How To Get Rid Of Hot Cup Rings On Wood

How to Remove H2o Stains From Wood

Those white, cloudy rings on your dining room table don't accept to stay there forever. Try one of these methods for removing—or at least minimizing—water stains on wood.

remove water stains from wood

Photo: istockphoto.com

Forest furniture is beautiful, but it's not impervious to the wearable and tear of everyday life. To retain their looks, new and antique woods tables and chairs must be properly maintained. It'due south for good reason that your parents sternly insisted that you use coasters: Water and wood are indeed natural enemies.

Water stains prove up as white or lite-colored rings or clouds. The low-cal colour is a sign that the wet hasn't reached the actual woods; rather, it'southward trapped within the forest's finish. (It's when the stain is black or dark-colored that you have a real problem and should either refinish the piece yourself or consult a pro.)

If the damage has already been done, and y'all now take to figure out how to remove water stains from wood, don't be discouraged. Many take been in that location before you lot and successfully eliminated—or at least made significantly less visible—the unsightly marks that wet can leave in its wake. What follows are details on the 3 approaches that we and others have found to be the most effective. You may demand to piece of work through a bit of trial and fault before discovering the trick that works in your case. Be patient, and good luck!

Tools & Materials

Dress iron
Cotton wool napkin or cloth
Hairdryer
Mayonnaise
White toothpaste
Cotton wool rags
See full listing «
Small-scale cleaning brush
Furniture polish

Using an Iron to Remove Water Stains From Wood

remove water stains from wood

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As with most stains, it helps to act quickly. If the water stain has been at that place for merely a few days, apply the heat from this method to evaporate all traces of moisture. Follow the steps below to acquire how to go water stains out of woods using a clothing fe.

Pace 1: Prep your iron.

Earlier using your apparel iron with your wood piece of furniture, empty the water from the tank. You don't desire to innovate whatever more than water and make the stain worse or create a new stain. Then, bring the iron into the room with the afflicted piece of furniture.

Step ii: Plug in the atomic number 26 and lay a slice of cotton fabric over the stain.

Plug the iron into the outlet. Then, lay a clean cotton napkin, towel, or T-shirt over the stain. When removing h2o rings on wood, information technology is important to choose a slice of cotton textile that doesn't accept any decals or prints on it. The heat from the atomic number 26 could cause text or images from the material to transfer to the wood furniture, exacerbating your problem.

Step three: Plow the fe to the everyman setting and run it over the stain.

Set the fe to the lowest setting, and give it a few minutes to warm upwards. And so, employ information technology briefly to the fabric earlier lifting the cloth to come across if the water band has diminished. If the band is still visible, echo until (we hope) the water stain has disappeared.

Alternatively, you lot tin can try using a hairdryer to achieve the same outcome. Move the dryer back and forth over the area for about 10 minutes until the moisture evaporates.

RELATED: 20 Crazy Cleaning Tips That Actually Work

Using Mayonnaise to Remove H2o Stains From Wood

remove water stains from wood

Photo: Bobvila.com

If the iron method doesn't yield proficient results, it's worthwhile to experiment with what may at showtime sound like an odd thing to put on furniture: mayonnaise. The oil in the mayonnaise works every bit a forest stain remover and should seep into the cease, displacing the lodged moisture.

Stride 1: Dab a bit of mayonnaise onto a rag.

Open the mayonnaise jar and utilise a clean, white rag to grab a small amount of mayonnaise. Use the rag to dab the mayonnaise straight onto the water stain. Apply plenty to fully coat the stain.

Step 2: Let the mayonnaise sit overnight.

Lay the rag over the mayonnaise-covered stain. Go out the mayonnaise and rag over the stain for at least 2 or 3 hours, or fifty-fifty as long as overnight.

Stride 3: Wipe it away with a clean textile.

Later a few hours (or the next morning), use a make clean, soft cloth to wipe the mayonnaise off the stain. The oils from the mayonnaise should accept worked to remove the moisture, eliminating or minimizing the appearance of the stain. Use furniture polish to bear upon up the surface of the piece of furniture.

Using Toothpaste to Remove H2o Stains From Wood

remove water stains from wood

Photo: Bobvila.com

If the above methods accept gotten you nowhere, fetch a tube of toothpaste from the medicine cabinet—but not but whatever toothpaste. Yous'll need the white, non-gel variety if yous want it to function every bit a water stain remover.

Step 1: Squeeze white toothpaste onto a rag.

Grab a clean and soft white rag. Clasp the white toothpaste onto the rag. You'll want to squeeze out a good corporeality to requite yourself enough to work with when removing the water stain.

STEP ii: Rub the toothpaste into the water stain.

Rub the toothpaste into the water stain, starting in the near inconspicuous spot bachelor to make sure that the toothpaste doesn't damage the finish of your furniture. Continue rubbing the rag over the water stain using gentle pressure. The toothpaste should piece of work relatively speedily, and you should offset to see the stain lightening or even disappearing as you rub.

STEP three: Scrub the stain with a small-scale brush.

If a little bit of elbow grease with the rag isn't enough to remove the stain, you can too try using a small, soft-bristled castor. Scrub lightly for less than a minute. Yous shouldn't need to scrub hard or for very long to see results. To avoid causing any further damage to the article of furniture in question, it'due south all-time to concentrate your efforts just on the afflicted portions, because the toothpaste can wear abroad surface finishes.

Treating Stubborn Watermarks on Wood

Fifty-fifty if the water stains on the wood surface aren't completely gone, these methods may take at to the lowest degree lightened them enough to be less noticeable. If you're non satisfied with the results, there are 2 boosted options that can help remove h2o rings from wood: You tin can endeavour a commercial stain remover, like Guardsman's Deep Clean, or you tin refinish the wood.

Commercial stain removers are designed to eliminate watermarks every bit well every bit other stains on wood acquired past markers, heat, and more. While some users have success with commercial stain remover, they aren't 100-percent effective either. It'southward possible for the products to cause boosted impairment to your furniture'south terminate, so you'll always want to test it on a hidden area showtime.

The ace upwards your sleeve is that, if all else fails, you can always sand the piece of furniture downward to bare wood and refinish it with a new wood stain or fifty-fifty pigment over the existing finish. (If you're dealing with a prized piece, you may want to consult a pro.) So, keep coasters handy to prevent similar damage in the futurity.

Concluding Thoughts

remove water stains from wood

Photo: istockphoto.com

Water stains on wood tables can be challenging to remove. While the recommendations shared above do not guarantee success, they can be effective with some wood stains, or at least tin assist minimize the advent of the stain.

If y'all do manage to effectively remove water stains from wood, take precautions to prevent new stains from forming. Seal and waterproof wood furniture with polyurethane or lacquer, use coasters and placemats, and follow best practices when cleaning your woods article of furniture (forest is one of those things that should never be cleaned with water).

FAQs About Removing Water Stains From Wood

Water stains on wood tin cause a lot of frustration, and you may exist left with a few remaining questions. Refer to the frequently asked questions below to assistance yous address whatsoever additional concerns regarding how to remove water spots from wood.

Q. What'south the best water stain remover for old watermarks?

Mayonnaise tin can piece of work well to remove an erstwhile white stain on wood. When you apply mayonnaise over the water stain, and let it to sit on the spot for a few hours, the oil in the mayonnaise volition assist remove the moisture and the cloudiness that accompanies information technology.

Q. Do these methods for removing water stains piece of work for finished wood?

Yes, the methods shared in a higher place using a clothing fe, mayonnaise, or toothpaste can help eliminate or minimize water damage on wood table or other piece of furniture pieces with a finish.

Q. What types of forest finishes are resistant to water stains?

Polyurethane and lacquer wood finishes can resist h2o stains. Polyurethane is a synthetic textile that leaves a articulate glaze over forest. In addition to being water resistant, polyurethane is durable and tin can help protect against damage. Lacquer leaves behind a glossier (or sometimes matte) finish. However, dissimilar polyurethane, lacquer should not be practical over old varnish or paint.