Can anyone tell me how to remove a white mark left under a hot potholder on a cherry wood dining room table?

Answer 1

Hi Marcy,

I have a mahogany table that had a white ring made from heat from a dish. I rubbed mayonnaise into the mark and left it on overnight. The next morning I wiped it off and it was gone.

I have heard you can also use butter or margarine but I have never tried that.

Answer 2

The white mark will be from moisture, not mere heat, so I think perhaps whatever the hot thing sat on was moist. I took a cloth dipped in paint thinner and rubbed my spot lightly. The white left. When it dried a day or two, I took another brushed the spot lightly with urethane finish. It was shiny again.

This was done about 7 years ago to the headboard of my bed, where I leaned against it with a wet head and read a book. The wood is maple, another hard wood with a closed grain. This technique saved me a refinishing job or the purchase of another bed.

Answer 3

2 suggestions, but I think the mark you talk about is from condensation, not a scorch from something too hot.
If the mark is white, like a water stain, try removing it with a towell and iron. iron the area, using a medium setting.
If that doesnt work my other suggestion is toothpaste. rub with the grain, allow toothpaste to set a few minutes and wipe off.

Answer 4

Mayonnaise & cigarette ashes mixed together are the old home recipe. I prefer the stain markers from home improvement stores - they look like magic markers.

Answer 5

strip the finish, sand the top down until the mark as gone, get all the sanding dust off of it, and restain and seal it, or, the mark is there for all time.

Answer 6

Regular mayonnaise. Let it soak in for a few hours, then wipe.