How to Remove White Heat Marks on Furniture

During the holidays we had some friends over for a dinner party. We served an extra hot meal that night and after everyone left and the dishes were cleared and the table linens removed, I discovered foggy white marks all over my beautiful new table. This one was the smallest, though brightest mark.


Before I had a chance to freak out too much, my husband did some googling and we discovered that on some pieces of furniture if moisture (usually from the steam condensation on a hot dish) gets under the finish, white splotches called heat marks will appear and will stick around until treated.


You'll be surprised to learn, as I was, that to remedy heat marks, you apply... more heat and moisture! Weird, right? I just used two folded over clean white linen napkins and sprayed them down a little with water. You want there to be several layers of cloth between your iron and the table surface. Then I ironed over the napkins on top of the heat marks for about 15 seconds with the iron on a medium heat/steam setting. Don't just set the iron down though - keep it moving.


I have no clue why my table looks so dark here. Must have messed up the camera settings.

It was like magic and the heat marks disappeared (though in these photos I can see I missed a spot that doesn't show in person).



Anyway, random post today, but I thought maybe some of you might have had a similar issue with your wood furniture. Or if in the future you see these heat marks on a thrift store table, don't pass on it - it's an easy 15 second fix. I can remember one gorgeous coffee table that I didn't buy because of it's heat marks. I thought I would need to strip and refinish the whole thing! Who knew?



**A little disclaimer: this trick worked for me, but I guess a few other readers have not had success. It might be wise for you to try a less conspicuous area on your table first. Be sure you're using damp cloths with your iron on a medium setting with steam. And be sure to keep your iron moving!**
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111 comments:

  1. lisaroyFebruary 10, 2011 at 5:57 AM

    wow! who knew?? thanks for posting this! :)

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  2. Design BloomsFebruary 10, 2011 at 6:05 AM

    I CANNOT believe you just posted this!! I left an english muffin on my husband's dresser-he siad "you're ruining my furniture!". This is great news-thank you for sharing.

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  3. MammamusingFebruary 10, 2011 at 6:20 AM

    Ooh! Ooh! I have another solution!

    A glass of iced water was left on our timber table and it left a white ring.

    Following a quick google search I placed a layer of whole egg mayo on it. Left it for an hour and then wiped it off. White ring was gone!

    How is that for a weird fix?

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  4. pve designFebruary 10, 2011 at 6:23 AM

    who knew....i heard Wd40 also works.
    pve

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  5. meenal@maison marigoldFebruary 10, 2011 at 7:00 AM

    OMG..who would have thought it would be so easy...One of my end tables was similarly spoiled after i put a box of hot pizza on it...since refinishing it would have been a task I just put a marble top on the existing top...Thanks Jenny for this very useful post...i'm sure it'll come in handy some day :)

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  6. JennFebruary 10, 2011 at 7:14 AM

    Great idea! You think that would work on a ping pong table??? I thought it was a good idea to iron my curtains on it since it was so much bigger of a surface than an ironing board ;) Real smooth.

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  7. AndreaFebruary 10, 2011 at 7:17 AM

    Great tip. I'll be getting my iron out today!

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  8. Chedva @Rooms and WordsFebruary 10, 2011 at 7:40 AM

    Omg, you have the best timing! I foolishly ironed on top of our dining table and got the same marks. Going to try your tip!
    -Chedva

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  9. cafenoHutFebruary 10, 2011 at 8:00 AM

    That's incredible... I have a foggy white splotches on my coffee table. I want to go my home as soon as possible and do this. Thank you.

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  10. AnonymousFebruary 10, 2011 at 8:08 AM

    Wow - thanks SO much! This happened to my (then) new kitchen table and I tried several things but now will try this. It's holding up well so it will still be nice to get rid of the heat marks!

    The table has received MANY scratches and fork marks from my 4 kids, but I get rid of those by leaving a coating of butter on them for about an hour. I guess mayo would work, too!

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  11. NicoleFebruary 10, 2011 at 8:10 AM

    I seriously love you for posting this. My ironing board broke, so I ironed drapery panels on my DR table (on top of two towels) and to my horror, it left two HUGE heat marks.

    I'm a little nervous to add more heat and steam, but I'll definitely give it a shot.

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  12. KristaFebruary 10, 2011 at 8:11 AM

    Wow! Thanks! I one time painted a table just to cover up a giant white heat spot. If I had only known......

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  13. Erika . . . with a KFebruary 10, 2011 at 8:16 AM

    Glad it came out! My husband got a heat mark on our table the same week we got it! I was so mad... luckily it just buffed right out though!

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  14. AnonymousFebruary 10, 2011 at 8:33 AM

    there's also a product called howard's restore-a-finish that will work wonders on heat marks, small scratches, etc. i "restored" a flea market table that had serious heat marks. it just requires steel wool and the product - very easy. i wish i had pictures. it was that impressive. (ps. i'm not affiliated with the company, just a good thing to have on hand for floors or furniture)

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  15. LindseyFebruary 10, 2011 at 8:50 AM

    Thank you so much for posting this! The exact same thing happened to our dining room table after a party. I was devastated and have been covering it with linens to hide the discoloring since it happened. I had no idea we could actually fix it. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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  16. AnonymousFebruary 10, 2011 at 8:50 AM

    This has happened to me more than once...so glad to know it can be fixed!

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  17. JulesFebruary 10, 2011 at 8:52 AM

    Hmmm, just tried this and ummm, not sure what I did wrong, but I seem to have made it worse. Much worse. As in, iron print on my table worse. I'm sure it's just user error (and we were ditching the table anyway, so it's not a huge deal), but proceed with caution, those of you who are attempting this. Maybe I needed a lower heat setting????

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  18. CeliaFebruary 10, 2011 at 8:55 AM

    Oh wow! This is great. I have a dark gate leg table that is beautiful and unique... and even more unique now b/c it has a huge mark like this in the middle. I have just pushed this table aside for the last six months... and now I can try to repair it!! Thanks!!!

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  19. Miranda AgeeFebruary 10, 2011 at 8:57 AM

    I just had to go through this same situation. Luckily, my table is ikea and not a crazy gorgeous antique! P.S. The Pier 1 on 87th(ish) and 3rd lost their lease and everything in the store is 30-40% off. But it's only that particular store. I know from being a devoted LGN follower that you kinda like Pier 1 :) so I thought I'd pass on the info...

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  20. CatherineFebruary 10, 2011 at 8:59 AM

    I just discovered your blog and have been obsessed with it for the past week. I'm moving to a small apartment with a small kitchen (in Japan) and your blog has been so helpful. Can't wait to try this on my desk. Any posts on small spaces would be great. Or posts on how to change a look of a room (ie, Japanese room with sliding doors and tatami mats) into a different feel without removing the items. I love Japan but I want my home to feel more like me. Any tips?

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  21. MelissaFebruary 10, 2011 at 9:00 AM

    You need to get a table pad to go under your table linens to prevent this. I have one and I love it. I don't have to worry during dinner when friends are over!! Just search on Amazon or whatever.... You cut it to fit. Vinyl on top to prevent spills, etc. from ruining and felt like material on bottom to pad and protect from heat. Peace of mind....

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  22. AngieFebruary 10, 2011 at 9:01 AM

    This happened at our family get-together - on our aunt's antique table - we were horrified! The woodworker in the family tried denatured alcohol on a soft cloth (tested first in inconspicuous spot) and it worked!

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  23. LeslieFebruary 10, 2011 at 9:04 AM

    Amazing! thanks for sharing! I'll have to try this on our desk which has man of these (and scratches...) perhaps with a napkin, an iron and one of those furniture markers I won't have to sand and stain it!

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  24. ElizabethFebruary 10, 2011 at 9:12 AM

    About a year ago, my husband got a white mark on our table, while I was not home. He tried this trick and made it worse! Any tips on how to fix the iron mark?

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  25. Finding HomeFebruary 10, 2011 at 9:27 AM

    Thanks for the tip. I have that problem in the past with our table as well. I found a thermal liner tablecloth, I think at Bed, Bath and Beyond, it can be cut to size. Now, I always put that under my tablecloth and I don't have to worry! Have a great one, Laura

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  26. HeatherFebruary 10, 2011 at 9:30 AM

    Thanks so much for posting this! I have a white heat mark on my dark wood kitchen table. I've been ignoring it for years and placemats cover it for nice occassions. I can't wait to try this tip!

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  27. Sketch42February 10, 2011 at 9:51 AM

    thats awesome. Does it work on rosewood?

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  28. kamiFebruary 10, 2011 at 9:51 AM

    We recently bought a beautiful vintage dinner table and the same thing happened to us! My husband researched and tried to figure out how to fix it and saw that this same idea works. He tried it and it only made the spots worse! We were so sad. I think we'll have to refinish our table eventually. I think it does work 99% of the time though! Bummer for us :(

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  29. Morgan @ Attention to DetalFebruary 10, 2011 at 9:51 AM

    Wow, I would have never guessed. Great tip, Jenny!

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  30. Ann MarieFebruary 10, 2011 at 9:53 AM

    Thanks for the post - I have a heat mark on my new coffee table. I can not wait to try the iron.

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  31. Jenny at LGNFebruary 10, 2011 at 10:07 AM

    Jules - did you put down any cloth? I think the wet cloth is the key. Also, be sure to have your iron on a medium setting, and keep that iron moving! It might be worth trying again. Also, I read that mayonnaise works in some situations?

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  32. wine+cheesepuffsFebruary 10, 2011 at 10:36 AM

    HOLY COW, THANK YOU. I did the same thing to my dark-stained dinner table, and I've been strategically placing bowls and vases over the splotches ever since. I just assumed I ruined it (I have a knack). Ah, there's hope!

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  33. paigeFebruary 10, 2011 at 10:43 AM

    I have an antique buffet with a veneered finish, and I was afraid to add moisture to it to get rid of a white mark. I read that you can make a paste of ashes (cigarette, bbq, etc) and leave it on overnight, and the ring would be removed--totally works! I keep a bit of ash from the firepit tucked away each year, just in case...

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  34. Ashley HalseyFebruary 10, 2011 at 10:43 AM

    I'm so excited to read this post! I have the EXACT same problem right smack in the middle of our farmhouse style table and I've just been covering it up with a bowl full of fresh fruit! Yay... I'm trying this today!

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  35. UnknownFebruary 10, 2011 at 10:44 AM

    AAAmaazing!!! Thanks so much! When I was pregnant I ordered lots of pizza's and I set one down right on our entry table that is a dark finish and now there is a big contrasting white heat mark - so glad it can be fixed!!!

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  36. JoannaFebruary 10, 2011 at 10:53 AM

    I had a heat marks on my coffee table a couple of years ago. I googled a remedy too, but was afraid to use an iron. I tried the toothpaste and ashes method and it worked like a charm. You have to get the paste toothpaste and not the gel type.

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  37. JulieFebruary 10, 2011 at 11:07 AM

    Weird! That's such a great tip, though! I left some weird heat rings on my table the other day (dark mahogany) and I thought I was stuck with them. And yeah, they looked really "foggy" so it must be heat.

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  38. KatieFebruary 10, 2011 at 11:15 AM

    Thank you, thank you! I used our dining table as a work table to make some curtains awhile back and my steam ironing left a faint white mark.. even though I was using one of those cardboard sewing mats.

    Anyway, I'm going to try this... hopefully I haven't waited too long!

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  39. NuhaFebruary 10, 2011 at 11:16 AM

    who knew?! I love finding little tricks like this! I want to hunt down a water stain and try this now, ha!

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  40. my little apartmentFebruary 10, 2011 at 11:28 AM

    a great trick for water rings:

    mix together a tablespoon of mayonnaise and the ashes from one cigarette (it'll look like cookies-n-cream ice cream). gently rub that on the ring for a few seconds, allowing some to stand on top. let it hang out for 5-10 minutes. wipe it off and VOILA! bye-bye water ring!

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  41. AnonymousFebruary 10, 2011 at 11:39 AM

    This is so good to know!! I have an asian coffee table that I love and have had for years (my first big design purchase) but it has been a bit beat up over time. I wonder if it works on red paint?

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  42. mom23blessingsFebruary 10, 2011 at 11:59 AM

    Perfect timing! We have been using paper plates because of a big kitchen remodel and there are tons of those marks on my kitchen table, I figured I had ruined. Thanks for the tip! I'm off to try it!

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  43. A Perfect GrayFebruary 10, 2011 at 12:17 PM

    wow! had not heard this one - thanks. I did hear that if the mark is white, it's in finish and can be removed - if the mark is dark, it's in the wood and that will be HARDER.

    thanks! donna

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  44. ChristyFebruary 10, 2011 at 12:33 PM

    Wow -- we have several white marks on a nice wooden dining table we inherited last year, and we've had no success trying to get rid of them. We'll try this tonight - thanks for the post!

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  45. LFebruary 10, 2011 at 12:41 PM

    GREAT post!

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  46. karen @ our slo houseFebruary 10, 2011 at 12:42 PM

    OMG!!! We have some in the middle of my table; however, I didn't know what they came from. I thought it was some type of mildew. THANK YOU.

    I'm off to find the iron. : )

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  47. SaraFebruary 10, 2011 at 1:01 PM

    That is crazy! I wish I had known that when I did the same thing like 6 months ago.

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  48. Amber B (Simple Dwellings)February 10, 2011 at 1:21 PM

    What a great idea! I have had the same problem and thought I was going to have to live with it. Thanks for the tip. :)

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  49. AnonymousFebruary 10, 2011 at 1:37 PM

    Didn't read all the comments, so someone else may have mentioned this. You can also rub toothpaste into the white spots and presto! it's gone.

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  50. Emma (Glitter and Gold)February 10, 2011 at 2:32 PM

    OMG thank you for this post as I have a console table with a white ring where the hubby put his hot coffee cup down!!! cant wait to try this!! you ROCK!!!

    www.glitterandgoldblog.blogspot.com

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  51. AICO furnitureFebruary 10, 2011 at 3:01 PM

    Thanks for your nice post about furniture.I like it.

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  52. AmberFebruary 10, 2011 at 3:58 PM

    I inherited my great grandmother's dining table and tried this on a heat mark (a while ago)but it created an iron mark. I may try some of the suggestions from the commenters - denatured alcohol or Howard's Restore-a-Finish. I think it depends on how the table is finished. I realized that mine does not have a polyurethane finish on it. I'm not sure when the table was made - the 40s or 50s. I don't know how they finished furniture back then. I should maybe contact somebody who works with antiques but I don't know where to start. I'm afraid to make it worse and I can't try to refinish it myself b/c I don't know what the heck i'm doing! :) It's a beautiful table with three leaves. Right now I have a table cloth on it but I want to see the beautiful wood!

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  53. AnonymousFebruary 10, 2011 at 7:27 PM

    I just tried this (I was also 8:08 a.m.) and it made the marks a lot worse and bigger because of the size of the iron as opposed to the marks. I had my iron at medium, with steam and kept it moving the whole 10-15 seconds. Maybe this only works on some finishes/woods? Anyway, be careful, those who may try this. Maybe test on the underside of the table?

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  54. AnonymousFebruary 10, 2011 at 7:54 PM

    OK, it's me again 8:08 and 7:27 - success! I used a clean white (dry) tshirt, folded in half, with the iron at a high setting with steam and the marks are now gone! I googled the problem and found this solution.

    Anyway, not saying to do what I did but hopefully this might help Jules @8:52.

    Love your blog, Jenny!

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  55. Liz StanleyFebruary 10, 2011 at 8:08 PM

    ahh i would have freaked out too. amazingly easy fix, nice!

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  56. NatFebruary 10, 2011 at 8:20 PM

    Who knew it could be that easy?? I'll have to try it on my coffee table that has marks from early morning coffee cups!

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  57. SarahFebruary 10, 2011 at 9:23 PM

    My mom and I tried this when we ruined my grandfather's antique table at Christmas...it helped but didn't completely get rid of the spot. We also massaged some olive oil into the table and that helped a lot too!

    ~SW

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  58. Ruth ThomasFebruary 11, 2011 at 12:25 AM

    Jenny,
    Please please ,can you add to the post and add info of heat/scortch marks on marble...
    I have a light grey marble top in kitchen and a saucepan size white ring :-( any ideas?anyone?
    Thanks
    Ruth

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  59. Brittany @ The Aubergine NotebookFebruary 11, 2011 at 12:41 AM

    great tip! thanks for sharing!

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  60. UnknownFebruary 11, 2011 at 2:05 AM

    Oh my gosh thank you so much for this! Love all the other helpful comments from your readers too. ;o)

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  61. And Now There Are FourFebruary 11, 2011 at 9:04 AM

    I've had success with using cigarette ashes mixed with some water to create a paste then rubbing it in with a toothbrush. After a little arm power, the water marks disappear. The only problem is finding someone who smokes so you can get the ashes.

    This worked on Vodka rings that were left on my kitchen table after my friends and I made homemade vanilla for Christmas presents.

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  62. Lissa PierceFebruary 11, 2011 at 10:07 AM

    Awesome tip! I haven't run into this problem yet but if I do I'll know I don't have to freak out.....Thanks!

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  63. AnonymousFebruary 11, 2011 at 12:34 PM

    I am very grateful to you for posting this! I had a mark like that on my piano, and I was so sad to think I was just going to have to live with it. Just tried this trick and it worked perfectly! I'm so pleased!

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  64. Liz Hernandez-NunezFebruary 11, 2011 at 2:26 PM

    Omigosh!!! Thank you Jenny! this just happened to our new wood table (like yesterday)and before I got on the net to find out what to do your post was up! Thank you!

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  65. JoanneFebruary 11, 2011 at 4:05 PM

    I was afraid to use the iron, so I used the magic eraser followed by my hairdryer on high. Nearly gone - then I put some wax on it and totally gone. The age of the spot didn't matter!

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  66. Vicky @ Pearl DistrictFebruary 11, 2011 at 6:25 PM

    Random Post? What? I LOVE IT! Thank you so much Jenny!! I heard about this remedy too, but I was afraid to try it. Now that you have tested the waters, I'll give it a try! Thank you soooo much!!!!!!!!!

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  67. Theater furniture masterFebruary 11, 2011 at 11:42 PM

    Ah love it, had spent lot of money on so many cleaning solutions & powders, Thanks a lot.

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  68. Hadley Duncan HowardFebruary 13, 2011 at 8:19 PM

    This is such a timely and appreciated post. Just this week I made enchiladas for our girls and their babysitter -- but the babysitter apparently took the pan from the oven and put it directly onto my beautiful mahogany dining table, because when we came home, our table was ruined! You've saved me much stress this week; thanks so much!

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  69. Annie PFebruary 14, 2011 at 6:48 PM

    Another fix is mixing ashes (from a cigar) with lemon juice. After mixing, use a clean rag to rub the desired area clean. TahDah!

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  70. AliciaFebruary 15, 2011 at 1:46 PM

    I had one ring - from forever ago - it would drive me crazy! I had tried mayonnaise, olive oil, Murphy's Oil soap. I was excited when I read about the iron and rushed to try it. Now I have the ring and another larger spot. I'm not sure what to do. I tried the toothpaste and this made the one new spot a little better, but did nothing to the old spot.
    I have put mayonnaise on both spots and am praying at least the new spot will go away. I thought I had it bad with just the one spot - please advise. Maybe I should try the ashes - from a cigar? Thanks.

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  71. whitney @ thecurtiscasaFebruary 16, 2011 at 2:11 PM

    how interesting! thanks for the tip. i wonder if this would work on wood floors?? i have white marks (from the previous owner) from big indoor plants leaking through their containers.

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  72. KatieFebruary 17, 2011 at 10:47 AM

    Ok, so I just ironed over a stain that was probably almost a year old and it came right up!

    Thanks!

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  73. BradFebruary 28, 2011 at 3:17 PM

    Hi, we had the same problem with our new dining room table. Looked online at a carpentry site, and they recommended buffing it with denatured alcohol and a soft cotton cloth. I did that and it worked! I've actually done it multiple times for other heat marks, and they always come out. So those of you for whom the ironing trick doesn't work, try a little denatured alcohol (not rubbing alcohol).

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  74. AnonymousMarch 3, 2011 at 12:13 PM

    Spread the news!! You're on apartment therapy re-nest!! http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/hot-tip/hot-tip-save-your-furniture-from-white-heat-markslittle-green-notebook-140185

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  75. AshleyMarch 23, 2011 at 4:13 PM

    Thank you!!! I've been so bummed about the big spot on my table!! Will be trying this during nap time today.

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  76. furniture storeMay 2, 2011 at 2:20 PM

    Simply amazing. I would have never thought of using an iron to remove that mark. Thanks for sharing this.

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  77. AnonymousJuly 4, 2011 at 4:50 PM

    This is an incredible entry! Not random at all, rather, very very helpful!

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  78. AnonymousOctober 4, 2011 at 12:51 AM

    Thanks for the lovely post. Good to know that there are other options to fix those random oversights!

    From experience: someone who has furniture polishers and carpenters redo furniture even at the slightest sight of a nick/mark, we've known denatured alcohol is the quickest and most technically opted route.

    A month ago I messed up my hallway table (inlay work et al) while taking the easy route of ironing a table cloth on it. Since I would've had to wait for DH to come home and help out with dentured alcohol, I chose to use my quick way out.

    Rub down regular daily cooking oil or olive oil and wipe excess off with a soft cloth. Works!

    This is for regular wood tables with no additional enamel finish etc.

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  79. AnonymousOctober 11, 2011 at 4:26 PM

    I have used a blow dryer. Just focus it on the white spot and BINGO, success.

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  80. AnonymousOctober 11, 2011 at 6:07 PM

    So I tried this and it made my spots worse, but what did work perfectly was using a craft heat gun, hold it close and slowly move it across the spot, you can see it disappear. I have a mahogany table and it didn't damage it at all.
    Not all heat guns have the same wattage, I used the Darice craft heat gun.

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  81. Jenna!!!October 21, 2011 at 7:05 PM

    We constantly have problems with this! I use a liberal application of Pledge orange OIL (NOT the regular stuff, the oil with the orange top in a squirt bottle) and then wipe it all off or it will be super slippery. We have a cheap-ish dark wood table and I assume every time we eat I will be left wth spots to remove later. Sometimes it takes a couple applications, but eventually they fade. I was using tablecloths for a while, but it left me with even grosser, FUZZY heat marks where the tablecloth had steamed itself to the table... So now we oil it up. So glad to know I'm not the only one!!! Thanks!

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  82. AnonymousOctober 30, 2011 at 9:26 PM

    wow thanks for sharing we constantly put hot food on the table and made white marks on it. My husband laborously repainted and refinished our breakfast table. From then on we are so careful not to leave white marks on our table...ahhh there's hope we can live normal again.

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  83. Judy LynnNovember 7, 2011 at 8:18 PM

    THANK YOU!!!! I had a HUGE spot (about 12 inches by 10 inches) from being stupid enough to iron on a towel on my dining room table. I have been prepping to sand and refinish the top, but was beside myself wondering how to match it to the chairs and hutch. This helped SO MUCH!!!! Not 100%, but much much MUCH improved... you have to really look closely now to see it.

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  84. AnonymousNovember 8, 2011 at 1:54 PM

    AMAZING!!! I've filed this in my memory bank....for next time I see this! Great, useful post!!!

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  85. AnonymousNovember 12, 2011 at 1:10 PM

    Worked wonderfully! Thank you for sharing

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  86. EmilyDecember 5, 2011 at 1:24 PM

    Did not work for me. Be sure you don't care what the outcome will be when you try this. I am sure it works for some, but I was disappointed when I tried it out.

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  87. AmandaDecember 12, 2011 at 12:34 PM

    We had a minor hot mug ring in our 50+ year old coffee table. Not being sure what the finish is, I was reluctant to use the iron technique. After reading the denatured alcohol I grabbed it from our pantry and used a cotton t-shirt to rub the spot. It worked!!! I am beyond excited to no longer have to awkwardly cover it with table decorations. Now to fix the fork dings...

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  88. BonesJanuary 13, 2012 at 8:02 PM

    I just heard about this site today...and I put a cup of coffee ona side table and did not bother with a coaster and sure enough a big white ring when I picked up my coffee cup!!! So, I thought, good opportunity toncheck out this site. And I glad I did!!! This technique works beautifully!!!! Ring is gone!!!! Thank you so very much!!!

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  89. BonesJanuary 13, 2012 at 8:11 PM

    I just heard about this site today...and I put a cup of coffee ona side table and did not bother with a coaster and sure enough a big white ring when I picked up my coffee cup!!! So, I thought, good opportunity toncheck out this site. And I glad I did!!! This technique works beautifully!!!! Ring is gone!!!! Thank you so very much!!!

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  90. AnonymousJanuary 24, 2012 at 7:51 PM

    it didn't work!!! It only made it larger and worse!!

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  91. Cottage DavidJanuary 25, 2012 at 3:12 PM

    Thanks, this is a wonderful collection of tips.

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  92. AnonymousFebruary 6, 2012 at 4:59 PM

    THANK YOU!!!! I've been covering the heat mark on my kitchen table with a placemat. I'm going to try this b/c I don't lose anything even if I make it worse. :)

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  93. AnonymousFebruary 14, 2012 at 7:12 PM

    didn't read all the comments and this may have already come up - but a less scary and equally effective method is to mix tobacco ashes and toothpaste! It has to be "old-fashioned" toothpaste. Not gel or the liquidy kind, and has to be tobacco ashes. I have used cigarette and pipe ashes and they both work.I actually keep a tube of original Crest in my sideboard so I can find it when I get rings on my dining room table-have to hunt down a smoker for the ashes! Make a paste with a lot of ashes and enough toothpaste to spread it on. Leave a couple of hours, wipe with damp sponge and mark is gone. My grandmother and mother have done this to their antiques for decades and never a problem..also did it to several pieces in my sorority house in college...fail proof!

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  94. AnonymousFebruary 15, 2012 at 11:55 PM

    I just searched for this 2 days ago! Thanks!

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  95. AnonymousFebruary 19, 2012 at 9:40 AM

    I was so excited to try this...and I failede. BUT...I didn't give up. I am not sure what the science is behind this, but I believe it has to do with the evaporation speed. If I just ironed and then lifted off, the center would be gone, but the edges were still there. So I would try to get the edges gone and I just kept spreading the circle bigger...ugh. Then I wet the cloth a little more (wet,but not soaked) ran the iron over it for 10 -15. Took Iron off, lifted cloth, put cloth back down and when it wasn't just cool enough to touch, I buffed with it until moister evaporated...WORKED...it WORKED!!! Thank you it WORKED :)

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  96. AndreaFebruary 26, 2012 at 10:35 PM

    I ruined my mom's coffee table this way and didn't have any idea how to treat it and there was no internet back then. I am so happy to know how to fix the problem if it ever happens again. thanks for sharing.

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  97. 2boyzandalittleladyMarch 21, 2012 at 1:37 PM

    This worked I just tried it!!! Thank you so much!

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  98. AnonymousMarch 22, 2012 at 3:53 PM

    I had a heat white stain on my coffee table from a glass and also a white mark from a pizza box. I applied mayonaize and let it sit for a little while then wiped it and the stains were gone.

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  99. AnonymousApril 7, 2012 at 10:47 PM

    You're a lifesaver! This solution worked perfectly using a folded white clean tshirt. Thank you!!

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  100. AnonymousApril 9, 2012 at 5:12 AM

    Thank you so much! I was cooking dinner at my boyfriends house and set some of the dishes on their nice dining room table and had two large white marks on the table top. This worked like a dream! Thank you so much for posting this amazing trick!

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  101. AnonymousApril 13, 2012 at 1:28 AM

    this works I have tried it, however I also use wet magic eraser. Not sure how great it is on the finish, but I didnt see any damage done to my coffee table :)

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  102. AnonymousJune 15, 2012 at 12:31 PM

    This is completely unbelievable!! I had a place on my kitchen cabinets where steam from the coffee maker had made a white stain that I could not remove, and this trick took care of it in seconds!! Thanks so much for sharing!!

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  103. AnonymousJune 24, 2012 at 10:47 AM

    Please be careful if you use this on sixties Italian furniture! I tried it, did everything right (medium warm, folded linnen cloth, 15 seconds ironing) and my dressoir is completely ruined. It looks awful, and i wish I had never tried it :( Could be the finish or the material, I don't know...

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  104. AnonymousJuly 7, 2012 at 5:05 PM

    Thank you!
    I did some canning last week and put the jars on the wooden table to cool (with 3 layers of towels so I thought it would be protected) and was disappointed to see that I had made a lovely polka-dot pattern on our table!
    I tried your ironing trick - although I was skeptical - and it worked. Now my 2 year old cannot continue to tell everyone that, "Mama wrecked the table". Thank you

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  105. UnknownJuly 14, 2012 at 12:07 AM

    This is genious! I litereally pinned this yesterday morning and last night I made dinner and put the hot glass dish on a dish towel (instead of a trivet) and low and behold it left a HUGE white spot on my brand new kitchen table!! I was so upset since it looked terrible and was hoping this technique would do the trick. I was skeptical, but I tried it and IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM!!!!! NO MORE WHITE SPOT!! Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this idea!!

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  106. AnonymousAugust 2, 2012 at 10:25 PM

    Thank you for posting this...I just tried it on our vintage pine dining table with a clean white dish cloth and it worked...key is to keep the iron moving, I used a circular motion and did it in 10 second intervals, removing the dish cloth in between and wiping dry the area.
    You are a genus!

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  107. AnonymousAugust 26, 2012 at 11:30 PM

    I just tried your tip for getting white steam marks out of my dining room table and it worked wonderfully. Thanks so much for posting this. I had no idea what to do and this was very helpful!

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  108. tonyinsfNovember 28, 2012 at 2:12 PM

    thanks to you and the internet! ordered take out food last night, ate on the coffee table and went to bed with the decision to clean up in the morning. You can imagine the horror when I saw the white marks left under the to-go containers. Thanks again for the tip. Followed your instructions exactly and voila, stain is gone!

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  109. LouiseFebruary 1, 2013 at 10:51 AM

    THIS WORKS!!!!!!

    My housemate put a boiling hot casserole dish on a dark mahogany coloured table - like the table above even with the detail - with a thin dish cloth underneath and left a huge white mark and you could even see the cloth texture as well!

    I got a cotton pillow case and folded it into thirds, spritzed it with water from a plant sprayer and ironed on low/ medium heat, I kept the iron moving taking it off every 5-10 seconds then checking and going again, I added a bit more water half way through and ITS GONE!!!!

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  110. Cindy NajdowskiApril 8, 2013 at 8:20 PM

    my hubby left some heat marks on a new week-old dining table when i was out of town. wood polish did not help. the mayo trick did not work. the iron trick just worked!!!! yay!

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  111. NJ GirlApril 9, 2013 at 7:24 PM

    I just tried it on my kitchen table and IT WORKED! I had tried the may trick and was paicked when it didn't work. I googled "white marks on furniture" and your site came up.
    THANK YOU!

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I so appreciate hearing from you. Nice comments make my day! Thanks for keeping things light here, friends! :)