Watermarks -- or water stains -- are often caused by cold glasses, spills, or hot dishes places directly on the wood. Luckily, though, they aren't always permanent. This guide will guide you through the process of removing these stains. But first, remember: even a quick touch-up can damage an heirloom.
It's for good reason that your parents sternly insisted that you use coasters: Water and wood are indeed natural enemies. Water stains show up as white or light-colored rings or clouds. The light color is a sign that the moisture hasn't reached the actual wood; rather, it's trapped within the wood's finish.
Like toothpaste, you can clean with baking soda to remove water marks from wood. 'Simply make a paste from two parts baking soda to one part water and apply with a microfiber cloth (you can buy these from Amazon). Rub the baking soda mix over the water mark gently until it disappears.
Using Mild Abrasives (Toothpaste/Baking Soda/Salt)
Buff out water stains on wood with a mild abrasive. Using a non-gel (plain white) toothpaste, baking soda paste or salt paste (adding a few drops of water to form the pastes), gently rub the mixture into the stain. Be sure to go along the grain of the wood.
Hard water stains can become permanent if left too long. It's best to remove hard water stains as soon as they appear. While it may be tempting to let a mild stain sit until cleaning day, the longer it sits the harder it is to remove.
Pour a few drops of distilled white vinegar onto the baking soda. (Don't be alarmed when the mixture fizzes and bubbles, this is normal). Using a soft-bristled brush, gently scrub the stain until it lifts. Wipe the baking soda and vinegar mixture away with a clean, damp cloth.
Wood that has water damage will appear darker and discolored. On walls and ceilings, water leaks can cause bubbling, peeling, or warped paint or wallpaper. Water damage on flooring can cause warping, sagging, or buckling.
Treat water-based stains by applying mayonnaise, petroleum jelly, lemon juice, toothpaste, mineral spirits, dish soap, or oxalic acid to the wood and wiping it off. Strip the previous finish using solvent or sandpaper. Then, paint or stain the wood and seal the furniture in varnish to restore your piece.
Fortunately, in many cases, this type of damage can be almost magically undone by treating the wood's surface with oxalic acid. Oxalic acid removes the gray color from oxidized wood, without changing the wood's natural color.
Water-based wood stains will generally dry to the touch in three to four hours, but will still require about 24 to 48 hours to fully cure. Since water is used as the solvent in water-based wood stain, high humidity levels can extend the drying time by several hours.
Well, after water dries, it actually can leave tiny traces of sediment behind that create a visible stain on the surface. These unsightly spots probably won't do much for the appearance of your carpet or your favorite piece of furniture.
Wood can Start to Rot in 1-6 months If:
The wooded area is sitting in water. Water and/or air space is hot & humid. The area is at or near the ground. Wood is exposed to dirt.
Water-based stain will last 1 year, if opened, and 2 years, if unopened. Oil-based varnishes will be good for 1 year, opened or unopened. Opened cans of glazing compound will last for 1 year, unopened cans for 2 years, if kept above freezing.
Vinegar. Vinegar is a safe, all-natural household cleaner with the amazing ability to combat hard water stains. Pour some in a spray bottle and squirt any surface where you find hard water stains. Let it sit for five to 15 minutes to give the vinegar time to break down the minerals in the chalky, white stain.
As noted above, water damage will usually leave walls soft to the touch, or otherwise warped, buckled, and crumbled. It also tends to cause a musty smell and dark brown or yellow-tinted stains, lines, or rings in both ceilings and walls.
But what happens when the wood gets wet? Just know that when the moisture content of the wood reaches 20%, the wood will start to rot. But the rotting of wood is a slow process where the growth of fungi will start to feed on the cellulose of wood. There are high chances of bad things happening when the wood is wet.
Hard Water Stains Look Like White Scale Buildup
Even though hard water stands can come in many shapes and forms, the most common type of hard water stain with which people are familiar is a white scale. For example, you might notice some cloudy or foggy stains on your shower doors, bathtubs, and faucets.
Does Water Damage Happen Immediately? Water damage happens quickly, usually within 24 hours. If you notice any signs of water damage, it normally isn't something you can fix on your own.
More often than not, one type of damage notoriously synonymous with leaks in our homes is that of the water stain. Water stains may show their faces as tiny drips, or they may spread out over larger areas.
Look for Rings: If you see a darker spot with zero rings around it, this indicates that the damage generated by water is new. Older damage generated by water will have rings around it, and just like a tree, the more rings shows the age.
Vaseline (Petroleum Jelly)
Blot the stain, then use a dry sponge or towel to apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly. Let it stand overnight and wipe away in the morning. The jelly should've penetrated the surface and replaced the trapped water with oil. If you still see the stain, repeat the process.
Method Two: Toothpaste
In a bowl, combine one part toothpaste with two parts baking soda to create a thick paste. Apply some of the mixture to the white heat mark on your wood table and allow it to sit for a minute or two before wiping it from the surface.
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.