Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Nobody Likes a White Ring

We have this little drop leaf table that belonged to the Husband's grandparents.  The finish is a bit worn and the veneer is chipped in a few places but it still functions. We had been using it as a bedside table in our former guest room and are planning to use it as a temporary desk in the new office during the Big Move.  There was a little something extra about the table that I couldn't ignore any longer.


If you look past my super-bad photography, you can see the big water stain on one end.  I'm so embarrassed that I've had guests that have used the table in this shape (Sorry Mom and Dad!)  I don't even know how it got there or how long ago it happened.  Here's a closer view.


Definitely not pretty.  Then I remembered reading about a quick and easy solution to the problem involving an iron (as in, I hate to do laundry and I never iron).  After a little googling around for confirmation I decided to give it a try. 


Using a dry pillowcase and the iron set to a medium-low temp and no steam, I ironed over the affected area for 10 seconds or so at a time, lifting the pillowcase to check the spot until it completely disappeared.  It was pretty amazing.


The finish on the table is still worn but the spot is gone!!  I can't believe I waited this long to take care of it.  Now, does anyone have any tips for making the finish look better?  We are planning to use it as a defacto partners desk until we find a better/bigger solution.


I've already moved into my half the desk.  The work has only begun though.  Workbench has already been disassembled and painting will (hopefully) happen this weekend.  Progress is slow but steady.  It's going to be great when we get everything done.  Now I can check de-waterspotting the table off my to-do list. 

4 comments:

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  2. My father-in-law restores old furniture and builds furniture. We have some old pieces with the same issues! He uses this stuff called "Restore A Finish" by Howard for a lot of things. Apparently you can't find it at Home Depot, maybe an Ace Hardware or woodworking shop.

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