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I have a white mark on my wooden dining table that was caused by a potted plant sitting there for too long without a saucer. Attempts to clean it off have been futile because it seems not to be a mark on the surface, but a mark in the wood probably due to moisture.

I thought it would disappear by itself after a few days but it has remained for over a week now. Is there a tried and true method to remove such marks?

enter image description here

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It looks more like there is a varnish or another finish on that wood and what is damaged is the finish. Is it smooth, or can you feel the wood grain? – Steven Jul 3 '12 at 20:26
it is smooth. i guess it could also be damage in the varnish – wim Jul 3 '12 at 23:19

2 Answers

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I have read that an iron can help lift those water marks off the table. If I remember correctly...

  1. Lay a dry cloth over the mark
  2. Heat the iron with the steam turned off
  3. Briefly iron the spot, gradually increasing the length of time you apply the heat

I haven't tried it myself, so try it at your own risk.

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thanks. that did the trick! – wim Jul 4 '12 at 3:43
Glad it worked! It looked like you had some severe marks on there - did it remove it completely? – velocityhead Jul 6 '12 at 18:58
yes, it looks much better. – wim Jul 7 '12 at 3:36
I have done this in the past, and it works, the way it works is the original stain is often heat induced and traps moisture under the surface, heating allows the moisture to be removed and let the finish re-settle. Be sure to use a smooth, white, clean, lint free cloth, several layers think and check often as you work. – Mark Schultheiss Jul 16 '12 at 13:19
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These will also buff out with gentle application of a 50/50 toothpaste/baking soda mixture.

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