Removing water stains from wood

Removing Water Stains from Wood

Water stains. They ruin the finish on tables and destroy a clean look. Consequently, it is important to know about removing water stains from wood.

Water damage to your finish will appear in one of two ways. Your furniture will have either a cloudy white or dark-looking stain.

Removing Water Stains from Wood

How to Fix Dark Water Stains

Tools Needed:

  • Oxalic acid
  • Clean rag
  • Distilled vinegar

Instructions:

If part of the wood have turned dark, then moisture has penetrated the finish and has touched the wood.

The only way to remove the dark mark is to strip off the existing finish and treat the mark with oxalic acid. This will remove the mark. After, clean the piece with vinegar to neutralize the mark.

How to Remove White Marks From Wood

Tools Needed:

  • Denatured alcohol or rubbing alcohol or industrial alcohol
  • Clean, white cotton cloth
  • Lemon oil (optional)
  • Hair dryer (optional)

Instructions:

If the water damaged area has turned cloudy white, moisture is probably trapped in the finish. You can remove the moisture by rubbing the area with alcohol. Denatured alcohol, rubbing alcohol or industrial alcohol will work. In addition, you can buy these in any hardware store or online.

Importantly – before trying to remove the mark – make sure the alcohol does not melt or strip your finish. Rub the alcohol on a small section of your furniture that is not usually visible, like the back or bottom, to see if the alcohol will harm the finish. Then dampen a white cotton cloth with alcohol and rub the water mark side to side in the direction of the grain.

If the water mark disappears you may be left with a little hazy area which is just some traces of wax or oil. Then, rub down and dry off the piece with lemon oil. Customers can buy lemon oil at our location in Stamford, CT.

Heat the area with a hair dryer if the water mark does not disappear. However, if that does not work the piece will have to be stripped and refinished.