How To Remove Heat Stains/Water Stains From A Wood Table

I am not sure this process even has enough steps to require a blog post, but I am just so freakin’ excited, I think it deserves one!!

My husband and I invested in a really nice table shortly after we were married. We picked something that was great quality, because we knew we would be using it every day, and eventually our children would be too. The table is now over 10 years old, and it was definitely showing signs of use. There were a couple of water stains and several heat stains. I tried everything in my “wood care kit” to remove them, but nothing was successful. I am married to a small business owner and we have three children. Life is busy! I covered up the stains with placemats and mama just kind of quit worrying about them. Until tonight when I pulled out my “wood care kit”. It was time for my table to get its monthly polish. I removed all of the placemats and there they were. The heat and water stains. I had tried a few DIY tricks in the past, but I decided to do a little research to see if there was something I was missing. I mixed equal parts vinegar and olive oil and rubbed the mixture on the stains. That didn’t work. I pulled out the petroleum jelly. That didn’t work. I was just about to give up when I decided to sprinkle the petroleum jelly with baking soda. I began to rub the mixture into the wood and I couldn’t believe my eyes. The stains were lightening up until most of them eventually disappeared. Say what?? My husband even noticed and he doesn’t notice much when it comes to stuff like this. I thought I would share the process in case it could be of use to anyone else.