How to Remove Water Stains from Wood
Magic! Pinterest wins again. T and I have a cheap composite wood table that we have been using for a few years now. At one point I thought it would be cute to display a plant in a terra cotta pot on that table. Little did I know that terra cotta pots absorb water and unfortunately, all of that water ended up transferring to our table leaving a terrible stain.
Nothing to worry about because I used this clever cleaning trick to remove water stains from wood.
For a long time I thought that I had to start collecting table runners to hide this giant stain until we could afford a new table. I tried using a variety of wood treatments (oil and vinegar, various store-bought wood cleaners, even toothpaste!). Then I came across a post from Happy House and Home describing a water stain removal technique using a soft rag and a hot iron.
I set my iron to the cotton heat setting and turned off the steam/spray option.
I laid a soft, thin, cotton towel over the stain.
Then I pressed the iron over the towel focusing on the stained area.
I moved the iron over the towel for a few seconds, let the towel cool, then lifted the towel to check on the progress. I repeated this process over and over for a few minutes until the stain was basically gone.
Voila! Removed water stains from wood – our table looks massively improved!
table runners = optional

Kait is the founder and editor of A Clean Bee. She is passionate about discovering natural, eco-friendly, and sustainable ways to clean and organize her home. Kait has been featured in online publications such as NBC News, Oprah Magazine, BuzzFeed and PopSugar for her expertise in natural cleaning techniques. She enjoys spending her off-time outside in her garden with her husband and their two small boys.
That’s pretty amazing… how old of a stain do you think this might work for? I have some similar material in a few tray tables that have water stains on them, but they are several years old. Thanks!
If I remember correctly, the stain pictured was at least several months (possibly years) old before I tackled it. Definitely worth a try!!