Some of the times, you will notice cloudy white rings appearing on the surface of woods. The likely cause for this can be water, and you should find comfort in the fact that these stains won’t last forever. This means there are steps you can take to get rid of these stains which is why we have brought you this post that talks about how to remove water stains from wood. Wood furniture is beauty itself, but this doesn’t mean it isn’t vulnerable to water stains and attack.
Proper maintenance is required if you want your wooden furniture to retain its beauty, shiny and elegant appearance, and it is for this reason parents always hint on the use of coaters to protect wood from water attacks. Water is the natural enemy of wood, and it stains resembles light or white cloud and colored rings. If the stain has a light color the it means the moisture has attacked deep inside the wood. It means water is just trapped within the finish.
On the other hand, you have a real problem on your hands when the stain has a dark color which indicates that water or moisture has already penetrated the wood and gone past the finish. This is the stage where you might have to contact the services of a pro in treating the wood, and what is left is figuring out steps you can take to deal with the damage that has been done to your wood. You shouldn’t be discouraged when you see these stains on your wood.
So many people have found themselves in this spot and found a way to successfully get rid of them, so you do not have to be discouraged. You might take steps that will end up making the damage and stains less visible, and these are stains that are left behind by the attack of moisture on wood. There are three detailed steps you can try out when trying to get rid of water stains on wood, and these steps have proved to be effective over the years.
Performing a trial and error using the three steps might be required for you to find out what really works for you, so all you need to do is have a little bit of patience and be observant so you can figure which step or procedure will provide the type of result you desire. Patience is also required if you want to find out what method works for you, so come with us as we show you these three main steps that will get rid of water stains on your wood.
How To Remove Water Stains from Wood
Method One – Map Out Water Stains From Wood
Just like when you are dealing with other types of stains, this is one method that works effectively. It works really fast if the stains has been present for some days, and the use of heat in this method helps in getting rid of every trace of moisture. Below are the steps you must take if you want to make use of this method;
- Bring a dry iron to the wood that has the water stain on it
- Get a napkin and place it on the part of the wood. Go ahead and plug in the iron to a power source
- Set the iron at its lowest rating and apply it on its fabric. Remove the iron and lift up the napkin to see if the stain has been removed
- Repeat the steps until all of the water stains disappear from the surface of the wood.
On the other hand, you can consider making use of a hair dryer instead of an electric iron, and the same effect will be achieved. The dryer should be moved back and forth for about ten minutes before removing it to see if the water stain has been removed or eliminated.
Method Two – Make Use Of Mayonnaise In Eliminating Water Stain From Wood
Lets assume the first method did not yield any positive result, you can consider trying out something odd like putting mayonnaise on the surface of the wood that has the water stain on it. The oil from the mayonnaise is going to seep into the wood, and it is going to fight to get rid of moisture from the wood. Below are the key steps required when you want to add mayonnaise to the part of the wood that is stained.
- Apply a little bit of mayonnaise on a clean rag and gently apply it on the area of the wood that has a surface stain on it.
- Allow the applied mayonnaise to stay on the surface for some hours or overnight, and you can consider applying another coating of mayonnaise when the first one eventually dries out. You can substitute petroleum jelly for mayonnaise if you do not have mayonnaise available
- Make use of a clean cloth to wipe the surface of the wood where the mayonnaise was applied
You will see some results but you might also wish if the results came with some extra punch. Adding cigarette or fireplace ash to the mayonnaise is what you have to do get that extra punch you want, because the combination of oil and ash produces a deep penetrating effect on wood to dislodge moisture from within. One thing you should note is you might not be able to get rid of the moisture if it is already some months old.
Method Three – Use Toothpaste In Scrubbing Away Water Rings
Let’s say the two methods you have tried out ended up getting no results for you then there is another step you can try out. This is reaching for the toothpaste in your bathroom and using it on the water stain on your wood. Sounds funny right? One thing you should note is you do not need just any toothpaste, but you need something with non-gel, white toothpaste variety. Below are the steps required when performing this method;
- Squeeze toothpaste onto a rag
- Start by massaging the toothpaste on the area of the wood with the stain, but start by massaging inconspicuous parts alone.
- Scrub lightly for about one minute, and note that you do not need to scrub hard or scrub for too long to get results you need.
If you want to achieve the best results, it is best that you focus your attention on areas of the wood that has the stains on it. The reason for this is because toothpaste has the ability to wear off the entire finish on the wood, and the fact is the stains might be less visible now even if any of these methods do not totally get rid of them from the wood. The last thing to try out is sanding off the entire finish and apply another finish if no method works for you.
It is also important that you keep wood coasters handy to protect your wooden furniture from water stains and attacks. Good luck with trying out any of these steps, and tell us in the comment section the method that worked for you.