How to Clean Water Stains on Wood

Wood stains are of two types: white stains and dark stains. White stains are caused by moisture seeping into the finish on the wood surface but not into the wood. Condensation marks on the bottom of a cup placed on a wooden table can cause circular white stains. Dark stains appear when water seeps through the finish and into the wood, such as stains on the wooden floor where potted plants are located. This article will show you methods to clean white and dark stains on wood.

Table of Contents

Remove white stains

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Dab mineral oil on a soft rag and rub over the stain. Leave it on overnight and repeat again if the stain doesn’t seem to have gone away.

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Use a soft rag to rub white gasoline on the stain if mineral oil doesn’t work. White gasoline is a mild solvent that can remove stains that have penetrated the wax on the wood surface but have not yet entered the finish.

Wear gloves and do this work in a well-ventilated area. Let it sit for a few minutes for the chemical to take effect.
If the stain is clean but looks faded, rub white gasoline over the entire surface of the wood.
Apply a fresh coat of polish to the wooden surface.

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Use a mixture of baking soda and toothpaste if white gasoline doesn’t work. The ratio of ingredients in the mixture is not important, but you should not use gel toothpaste.

Spread the mixture on a damp rag and rub the stain along the wood grain until clean.
Use soapy water to clean.
If the stain doesn’t come off the first time, try again.
Use good quality wax to polish wood furniture.

Remove dark stains with sandpaper

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Use sandpaper to sand the finish over the stain, gently brushing along the wood grain.

Use 100-grit sandpaper, then sand the edges with 150-grit sandpaper.
Remember not to scrub too hard so as not to lose the wood on the surface.

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Scrub the stain with 150 grit sandpaper; you have now removed the finish on the wood surface. Sand around the stained area with #0000 steel wool.

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Use a lint-free cloth to wipe off the dust after sanding.

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Apply multiple coats of varnish to the surface to match the original finish.

Make sure the varnish doesn’t stand out, but looks natural.

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Sand the edges of the new varnish with #0000 steel wool to smooth out the raised area between the old and new varnishes.

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Polish the wood with good quality wax.

Remove dark stains with bleach

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Bleach the wood with chlorine bleach if the stain is too deep and cannot be removed with sandpaper.

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Wear rubber gloves and scrub the stain with a brush.

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Leave it like that for a few hours. The stain will fade to almost the original wood color, but this process is rather slow.

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Use water and a sponge to thoroughly wash away bleach and prevent wood discoloration.

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Use vinegar to neutralize the wood. This step will prevent the paint or varnish from bleaching as you paint the wood.

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Wait for the wood to dry completely.

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Paint the wood surface if necessary and let it dry completely.

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Apply several coats of wood paint or varnish to the wood surface to match the color of the original finish.

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Sand the edges of the new varnish with #0000 steel wool to smooth out the raised area between the new and old varnish. Use a lint-free cloth to wipe off dust.

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Polish the wood with good quality wax.

Advice

You can bleach wood with oxalic acid, which is available at most hardware stores, also known as wood bleach. Follow the instructions on the package.

Warning

If you want to remove stains from an antique, consult an antiques professional before doing so. Re-polishing can reduce the value of the antique.

Things you need

Soft rag
Mineral oil
White petrol
Polished furniture
Baking soda
Toothpaste
Oil soap
100 grit sandpaper
150 grit sandpaper
Lint-free fabric
varnish
Steel wool type #0000
Chlorine bleach
Brush
Rubber gloves
Sponge
Vinegar
Wood paint

Steps