Do Home Remedies Work to Remove Water Rings?

I’ve seen all kinds of internet advice on how to fix a wood table with white water rings on it. I decided to test some of these myself to see what actually works. But first off, what is a water ring and why is it white?

Water rings are caused by a wet glass, usually due to condensation, coming in contact with a wood surface that prefers to left dry and alone. Water rings typically come in two varieties: white and dark. White rings occur when moisture from a glass seeps into the wood finish. Dark rings are when moisture is penetrating the wood itself, most likely because there is no protective finish left on the table.

Different wood finishes impact a table’s ability to resist water rings, though just about all finishes can get them. From my experience, polyurethanes are the strongest finishes when it comes to preventing rings. But that’s not always perfect. In the video above, I show a perfectly finished and cured polyurethan surface get a water ring.

Lacquers are also better than some finishes are preventing rings, but from my experience not as resistant as poly. Shellac and wax tend to get rings a lot, which makes sense why your grandma’s old wood table can quickly get rings if you don’t use a coaster. These finishes were often used in years past.

Toothpaste to Remove Water Rings

One common method I saw online is to use toothpaste and a toothbrush to remove water rings. This advice seems to vary. Some people say you can’t use gel toothpaste, others say you have to. Some say do not use whiting toothpaste, and again, others say you have to. Even the amount of brushing seems to vary.

I made some water rings on a lacquer board and tried it myself. I used whiting toothpaste and a non gel regular toothpaste. I scrubbed the rings at different pressures and amounts. At first glance, it seemed the visibility of the rings was reduced. Could this actually work?!

Upon closer inspection, what I had was a sticky mess. The toothpaste is still on the wood surface. It’s also tacky. The only way to remove it is with water, which is what got me into this mess in the first place! I used a tiny dab of water on a soft rag to wipe away the toothpaste. What I found is the toothpaste not only didn’t work at all, it damaged the surface even more. The whiting toothpaste looked better, but it still caused more damage than the ring itself.

Scratch toothpaste off the list.

Mayonnaise on Your Table

A very common method I’ve heard is to use mayonnaise. This could make sense, especially if you are dealing with a thin, damaged finish. There are oils in mayo that may help, but I’m not certain of this as a fool proof solution so I tested it.

I tried in on the same lacquered board, using different water rings than the ones used with the toothpaste test. I applied the mayonnaise and let it sit a moment. I didn’t wait long though. I’ve seen people say to let it sit for up to 24hrs. Seems excessive to me.

After a moment, I wiped it off and…holy crap! The rings were gone! I was pretty shocked at how well it worked. To be sure, I used a tiny bit of water to clean the wood surface of mayo and the ring stayed invisible. After looking at it the next day, I could see the ring area was darker, meaning the oils really soaked in. So ultimately, it didn’t make the ring invisible, but it made it less noticeable.

I tried both toothpaste and mayo on a board with shellac. Again, toothpaste didn’t help. Mayo was not as good on the shellac surface, but it never hurts to try. I can’t say mayo is a long term solution and it certainly isn’t better than properly refinishing your table. But in a pinch, it may be a viable solution!

Burn Your Wood Table

The most extreme home remedy I’ve seen to remove water rings is to burn them away. This sounds insane to me so I had to try it. The theory is this – wipe denatured alcohol on the area and light it. It burns very quickly. The story goes that when it burns it’ll pull the moisture out of the finish. Okay, let’s see…

I made new water rings in my lacquer board and gave it a shot. It was a pretty sight to behold. Just like described, the denatured alcohol quickly burned itself out. I was left with a white haze all over the surface and my water rings were still there. Essentially it damaged the surface even more than just having a ring.

Could it be that my lacquer finish just wasn’t up to snuff? Maybe it wasn’t thick enough or needed to cure even longer? I went into my house and stole a walnut tray that I made last year. It has several coats of poly and the finish is absolutely gorgeous. I know the finish is durable, it has enough coats, and it cured a very long time ago. This is the finish and method I’d use for a table and I knew it would be perfect for the test.

I placed a wet glass on the surface and waited. Sure enough, I got a water ring. That was great for my test, but I was saddened to see it happen. The moment of truth. I put denatured alcohol over the area and lit it. It burned fast, it burned hot, and it…did absolutely nothing to remove the ring.

This is a method I’ve seen online. The late Charles Neil, a wood finishing guru, demonstrated it in a video and it seemed to work for him. Why didn’t it work in any of my tests? No clue. I think I’ll skip this one and reach for the mayo.