn't get it all.
Mrs. G. Bair- Columbus Ohio USA
August 22, 2011
just used the lint free cloth (hankie ) and the medium hot iron on my mothers coffee table and could not believe my eyes when the white stain disappeared thank you for the tip
Pat Walsh- Dublin, Ireland
September 3, 2011
Thanks for this hot iron tip. I tried it on 2 tables that we have and in about 5 mins, the stains were gone! Thanks and God bless.
Sai P- San Jose, California
September 25, 2011
I soo didn't think this wood work I messed my table up ironing on it with a wet towel two years ago and this fixed it. I don't know who put this on here but thank you soooooo much -- my table looks nice again!!
amber z- grand prairie Texas
October 9, 2011
Just tried a new floor steamer on my hardwood floors this morning and it left a white spot on the floor when I left it standing for a few minutes. I tried the iron method of removing the white mark and it worked like a charm!!! I love the steamer but now know not to leave it standing on the hardwood floor!
Theresa Runager- Niceville, Florida
October 10, 2011
my name is Gloria, from Mississippi.
I read the comments about water stains on furniture etc. but I did not get complete instructions on how to do this on hardwood floor, my floor are Bruce hardwood, not the very expensive kind. The floors are 6 yrs old. I need to know what is the first thing that you do, how long to keep the iron on the area, etc.
Thank you for being there for the public.
Gloria Durham
traveling, gardening, family - Ridgeland, Mississippi, USA
October 24, 2011
This mostly worked for me, but I stopped after a 15-second press with the iron raised a blister on the finish. (Several before this had been OK, so I don't know what happened on this one.) No steam on. The setting was fairly high, but well below max. Oh well. It was an old stain.
Bruce Higgins- Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
October 28, 2011
Had a bad stain on our coffee table for years, tried the hot iron method this morning and it worked!!! Thanks a lot for the advice.
Dave F- Cleveland England
October 28, 2011
Is this treatment for watermarks only recommended for stained furniture? I have a watermark on a dining table with a black finish (factory paint, I guess). Would the iron trick work on this type of wood finish? Thank you.
Martha Kuyek- Abbotsford, BC Canada
November 13, 2011
I had white stains across the front of a bathroom vanity cabinet (caused by a massive overflow of hot water from the sink). The surface was too uneven to iron, but the hair drier idea sounded possible.
I used a heat gun (sold as a "paint stripper") and it worked great. Fast and easy. As the finish got hot, the white disappeared. It does pay to be careful; if the heat gun is too close the finish will burn off. I had one small bubble from getting too close.
- Kalamazoo, Michigan
November 13, 2011
Tried the ironing trick (with great trepidation) and it WORKED!! Am amazed and relieved.
Thanks.
- Sheffield UK
November 13, 2011
WOW! I am amazed at the iron method! I had tried mayo, olive oil...even toothpaste with no luck! I had a two month old milky white ring....three seconds of a medium iron and a clean white cloth and it was GONE!
Natalie Cornejo- Las Vegas, Nevada
November 15, 2011
I couldn't believe that this could really work. I've agonised for days how to remove a mark on my mum's dining room table that she gave us until we bought our own. The table is as old as me and is in great condition. I was horrified when my sister said she would take the suite when our new one is delivered as that meant owning up to the fact I'd ruined said suite all because of a hot coffee cup left lying on it! Frantically Googled for a solution. The mark disappeared like magic!
Anne Hamilton- Kilmarnock, Scotland
November 26, 2011
My wife has been sour about a water ring that was made on our barn board dining room table about 5 months. Top add to it, we got the white cloud on the table this thanksgiving from a hot mashed potato plate. We honestly thought we would be scrapping the table when I found this line of posts. Anyway.....yesterday, I pulled out the iron, put it on medium, and basically ironed a white linen napkin over the water ring and white cloud heat damage. The water ring was literally gone in seconds!! The white cloud from them heat damage took a bit longer, but after after a few minutes of ironing in a circular pattern, it too was gone!!
Couldn't believe it!! Looks brand new and the wife is happy too!!
- Kenilworth, Illinois
November 27, 2011
I came across this after looking for a way to remove a very very white 20 yr old solid stain about 12 inches in diameter. Using the iron on silk setting and wrapping a t-shirt around the iron and making steady circular motions you can watch the stain disappear. Took about a half hour so be patient. Worked great Thanks
John Korlin- Phoenix, Arizona, US
November 27, 2011
I was very skeptical - I had horrible white spots possibly from acetone/nail polish remover? or something else.
IT WORKED -- I took my time and used a medium-high setting on the iron and two thin lint free cloths and touched up each spot over and over and was amazed. You can still see the spots if the lighting is right and you look at it from the side but the EYE SORE IS GONE~
SO HAPPY as this was an antique dresser!
- Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
November 29, 2011
Thank you so much for posting this, I have tried many ways of trying to get the white stains out of my table.. and today "Hey Presto" they have gone!! - My dining room table looks like new! - Who would have thought an Iron and a napkin could make me so happy??!
Sam Pengilly- Singapore
December 6, 2011
Thanks sooo much. Again, the leaking coffee pot story left a gigantic ring on my good cherry table. One day later I came here and tried the iron over a dish towel. Voila, gone. Now I will never worry again.
Judy [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Burlington, Vermont
December 12, 2011
Heather is a genius.
Heather - if you are ever in New Jersey please stop by and get a huge hug!
- Mahwah, New Jersey, USA
December 13, 2011
I found this site and tried the iron on my water/heat stains on my cherry dining room table. It did not seem to work. I am wondering if I am doing the procedure correctly (or what the exact procedure is). Am I supposed to use steam or not, set the iron on the cloth and stain or actually iron the stain, and do I rub the stain at all or not. Any help would be appreciated!
- Greenville, South Carolina, USA
December 27, 2011
It works! Rubbed with lemon juice (which lightened stain) then hot iron with cloth. No mark at all. Cuk Tasakuler (Turkish for thank you)
David Jackson
- Fethiye, Mugla, Turkey
January 11, 2012
My boyfriend placed his hot tea on our gorgeous redwood side table and it left a large white ring stain. He was so upset but I knew google would come through! I used our blow-dryer over the area, while wiping, for approximately 10 mins, and it almost looks brand new again. Thank you everyone!!
Jess Foster- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
January 28, 2012
This really works but do not leave the iron on for any time!
Laura Williams- London
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