Removing Water Marks From a Table

© shoutingforha

Most of the furniture in my home is coated with a protective layer of polyurethane.  The one exception is an antique library table that sits in our den.  

When we bought the piece, it was clear that the table had seen a lot of use.  The hubby and I were no strangers to refinishing furniture but, for whatever reason, we opted to just leave the table alone.

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The hubby's favorite chair is within arms reach of the table.  Most evenings you can find him, plopped in his chair, MacBook on his lap, with a ginormous cup of coffee or 40 liter bottle of water by his side.  The table also happens to be my boy's favorite spot to rest a glass.

If you know anything about my boy, it will come as no surprise that he is constantly knocking things over.  That, combined with the normal condensation that appears on glasses, results in a table that is covered with water marks.

An obvious solution would be to simply require the fellows to use a coaster, but to be honest, we're just not coaster people.  I like being able to put down my glass wherever I want, whenever I want.

If you have a table that has suffered similar abuse, don't despair.  I have a quick and easy way to remove those pesky rings.  All you need is this:

© shoutingforha

That's right.  Mayonnaise.  Around the Ha house, Hellman's is king.

Don't even bother using Miracle Whip.  Not only does the stuff taste terrible, but the high fructose corn syrup and food starch will just gunk up the furniture. 

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Slather a decent coating of mayonnaise onto the furniture.  Make sure that the water marks are completely covered.

Now just walk away.  You heard me.  Go.

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Be sure to keep your eyes out for this guy.  He looks cute, but when you're not looking he will mosey over to the table and help himself to a lick or two of the mayo.  The little stinker.

© shoutingforha

After a few hours, it will start to look like this.  Notice how the oil in the mayonnaise starts to soak into the wood?

If you are fixing a severe water mark on a piece of furniture, like the one pictured above,  it is a good idea to coat the table with mayonnaise before you go to bed and leave it over night.  That way, the mayo has plenty of time to work it's magic. 

© shoutingforha

Now for the fun part.  Grab some paper towels and start wiping.  Once the majority of the mayonnaise is removed, grab a clean cloth and give the table a good polishing. 

Give it a try for yourself.

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This post is part of Works For Me Wednesday over at We Are THAT Family.  Pop by for some more handy tips.