How do you remove water stains from wood furniture?

How do you remove water stains from wood furniture?

Janice Greensburg, Kentucky

Dear Janice:

Those nasty rings on your coffee table are what happens when moisture penetrates the wax on a wooden surface and breaks its bond with the wood. But not to worry, there are a number of ways to remove the unsightly stains.

The experts at eHow suggest the following solution:

Apply a small amount of non-gel toothpaste to a damp, clean, lint-free cloth. Rub toothpaste over the water spot. Remove film with a clean, damp cloth. Dry with a clean, dry cloth. Polish. Tipking.com offers a similar solution involving baking soda and toothpaste, but cautions that this solution should only be used on wood with a good finish. They also offer a quick fix for dark wood plagued by water stains: apply brown shoe polish to cover the stain.

For antiques, the BBC Online suggests a gentle buffing with a very fine steel wool (of the 0000 variety) and a soft wax polish. Follow with another buffing using kitchen paper.

Whatever you try, the trick seems to be gentle and prolonged rubbing. It can take quite awhile to remove the stain without harming the wood.

If all else fails and that pesky stain refuses to budge, you're left with three options: cover it up with strategically placed books or picture frames, refinish the furniture, or chuck it and start shopping for your new coffee table. Next time, avoid the situation entirely -- invest in some coasters and use them religiously.

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