A cold glass, a hot mug, or a big spill can leave an ugly mark on a wood table. Many people reach for vinegar or baking soda, but for water stains, the best solutions may already be in your fridge or medicine cabinet.
The main thing you should do before trying any trick is to find out what kind of stain you want to clean:
- White or cloudy rings mean the moisture is trapped in the finish, the protective layer on top of the wood.
- Dark stains mean the water went through the finish and reached the wood itself, so they are harder to remove.
How to clean white rings of stain from wood
At first it may sound strange, but one of the better ways to get rid of these strains is mayonnaise.
This trick is useful for white water rings because its oil seeps into the finish and helps push out the trapped moisture, according to Bob Vila’s blog and This Old House. To use it, you have to:
- Apply a small amount of full-fat mayonnaise directly on the ring.
- Leave it for a few hours or overnight.
- Wipe it off with a clean cloth and buff away any oily residue.
- Repeat if the stain is still visible.
For dark stains: hydrogen peroxide
For dark marks, the most common household option is hydrogen peroxide, the 3% solution sold in pharmacies. It works as a mild bleach that lightens the stain. To use it, you have to:
- Soak a cloth in hydrogen peroxide and place it over the stain.
- Leave it overnight, or up to eight hours for larger stains.
- Remove the cloth, let the area dry, and repeat if needed.
Test it first on a hidden area, because it can also lighten the wood around the stain. If the table has a thick varnish, it may be necessary to lightly sand the top layer so the peroxide can reach the wood.
If a dark stain has been in the wood for a long time, it may not come out with household products. In that case, experts recommend stronger options, such as oxalic acid, sold in hardware stores