Removing Those Pesky Water Marks
Do you know of any way to remove white water marks from
varnished surfaces? I have several lovely old pieces of furniture
with white water rings and spots. I don't want to sand them
completely down if I can avoid doing so. ~Sharon
Try applying petroleum jelly or furniture wax to the marks and spots. Allow it to sit for about 8 hours or overnight. Rub off any residue that is left and if it's going to work the spots should be less noticeable. If this doesn't work, then you may have to refinish it.
READER'S TIPS I took off the water marks on very old varnished furniture with rubbing alcohol. It worked and did no damage. I tested first on a place that would not be seen. ~Jeanette Regarding water spots on wooden furniture-this recently happened to me and my son (who is a auto mechanic) called a local antique dealer (because they deal with this type of stains all the time) and they recommended spraying WD-40 on the quite large spot - leave it sit a 2 to 3 minutes and then rub with a dry cloth! It removed almost the whole spot, but since it was quite large, it did need an immediate repeat and lo and behold.....IT IS TOTALLY GONE! Thanks to my son for coming right over with the WD-40! And I love all the helpful hints, flower tips, etc! ~Arlene in New Jersey Here is another idea for Sharon to try on the water marks. I use mayonaisse the same way you use the petroleum jelly and it works great. I am not sure what the difference is between the two, if any, since I have not tried the petroleum jelly. I was able to save a piece of furniture that I got from my Grandmother this way, and you can barely see the mark. ~Cindi |
