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Heat marks and water rings on wood

If the wood has a good finish (don't try on bare wood), mix equal parts of baking soda and regular white, non gel toothpaste rubbing the area that was affected by the water.

Lightly dampen corner of a clean, soft white cloth with water and dip into the paste. With circular motion gently buff the marks for a few minutes. Wipe area clean, and buff to a shine. Follow with furniture polish for a great protected shine.

If rings remain after buffing five minutes or so, they may have penetrated the wood; you might have to refinish the piece.

More Ideas

To remove white spots on darker wood, use petroleum jelly, vaseline, and rub over the white water mark.

You can use regular vegetable cooking oil to rub out water marks on real wood furniture. After rubbing with oil, let it sit for fifteen minutes and then polish as you regularly wood.

Visitors comments

your tip really worked! Comments By: Brenda Soanes on 2005-06-26 Thank you very much! I had company today and the children set a hot plate of spagetti on my beautifull wood coffe table this left two major white stains the size of a dinner plate on the table.I tried the baking soda and toothpaste mixture and it workedx awsome. I can still see a faint spot where one of the satains wre but overall there are virtually gone! Thanx again.!!!!   Blomin marvelous! Comments By: Sandra Wilson (England) on 2005-07-30 My son put some damp clothes from the line on my polished table top.I was out and when I came in and saw them i was livid. There was a big water mark the size of t-shirt on the table.It was horrible I went nuts with him. I weny on the Internet and found this most wonderful tip.Had no white toothpaste so I used green spearmint.It has worked better than expected.This tip is just wonderful and the lady who thought it is a GENIUS!!!!! absolutley wonderful tip 11 out of 10   new oak dining table Comments By: anon on 2005-12-28 Have just used this tip tp fantastic effect - we left a plate with lit tealights on it on our new dining table and the next morning found a heat mark in the shape of the plate- has now vanished after using this tip.   Coffee Cup Rings on my precious rustic wood table? Not any more! Comments By: Kate (Australia) on 2006-10-21 I have a lovely rustic wooden table and despaired of the white rings left by an ignorant coffee drinker. Heartbreak! Heartbreak! Heartbreak! The finish is rustic, but it took alot of work to get it that way. I was worried that too much work would mean refinishing the whole thing! But thanks to the baking soda and toothpaste tip, it looks like new again. Thanks sooooo much. You have saved a lot of my tears, and the life of the person who put their cup down without a coaster!   Heat Marks on Table Comments By: Ciaran on 2007-10-06 Fantastic ! I got major brownie points Worked a treat Thank a million   Wow! Comments By: Dee on 2009-02-02 This totally worked like a charm. Had a superbowl party last night and someone put hot chili on my dining room table, that left a ring. your toothpaste and baking soda idea saved my table!!!! Thanks!   unsucessful Comments By: anon on 2010-02-05 This did not work on my beech table... sorry. maybe it should have been done right away?   Another Idea Comments By: David on 2010-05-14 Try using a hair dryer blowing directly on the stain or a steam iron with a cotton tshirt or napkin on low/medium heat. From what I understand the stain is actually in the varnish/poly so heating it up allows it to reset. Crazy but true.   warm iron solution Comments By: TaylortheTailor on 2010-07-13 Staying in a friends,I left two large tea rings on their beautiful living room table one morning.With them out I had about an hour of sheer panic,trying every trick I could think of to fix the mess I had made.With both the baking soda/toothpaste fix,and the oil/vaseline fix not working I prepared how I was going to word my apology and explanation to them(stomach in knots by now).It was then I saw the warm iron solution,and as a final roll of the dice,went for it.FANTASTIC.Stain gone immediatley.I was so relieved I had to go have a sit down and a cup of tea.Thanks so much for the tip.   Can totally vouch for the warm iron! Comments By: anon on 2010-10-26 After a hot food plate had left a white ring on a mahogany table the warm iron over a cotton cloth has removed it 100%! Fab!!!!   toothpaste/baking soda NO Iron YES Comments By: STephanie on 2010-12-27 Have a beautiful teak table inherited from my Aunt - Scandinavian in design have been heart broken over several heat and what I thought were water marks over the year. This Christmas ended up with 2 more - a cassarole dish and a cup from my 5 year old. Attempted the toothpaste and baking soda - NO change - in desperation attempted the iron - YES it worked - I feel like I have a brand new table even the one mug mark that came with the table is GONE! I am thrilled - I think this was my best Christmas Present YET!! THANK YOU   Take care Comments By: David on 2010-12-29 I just tried the hot iron and cloth on a mahogany table with a white mark made by something wet. It worked really well, but one part of the stain disappeared more quickly than the rest. I carried on to remove the rest but the polish on the bit that had disappeared quickly cracked and lifted to some extent. After cooling, I have used polish and it looks great but is still a bit rough to the touch where the polish lifted off. I suppose it got too hot   Update on "Take care" Comments By: David on 2010-12-29 I have now tried the toothpaste and bicarb to remove the rough patch followed by another polish. This has improved things but it is still a bit rough. Nobody would notice unless they rubbed their hand over it, though!   so relieved Comments By: karen on 2011-09-19 my son put a pizza box on my new very expensive entrance table, and to my amazement it worked, i had to do it 3 or 4 times but it came up like new. brilliant... Â