The wood throughout your home, from your furniture to your floors, is no doubt beautiful, but it’s not impervious to the wear and tear of life. Unfortunately, one of the most common things that damage the wood surfaces in your home are water stains.
These ugly rings and spots can destroy the look of your furniture and floors. Fortunately, several techniques use common, everyday ingredients that will help eradicate these unsightly stains from your wood surfaces.
If someone forgot to use a coaster and placed a glass on top of your wood furniture, leaving a water stain, there’s no need to panic. Although removing water stains from wood can be difficult, the stain doesn’t have to last forever.
Iron the Stains Out
This technique works best on newer spots, so you might not see a huge difference if your water stain has been around for more than a couple of days. The first step in this method is to wipe the table with a microfiber cloth to get rid of any crumbs or residue. Next, place a towel over the stained area. Using a hot iron, iron the stain through the fabric for no more than five seconds. Remove the iron and check to see if you’ve made progress. If the stain is still there, repeat the process until it has disappeared.
Use Your Hair Dryer
Your hair dryer is also a great tool for removing water stains from your wood furniture. Using the nozzle attachment, start on the lowest setting and direct the airflow over the stain. Make sure that you keep moving the drying around so that there’s no direct heat on your wood. After a few seconds, the stain should be gone.
It doesn’t matter how careful you are, water stains on your wooden table are inevitable. Whether they’re a result of an overwatered plant or a spilled drink, the water can leave your wood table discolored if it isn’t cleaned up right away.
Cover with Mayonnaise
The oil that is in mayonnaise can seep into the finish of your coffee table, effectively displacing the lodged moisture. Dab a small amount of mayonnaise onto a clean, soft cloth. Gently rub the mayonnaise in a circular motion directly on the stain.
Leave it for at least one hour or overnight. If the first coating dries out, re-apply. Wipe clean with a damp cloth and immediately dry the area. If the stain hasn’t disappeared, repeat the process, adding a small amount of cigarette ash to the mix, to act as an abrasive.
How to Get Water Stains out of Unfinished Wood
If you find that you have water stains on your unfinished wood surfaces, don’t worry, you can get them out by using a few, inexpensive ingredients that you’ll likely already have in your pantry. However, since there isn’t yet a protective coating on the unfinished wood, removing the water stains can be quite tricky.
Combine one tablespoon of vinegar and two tablespoons of table salt to form a thick paste. Rub this mixture over the stain, using a gentle, circular motion until the stain has been eliminated. Use a damp rag to clean up any leftover residue. Polish the wood as normal so that its original luster returns.
If your hardwood floors have a black water stain, it’s an indication that moisture has penetrated its protective coat and reached the wood. Removing water stains from wooden floors require more work, but it’s not impossible.
You’ll need:
• No.1 Steel Wool
• One cup of vinegar
• One cup of hydrogen peroxide
• Mineral spirits
• Two cups of water
• ½ cup bleach
• Hardwood floor wax
Before starting, you need to wipe away any dirt and grime with a damp cloth. Dirty floors can cause scratches and gouging, marring your floor even more. Lightly rub the stained area with the Steel Wool, blending with light rubbing on the unstained areas. Feathering the area like this helps with future refurnishing and staining.
Soak a clean rag in vinegar, and place it on the stain. Allow the cloth to remain on the stain for ten minutes. You might need to repeat this process a number of times before you see a slight lightening in the stain. Get another clean rag and soak it in the hydrogen peroxide. Be sure to test the hydrogen peroxide on an inconspicuous area before moving forward with this step. Apply the hydrogen peroxide to the stain and leave it for ten minutes.
Next, apply a layer of mineral spirits to the stain and use the Steel Wool to scrub the floor lightly. Wipe away any excess, and gently work the mineral spirits into the stained area. Mix the bleach and water and pour into a spray bottle. Spray this solution on the exposed wood surface to lighten the stain.
Finally, after you have eradicated the stain, wipe with a simple floor cleaner and apply a thin layer of hardwood floor wax.
Source: tipsbulletin
Images: depositphotos
