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Simple question: How do I remove the white powdery stains from my finished wood dining room table? I've already tried Bona and cleaning the stains gently with a soft plastic scrubbie.

Stained table 01

Stained table 02

Stained table 03

It really seems like today's furniture doesn't hold a candle to the durability of furniture built in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I have a dresser set that my mother gave me, that she bought in the late 70s. It's still in very good condition. No staining of any kind, and I've set a sweaty glass down on either the dresser or the nightstands umpteen times. Anyhow, any help anyone could give would be appreciated.

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    Can you give us a clue on what the stains are from? – JACK Jan 25 at 0:32
  • @JACK - Oh, yes, I'm sorry. The stains are mostly from drink glasses - water, tea, Crystal Light, soft drinks . . . those sort of beverages. :) – Slytherincess Jan 25 at 4:59
  • What's the surface finish: acrylic lacquer? polyurethane? shellac? wax? – Jasen Jan 25 at 23:04
  • @Jasen - Now that I don't know. I'm going to guess polyeurethane. – Slytherincess Jan 26 at 2:30
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I had a similar problem with water stains on my bar. I used a 50-50 mixture of vinegar and olive oil and wiped it on the stains in the direction of the grain. The vinegar removed the stain and the olive oil polished up the surface. I've heard that a hair dryer on high will remove the stains too but have never tried it. Hope this worked for you.

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  • I'll give your remedy a try. Thanks for sharing it here. It's a really pretty table and I would hate to always have to use a tablecloth, just to hide the stains. I'll update after I try removing the stains. :) – Slytherincess Jan 25 at 18:51

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