How To Remove Water Stains From Wood Furniture

Yesterday, I found myself needing to know how to remove water stains from wood furniture. I haven’t given it much thought in the past, but someone brought me a cup of tea and instead of using a coaster, set it down on a sheet of paper towel that happened to be a bit damp. When I picked it up, the paper towel stuck to the bottom of the cup and this is what I found underneath.

I tried to wipe it up right away with a white towel but the water stain remained. (See all the fuzz it left behind?) I tried a few things I’ve read about in the past, like mayonnaise and toothpaste, which by the way, did not work. I also think that I may have scratched up the table a bit with the toothpaste. You can see the scrapes where I was rubbing in a circular motion.  My husband started looking on Youtube for tutorials and found several that recommended using an iron and a white soft cloth. Some called for steam and some claimed the steam caused further damage. I chose not to use steam because my end table is black and was concerned that it could become discolored.

I used a white bar cloth and set my iron on a medium-high setting. I did not add water to ensure there would not be any steam. I slowly “ironed” the cloth over the stain, periodically checking the progress. Soon the water stain began disappearing! I was so happy. Now its not completely gone, but this is because I chose to stop, in fear of discoloring the black table top. You can see where it was in the photo below, but in person, you do not see it unless you go looking for it. I was more than pleased with the result and would try this again, if needed.