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You strip the finish off down to bare wood. Now there is a bare surface with a stain on it. If the stain is light, try to sand it off with a 400$ grit or so. Try not to scratch the wood, but to work it in circles. If the wood was stained, there is going to be some discoloration. Right now just try to get the stain out -- don't worry about what's next. If the stain is deep and you can't sand it off, then bleach it off. Get wood bleach and bleach it out (I did this with nail polish stains) It might take a lot of bleach. Finally is it's gone. The whole surface is the same color -- but most of the color is gone (and bleached) good. Now smooth sand the entire surface using the 400# to 600# grit. Nice and easy. wipe the surface off. Maybe you could polish the surface with a little steel wool .. very very fine Steel Wool [link is to product info at Rockler]. Rub it off. Get a "tack cloth" and tack cloth it every two or three sandings. When the surface looks very uniform -- if you want it darker then get a wood stain and put it on with gauze -- one nice coat then wipe it off with a cotton rag. If the color is not dark enough keep doing this until it is dark enough -- stain on, stain off. Ok now the surface is exactly what you wanted, but bare. The color is right, it is smooth as a baby's bottom, and the color and grain and texture is perfect. (if it was not smooth enough then rub it with rubbing compound or Pumice [link is to product info at Amazon] until it is exactly what you want (because the varnish is not gong to make the surface better). |
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When the bare surface is perfect, tack rag it off about four times. It has to be squeaky clean. Put the piece in a dust free room and put paper under it. Apply the new finish with gauze too -- just like the stain. No bubbles, no brushing, Very easy, very gently put on a very thin layer of whatever finish you chose to use. Let it dry -- real dry. Lightly sand or steel wool it off (pimples on it), tack rag it off twice, put another very thin and very easy coat on and let it dry. Keep doing this until there are four or five (or even ten coats)... each coat will dry with some pimples, and always take them off with a very fine sanding and tack rage them off. OK finally you have a ten layered finish and since it had pimples you light sanded and tacked it and now it needs to be shiny. So take the rubbing compound and your hand or a car polish bonnet and lightly buff it. It will get a lot nicer. Then use just a car polishing bonnet -- no rubbing compound. You now have a finish that is actually nicer and stronger than the original. I have done this many times including gun stocks I sold for $1,000. It gives a great finish.
Paul P
- San Diego, California
Lay a dry tea towel over the white mark. Iron on the towel with an iron set on medium. Go over area a few times, lift towel. Repeat until mark is gone. I've done this to remove water stains from spilled vases and white steam stains on cupboard doors. It really does work.
Marilyn C
- Canada
My outdoor teak table had mildew on it, and I'm afraid I pressure hosed it. When it dried it was covered in white marks. So I oiled it, it hadn't previously been oiled. The oil took them away but when it dried they came back! I'm so upset to think I've ruined it please help me. Judy :(
Judy L
homeowner - London, England
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++++++ Large water mark on teak buffet! Through an accident, a large (10 inch circle) area of an old oiled teakwood dining room buffet ended up with water damage......resulting in a milky white stain. I wiped up the water when discovered, but the ugly mark remains. HELP! How do I get the surface looking good again? Elaine M
++++++ I just tried Marilyn C's suggestion (above) and ironed a white teak water stain with a teatowel and it worked very well. The stain is no longer obvious and probably wouldn't be noticed unless someone was intentionally looking for it. Certainly, it has not gone completely, but it was far quicker and simpler than refinishing the entire sideboard!!! Thank you very much. Elspeth S
++++++ I have a round watermark in the middle of my oiled teak dining room table. I have been using Circa 1850 Tung oil but the watermark is still there. How can I get rid of the watermark? Michael P
+++++++ I had a water stain on my nice dining room table. My brother just put anything on it. My kids are better then him, with not put any wet on the table. Anyway I used an S.O.S pad to stub it out and it worked. No more water stain. Rachel H |
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Thank you, thank you, thank you. It worked! I put a white linen table napkin (tea towel) over the white water mark on my teak veneer rolltop desk and ironed it with the highest setting on my iron. After about 30 seconds the stain was gone! I'm not sure of the mechanics involved, but I believe the oil in the wood was drawn up through the water stain into the napkin which made the stain disappear.
Ralph Germann
- Honolulu, Hawaii
+++++++
My husband spilled water and it ran down the front of our oak
cupboards, leaving terrible white strips.
I could just cry. Is there a way for us to get the oak the same
colour as the other aged, beautiful wood in my other cupboards. There
is also some "swelling" on the top drawer.
What can we do??? :(
Karen McCrea
Consumer - Picton, Ontario, Canada
We used Marilyn Conner's iron-and-towel trick on a finished oak table that had a water stain from an accident and it worked marvelously.
Nick Gully
- Denver, Colorado
We have had an extendable solid-teak dining table for nearly 40
years, manufactured by a well-known Australian company, Parker
Furniture. Recently, it became time to restore and we moved the table
out to the garage where I gently rubbed the surface (along the grain)
with very fine steel wool, dipped in methylated spirits, The table
looked like new again but time prevented us sealing it with the
chosen polyurethane varnish.
To my detriment, I left the table in the garage then Sydney
experienced heavy rain with cyclonic winds recently. Roof
condensation dripped onto the now unsealed teak table. I wiped off
the water droplets ASAP but telltale white stains remained. I quickly
Googled "water stain teak" and found this website.
Armed with Marilyn Conner's Canadian advice (lol) of April 2005, I
tried the tea towel trick. However, the tea towel I used must have
been too old — it was linen, hard and thin. I then tried some more
absorbent towelling and it worked a treat! As I slowly lifted the hot
towel off each small splotch, the towel briefly gripped the affected
area of the table — a little like waxing of body hair. Thank you,
Marilyn. As you said "It really does work".
Geoff STANWELL
- Sydney, Australia
Okay - I was dubious but I tried the iron trick. And while the spots are lighter so is the surrounding wood. I really don't want to refinish this piece as it is part of a set and it would look entirely different. So now what? Would fine steel wool help? How about a wood soap or teak oil? I do want to use this end table but it won't hold enough items to cover the spots. The piece came to me from a friend in a nursing home and while she certainly enjoyed the flowers that were placed on the table, I sure don't enjoy the spots. Any other ideas?
Lynn Reiter
- Sammamish, Washington
My cat knocked over a vase of flowers on my oak table and the water seeped through red place mats - so I not only have water stains but red water stains! HELP! What can I do?
Pauline Wilson
- Coleraine, N.Ireland, UK
I had a twelve inch water stain on my oak table and the tea towel and iron worked in about 20 seconds. I couldn't believe my eyes and so happy it didn't need refinishing! The best tip ever!!!
Gloria Price
- Drumheller, Alberta, Canada
My wife had great success using her hair dryer for about an hour on water stain on teak table!
Ed Bacon
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Thank you very much Marilyn yet again the tea-towel tip worked . I had 6 foot of steam iron stains from turning up curtains up(I even laid a towel on table to protect it but it still stained)thank you again you life saver
Fiona Shepherd
- Luton Beds, England
For the Christmas holidays we put a ceramic bowl filled with
chocolate on our teak hutch. When we removed the bowl we noticed a
black ring. Was this water that was absorbed into the ceramic from
washing and than leached out onto the teak wood? We will try the
Marilyn method with a tea towel/iron and post the result. We also had
the misfortune of a cat getting up on the teak table when we were
away on holidays and to our surprise when we returned we found cat
vomit on the table. Any suggestions as to the removal of vomit, tea
towel/iron trick?
Any help would be appreciated
Thanks
Jo and Harry
Harry Schachtschneider
- Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
The iron-and-linen-napkins technique really works. Thanks much.
Terry Fisher
- Lincoln, Massachusetts
Hi Jo and Harry
Did you manage to remove the cat vomit stain? Our cat's done the same
on our polished oak dining table!
Thanks,
Nigel
Nigel Howarth
- Erimi, Cyprus (eastern Mediterranean)
A candle was set on my outdoor teak table. Alas wax on table. Any
suggestions for removal of
wax before I oil the table. Thanks
J D Descoteaux
Gardener - San Rafael, California
I have just used the Tea towel and iron method on my teak table. Brilliant result no mark left.
Celia Hamilton
- London, Britain
I have a SOLID teak table (from Denmark) - Had a container with flowers sitting on 2 sand coasters with cork protectors on bottom - container leaked & I now have a dark circle stain on my beautiful table - I tried very fine steel with pure teak oil but it did not remove the stain. I am apprehensive about letting a furniture refinisher take an oxy-bleach to remove the stain - any suggestions that have worked ?
Marnie Staub
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada
I have a teak table which has a large dark stain in the middle. I
have used Teak Oil on the table to try to make it look a bit better.
When I applied the Teak Oil (and left it for a few hours), the table
has a beautiful sheen, but the area where the stain is seems to
absorb the oil and has a matte look.
The other posts in this forum mention white stains. Is there any easy
way to deal with dark stains like the one on my table?
Any suggestions would be gratefully received.
Heidi Szymaszek
- Buffalo, New York
June 30, 2008
We have water stains on top of thin Oak membrane on fibre
board.
I wonder if the hot iron and tea towel method would lift the
membrane.
We have used an oil finish for lustre.
Have you had any experience with this.
Donald Ruggles
- Nanaimo, BC, Canada
July 28, 2008
I have a sturdy, perfectly sized teak table that is almost 30
years old. We've been using it as a kitchen table and there is no
finish left on it -- just a little stickiness. Our new kitchen is
solid cherry, and our floors are cherry and maple. The teak isn't
THAT far off the cherry.
I'm wondering whether I can sand the top and apply a cherry stain to
even the scratches and wear, and then seal it.
Thanks for any help you can give.
Deborah Savage
hobbyist - Columbia, Connecticut
I too have dark rings on a few pieces of teak furniture that I
would love to get out. I hesitate bleaching the teak and refinishing
it - it seems more damaging than restorative - but hey, I'm not a
wood worker. Does anyone have any suggestions that work for
them?
Thank you.
Deborah Lane
- St. Paul, Minnesota
October 2, 2008
Black place mats were on my oak dining table for months before I noticed. I had to move suddenly after a heart attack, so the stains have not been dealt with for more than two years! I tried Olde English lemon oil and it did not get stains out even though I rubbed with a toothbrush for hours and put many coats of Lemon Oil on the stains. Any ideas about how to get them out?
Melanie McDowell
seller of restored furniture - Houston, Texas
I have used the iron and napkin way on my wooden table only I did it to much and it has gone all dry and bumpy please help :( !
Megan Quinn
- Preston, England, United Kingdom
I tried the dishrag and iron trick! It was amazing. I had a ring left from a white ceramic gravy boat. In 10 seconds it was gone. I can not thank you enough, I was so upset. It looks like new! Amazing!
Melissa March
- Pawtucket, Rhode Island
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December 29, 2008 Our e-bay purchased Herman Miller coffee table in perfect condition has been transformed into purrrrfectly stained. Cats knocked over a water glass. Now we have prominent, front-and-center white water marks. I am about to try the tea-towel trick from the lady in Canada. My mother used to have a box of finely ground pumice called "rotten-stone" which she used with lemon oil but I think it was only a temporary fix. Stains always reappeared. But the pumice is a gentler alternative to steel wool! M.E. Landstadt |
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Hi, I've just used the iron and tea towel method to remove a stain from my dark stained coffee table and I'm pleased to say It worked and the stain has gone. Thanks
Elaine Smith
- Fareham, UK
January 12, 2009
We had temporarily put our rabbit in her cage on top of newspapers
on top of our Scan-Design teak laminate table. She urinated, which
sprayed out of the cage, and soaked through the table. We didn't
discover this until days later. It caused a very large white area and
some of the newspaper stuck to it, so I suspect that the urine
partially dissolved the finish, which resolidified and glued the
newspaper.
Can this be fixed using techniques similar to water damage (hot iron
through tea towel, strip, bleach, refinish)or does something like
this require different treatment?
Thanks!
Brandt
Brandt Wilson
homeowner - Portland, Oregon
I hate when the internet is truly useful. I tried the trick of
white towel with steam iron on a table I was almost ready to sand off
completely (Teak). I had already sanded with 2400 grit and refinished
by the way, but after the finish was applied, the stain showed
through. Well, the towel and iron trick worked wonderfully. Can't see
where the stain was at all.
Thanks !!!!!
Dave Miller
- Lake Oswego, Oregon
Hi, I bought a teak credenza a month ago and I put a table runner on it and some plants. Most of the plants I had set on wooden hot plates but two of them I put directly on the table runner. I just removed everything to clean again and the two plants without hot plates under them left big white spots. I cleaned the white spots off and then applied teak oil hoping it would clean up now it is dark circles left on the wood. Some black came off when applying the teak oil. So, next I tried the iron and towel technique and applied teak oil. The dark spots are still there. Any ideas? I'm just sick - I've only had this beautiful piece for a month and feel like I've ruined it!
Mary Freeman
- Auburn, Washington
I just made a posting about the plants on my teak credenza/sideboard leaving a dark mark. I had a table runner down with the plants sitting on it. The strange thing about it is the table runner itself had no mold or black spots on it but the teak wood did when we removed the table runner to do regular cleaning.
Mary Freeman
- Auburn, Washington
I spilled some bleach on my teak table which has left streaks of lighter wood. What would you suggest? The wood was previously only oiled.
Tom McMaster
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
April 3, 2009
I have an oiled teak dining table that I'd like to use as a desk. However I'm afraid that a computer or other items might scratch the wood and I'm thinking of laying a sheet of glass over the table. Will this harm the wood at all?
Doug Sys
buyer - Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
My Sister needed to store her "Queen Style"coffee table.She said I
could use it,but make sure coaster's are used at all times.Well I was
away for two weeks,while someone stayed at my house.
When I came back ,I thought I'd die. White stains on the table.Looked
like Heat stains.Of course"no one was guilty". I tried the Iron &
Tea towel method.It worked 95%. You don't notice it unless your
looking for it. Thank You Thank You ,whoever discovered that
method.
Lynda
Lynda Morrissey
- Moncton, N.B., Canada
Thank you so much Marilyn C. The tea towel and iron idea worked perfectly!
Kimberley Richards
- Stafford, Staffordshire, England
Thank you to all who posted the tips on using a tea towel & iron on stains. I found 3 spots where the cat had vomited on my Amish made Oak dining room table. I caught it within a few hours, but I thought the damage had been done...3 large cloudy white stains. Scrubbing & enzyme solution didn't work. I went at it with a dry iron & a tea towel folded several times. The white shadows are gone! If you get down at eye level you can kind of still see the outlines, but no one will do that so I am happy! Thank you. Thank you!
Sara Jennings
- Edgerton, Wisconsin
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October 28, 2009 I was recently given an old teak table. A very bad staining job was done on it long ago, and the recent owner included a tablecloth. The stain is ugly and sticky. We tried sanding it, but it is so sticky the stain just clogs the sandpaper. Is there a way to remove a terrible stain job? Jess Hunt
November 2, 2009 I am in the process of refinishing a teak or rosewood table with two leaves. I washed the table down real good, and then sanded with 125 sandpaper. I finished with 220 grit and I'm on my 4th coat of teak oil. The finish is still tacky after 4 days! I'm also not sure if the oil I'm using is really going to protect it for years to come. I'm used to laquors and varnish. SHould I apply a polyuerethene top coat to protect it? Dale Casler
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