Being in the middle of a great party is the best feeling—you're surrounded by the buzz of conversation, the clink of glasses, the glow of candles. But then there's the worst feeling, which you are sure to experience when you catch sight of the water rings dotting your coffee table the next day. Luckily, just like all the dirty glasses, these spots can disappear fast. "White rings on wood furniture reflect the moisture that has soaked into the top layers of the wood finish. Basically, it's moisture that gets into wax, which naturally clouds up," explains Sabrina Fierman, vice president of luxury cleaning service New York's Little Elves. Here are her tried-and-true methods for removing those pesky marks:
A hair dryer
Put your hair dryer on its lowest setting and direct it at the water ring. "Be sure to move the dryer around so there is no direct heat and the wood doesn't overheat," warns Fierman.
Mayonnaise or petroleum jelly
Apply a dab of either substance with a soft cloth and rub it into the mark in a circular motion. "If the stain is not removed completely, apply more product and leave on for an hour or two and try again." In fact, Fierman says you can leave it on as long as overnight.
Toothpaste
Look for one that's non-gel and non-whitening, then apply it to the wood in the same direction as the grain, says Fierman. Remove the paste, then use a wood polish to make the surface shine.
Steel wool
Fierman suggests asking your hardware store for the finest grade steel wool available—you don't want to scratch your table. Use it to gently rub lemon oil in the wood in the direction of the grain. "Tread carefully and do not go beyond the confines of the stain or you can further damage the finish," she says.
Over-the-counter products
"I like Old Craftsmen's Brand's White Ring Spot Remover," says Fierman. "I also like an old-fashioned product called Jubilee Kitchen Wax. It’s very good for a variety of surfaces, including wood, enamel, and Formica, and protects surfaces from moisture that causes rings in the first place."
If the white stains were caused by heat or moisture, e.g., iron, hot dish or wet glass, try this inexpensive fix using common materials found in the home. Supplies to remove white stains and watermarks from wood furniture:- Toothpaste (no gels)
- Baking Soda
- Soft Cloth (2)
- Water
- Olive or some other kind of cooking oil.
Instructions to Remove White Wood Stains:
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- Squirt a little white toothpaste on your hand or in a small, shallow dish. If you have one mark, use a pea size dab. Use more if you have many blemishes.
- Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (for each stain) on top of the toothpaste and mix.
- Dab a baby wipe or moist cloth into the goop and gently rub the stain back and forth. Make sure to rub in the direction of the grain.
- Rinse with a clean, moist cloth and refresh the cloth until all residue of the baking soda and toothpaste is gone. Do not drench your furniture.
- Finish with a dab of olive oil (any cooking oil with do) on a moist cloth, again wiping in the direction of the grain of the wood.
First of all, the finish on the wood is probably thin or wearing out and is not repelling moisture. Moisture gets into the waxy top layer and sits there, causing the white stain. New stains can be heated to release the moisture (see iron method below). Older stains may require an abrasive to open the area up a bit. Toothpaste is a mild abrasive and is thick enough to make rubbing it on easy and a cinch to clean up. Baking soda is also abrasive and adds another level of strength to the solution without being too harsh. Just make sure not to rub too long or too hard with any material to prevent damage to your furniture. Short, gentle sessions work best. Depending the age of the piece, consider refinishing it to prevent white marks in the future.
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Other options:
Disclaimer: I am not a furniture care professional and cannot be held responsible for damaged furniture as a result of the proper or improper use of this method. Please do not send me the bill to replace your 1970’s yellow oak coffee table. Thank you 🙂
- Plain white toothpaste
- Ashes
- Mayonnaise (It’s oily and may help but haven’t used it.)
- Warm iron through a towel, t-shirt or wax paper. It helps remove condensation. If you give this a shot use the iron on a low setting. Keep the iron moving for 10 to 15 seconds and repeat 3 times.
- Baking soda and water.
- Salt and water (Seems too abrasive to me – I have not tried this.)
- Oil or petroleum jelly. (I tried this and it didn’t take out the white stains.)
- “Magic” eraser blocks (These pads work by sanding down the surface just slightly and although I think they correct issues on painted surfaces very well I’m not a fan of this method for white rings on wood.)
- Hair dryer – Heat the area about 6″ away and rub with a moist cloth until the stain disappears. Keep the hairdryer moving.
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Cindy Rajhel
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Cindy Rajhel started Home Grown Fun in 2010 to share fun, peculiar and interesting things related to gardening, nature, home and travel. She volunteered hundreds of hours creating elementary school gardens from scratch, and continues to EXPLORE, EXPERIMENT and INSPIRE through inventive posts and fun, downloadable books and guides.