You don’t have to let a water ring ruin your furniture any longer. While a coaster is always better, you can grab a few items out of the cabinet to quickly remove rings left from spills or sweating glasses. General contractor Tom Silva shows host Kevin O’Connor just how furniture ring removal works.
How to Remove Ring Stains with Vinegar
One of the best ways to remove ring stains is with regular-strength vinegar. Vinegar will remove the minerals from the stain, lightening its appearance. Simply put a few tablespoons of vinegar over the stain, rub it in with your fingertips, allow it to sit for a minute, and then dab the excess vinegar up with a rag. To restore the finish’s luster, a drop of olive oil and a rag will typically do the trick.
Pro Tip: Keep in mind that this vinegar method works best on white ring stains—those cloudy marks caused by water vapor penetrating the finish. According to This Old House Magazine, black rings indicate damaged wood underneath and “require complete removal of the surrounding finish before any repair can be attempted.” If your ring stain is dark rather than white, you’ll need a more aggressive approach.
How to Remove Ring Stains with Baking Soda
Create a mixture of 2:1 baking soda and water and mix it. Apply the paste directly over the stain and allow it to sit for a few minutes. After a few minutes, dab up the extra baking soda and lightly rub the stain with a rag. To blend the repair, use furniture polish and a rag.
Pro Tip: Tom Silva, general contractor on Ask This Old House, explains why this method works: “I think the baking soda is basically like a fine stone, so it can be a little aggressive. And the water, I think is just getting into the stain itself, allowing everything to soak.”
How to Remove Ring Stains with an Iron
Another option is to use the heat from an iron to remove the stain. Place a rag over the stain, allow the iron to get medium hot, and heat the rag. Check the stain frequently to ensure you don’t let it get too hot, though, as it may melt the finish. If the finish is dulled, apply a light coat of olive oil.
Pro Tip: Tom Silva, general contractor on Ask This Old House, cautions that this technique works best on oil-based or lacquer finishes: “I don’t think this would work if you used a water-based finish. But your oil bases or your lacquer base would probably work pretty good.”
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- Tom used vinegar to break down the stains on the wooden coffee table.
- Then, he used olive oil to restore the table’s shine after dulling it with the vinegar.
Pro Tip: This Old House general contractor Tom Silva explains the olive oil step: “The olive oil is basically to replace the finish. It should blend it in.” When Kevin O’Brien saw the results on set, he estimated the stain was “like 90% better”—proof that this simple pantry fix really works.
- Tom used baking soda to create a paste with water.
- Tom used an iron to lift the water stains on the coffee table.
- Then he used a cloth under the iron to prevent melting the finish.
