How to Remove Heat Stain From Wood?

What can you do to get rid of them?

Written by Olivia Paxton. Updated on March 29, 2021

Never gets any easier, does it?

We have a table, we have a guest, and there are often spilled coffee or tea on a wooden table. There are prints from mugs or glasses.

How to remove heat stain from wood?

Clean the wood with a heat mark. Use a slightly wet sponge or a damp cloth
Mix soda with toothpaste 1 to 1. And you can mix soda with water 2 to 1 and use a napkin to apply it to the stain
Apply Mix on the heat mark. Wait 10 minutes until it soaks
Clean it out. Carefully remove the excess paste with a damp sponge

We have Top methods for you

Removing stains from wood with an iron

Usually, if you spill something hot on a wooden table, a white spot will appear in this place. This is because of temperature exposure. It is not the wood itself that is damaged, but only the polish.

To remove such a kind a heat stain, take a gauze, towel or a t-shirt.

Drain all liquid from the iron. Turn it on to the lowest temperature and iron the spot through the fabric.

Removing stains from wood with toothpaste

You can try to remove the stain with a toothpaste. But you have to use the ordinary toothpaste, not a gel.

Squeeze a little bit of toothpaste on your finger and apply it to the stain. After that, simply wipe the table with a damp cloth. Repeat if it will be necessary.

Yes, of course

31.4%

No, never

68.6%

Table of Contents

Removing wood stains with a hairdryer

You can remove the stain with a simple hairdryer. Turn on the hairdryer at full power and direct it at the spot. Keep the hairdryer over the spot for a half an hour. Thus, you will dry all the liquid, and the stain will disappear.

Toothpaste

38.27%

Hairdryer

25.93%

Oil-based products

20.37%

Baking soda

15.43%

But then polish the spot where the stain was with olive oil.

how to remove a heat stain from wood — Wikihow

Removing stains from wood with oil-based products

Also, the stain can be removed while using oil-based products. It can be anything from Vaseline to mayonnaise. Just apply this product on the stain and leave it overnight.

how to remove white stain on wood from heat — Wikihow

Removing stains from wood using baking soda

Well, the last method is a simple baking soda. You can mix soda with toothpaste 1 to 1. Apply it to a stain. Rub with a finger and then remove with a damp cloth. And you can mix soda with water 2 to 1 and use a napkin to apply it to the stain.

how to remove a white heat stain from a wood table — Wikihow

Be careful with mahogany furniture.

To remove white heat spots from the wooden table or furniture from this material, as well as alder, eucalyptus, yew, cherry, use only refined vegetable oil.

This is necessary, so the cleaned place does not become blurry.

Now you know How to Remove Heat Stain From Wood but we have some extra info for you:

What to use

Denatured alcohol (small amount)
Liquid for polishing furniture
Half a glass of ammonia and water mixed
Baking soda or salt mixed with water
Vinegar and olive oil
Baking soda and toothpaste (not gel)

Tips

Before starting to remove the stain, you should first check the product in an inconspicuous area.
It can happen that the stain penetrates very deep into the wood. In this case, remove the varnish layer, remove the stain, and then re-coat the product with varnish.

Precautions

Be sure to ventilate the area during stain removal.
Wear safety glasses and rubber gloves when handling chemicals.

Frequently Asked Questions

We all know this moment when someone put a hot cup of coffee on the table and leaves a white mark on it. Is the table ruined now completely? No! And we can tell you how to fight those heat marks on some other surfaces, too.

How to Remove Heat Stain From Wood Table?

If you happened to set a heat mark on your wooden table, don’t get upset. Check out several tips on how you can remove it. And remember to act quickly!

Make a mix of equal parts of toothpaste and baking soda, and rub it into the damaged area. Don’t use gel toothpaste for that!
Prepare a mixture of olive oil and salt, apply it to the mark and let it stay there for about an hour. Then wipe it off.
Mix equal parts of vinegar and olive oil, and rub into the white mark.
Take some vaseline or any other petroleum jelly and rub it into the mark. Leave for the night. In the morning, wipe it off.

How to Remove Heat Stain From Quartz?

Quarts surfaces are heat-resistant but not heat-proof. In order to avoid heat marks or even cracks, never place any hot or heat-generating items on them.

If you still managed to set a heat stain, make a paste of baking soda and water and rub it with a soft clean cloth.

How to Remove Heat Stain From Wood Table With Iron?

One more method of healing your wooden furniture from heat marks is iron.

If you set a heat mark, wash the surface and dry it properly. Take a thin cotton towel and put it over the mark.

Set your iron on high dry heat and set it on the towel right over the heat stain. Turn the steam on.

Wipe away the moisture and the rests of water.

How to Remove Heat Stain From Stainless Steel?

When the time comes for those white stains to appear on your stainless steel supplies, don’t hurry to get rid of them.

Wash your item with a soft cloth damped with dish soap and water mixture.

Dry it with a towel.

Immerse a clean cloth into vinegar and start rubbing the stained surface.

If the stains are gone, rub some olive oil into the cleaned area and remove its remains.

If the stains are still there, apply some club-soda to the clean cloth and rub the marks energetically till they are gone.

How to Remove Heat Stain From Marble?

To heal your marble surfaces from small heat stains, mix ammonia and water using 50/50 proportion. Pour a small amount of the mixture over the mark and leave for five minutes. Take a soft scrub brush and remove the stain avoiding to rub too hard.

Written by Olivia Paxton

Olivia shares all she knows about the hotels, houses, and home cleaning with Beezzly readers. And she knows a lot! 15 years of work experience as a Manager in a former Four Season Service gave Olivia an exceptional base of professional knowledge and practical experience.

Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here.

2021-07-21T11:39:28+00:00

Hannah J Parrish

I just messed up a hardwood floor, this article gives me hope. Thank you, I will try it!

2020-12-24T12:04:14+00:00

Thomas

Try to apply some furniture polish to the damaged area, wipe the excess off, and then work on it with a damp cloth with 3-4 ammonia drops. Rub the mark carefully, and follow up at once with more polish. That might work.

2020-12-23T12:26:09+00:00

William

Help needed! Does anyone know how to remove heat stains from painted wood? I’m pretty sure that iron won’t do any good just like blow-drying. Any other ideas, maybe? Thanks a lot!

2020-12-22T12:26:36+00:00

Isla

Well, if the mark is relatively fresh, I’d recommend trying a mix of white toothpaste and baking soda. It’s quite delicate and won’t ruin the lacquered surface if you don’t rub the stain too vigorously.

Also, you could try to iron the stain (set the iron at high dry heat+stem regime) through the cotton towel, but I heard it may not work on certain kinds of finish so perhaps it’s better not to start if you’re not sure your table will survive that.

2020-12-21T12:47:29+00:00

Olivia

Our family has an old wooden table that has been used for generations already. It’s lacquered, and it recently got a cloudy heat mark on the tabletop. Does anyone know how to remove heat stains from lacquered wood? Can we use common methods? The table is really old and I’d like to keep it going further with a proper look. Thanks!

2020-12-18T13:40:05+00:00

Harry

Have you tried ironing the stain? Might sound weird but it can work! Just wash and dry the tabletop, and then place a clean cotton cloth over the stain and apply a hot iron with the steam turned on right onto that mark. Letting it sit for a minute must be enough.

But I know it won’t work equally well on all types of finish or wood, so if I were you I’d consult a professional.

2020-12-17T20:42:44+00:00

Jack

How to remove a deep heat stain from wood? I have an old tea table with an ugly white mark right on the tabletop. And the worst thing is that its stain is pretty old so no matter how I try, I can’t delete it with any cleaning products!

2020-12-16T23:43:22+00:00

Molly

Hey there. Well, I once used my heat gun for a similar task, only I worked on my old wooden chairs. What I did was just to work on the surface with the heat gun, and then scrape the softened stuff away with a scraper. If any traces of varnish are left, delete them with the steel wool. That’s it.

Try not to hold the gun too close to the wood to not burn it (or yourself). I’d recommend choosing an infrared gun since it produces less intensive heat and is safer.

2020-12-15T20:42:03+00:00

Ava

Hello everyone! I have a problem guys, hope somebody can help me. I need to remove the old varnish from my wooden stairs, but I have no idea of how to do that to not destroy the wood completely (the stairs are pretty old already). Did anyone here have similar experience? I heard that a heat gun might be handy. Does anyone know how to remove multiple layers of stains and varnish from wood stairs with the heat gun? Thanks.

2020-12-14T02:06:43+00:00

Lucy

Hey there! Well, it actually works but my experience says it’s OK only if the white mark is recent. I tried to use my blow dryer on some old stains, but it was no good.

2020-12-11T16:53:01+00:00

Ella

I have recently come across the blow-drying method for deleting white heat stains from wood. And that’s what I’m wondering about now: does it really work to remove heat stain from wood with the blow dryer? Did anyone try it?

2020-12-10T20:16:12+00:00

Maya

Hello! I would recommend you go for baking soda and some toothpaste, that’s a real super stuff for dealing with such things! You’ll need ordinary white (non-gel) paste and some baking soda. Simply mix equal parts of them together until you get the paste-like substance, and then apply the remedy on a stain. I’d say it’s better leave it like that for 10 minutes before you wipe the paste off with a dry cloth. And don’t press or rub it! Oh, and also clean the surface prior to applying the paste.

2020-12-07T16:23:34+00:00

Olivia

Hi! Please, give me a hint on how to get rid of white heat stains from wood furniture! The mark is pretty old so I can’t delete it with my blow dryer. Does anyone know other methods?

2020-11-06T15:29:36+00:00

Isla

If you mean water dark marks, I’d recommend commercial wood bleach. It works 100%. You’ll only have to remove the finish from that wood, apply bleach and leave it for 4 hours, and then delete it with a blend of water (2 parts) and acetum (1 part). Dry and refinish.

2020-11-02T19:59:47+00:00

Oliver

Hello! Maybe, not quite a suitable question here but how do you get rid of black marks on wood?

2020-10-27T14:14:27+00:00

Olivia

They can be removed. I once tried baking soda, and it worked. Maybe, it will help you, too.

2020-10-21T12:20:58+00:00

Emily

Are water spots permanent on wood? I have several old ones on the table and I’d really like to delete them!

2020-10-13T23:38:28+00:00

Oliver

Try to use placemats that cover the entire table, I guess that’s the only option.

2020-10-09T20:45:19+00:00

Ava

How do I protect my wood table from heat marks? Is there any way except for using coasters? My family always forgets about using them.

2020-10-02T16:43:47+00:00

Lola

I didn’t try but I heard mayo really works. I guess it’s worth trying, at least, it won’t harm the wood for sure.

2020-09-25T12:13:20+00:00

Isabella

Can mayonnaise remove water rings? Did anyone try it on wood?

2020-09-17T19:02:21+00:00

Ella

Yes, it’s mostly because of hot mugs, plates, or other hot items we place on tables without using coasters.

2020-09-10T12:20:50+00:00

William

What causes white heat marks on wood? Do they appear only from hot mugs placed on the table?

2020-09-02T12:00:10+00:00

Rosie

I know several remedies. One is a mix of baking soda and a toothpaste mixed 50/50, another is a paste of salt and olive oil. They say acetum and olive oil work well, too.

2020-08-27T11:53:25+00:00

Layla

How do you get rid of heat stains? I recently found several on the dining table. Is it possible to get rid of them?

2020-08-18T16:33:16+00:00

Archie

I’d recommend you a blend of acetum and olive oil. Mix them in equal parts and apply to the stain. Then just wipe in the direction of wood grain until the mark is gone. Acetum helps to dissolve the stain and oil protects the surface from the acidity.

2020-08-13T14:15:12+00:00

Florence

Hey! Can someone give me a handy hint? How do you fix a water stain on wood? P.S. Wood is polished and the stain is new.

2020-08-04T16:53:54+00:00

Erin

No, definitely not! I had a tea table that was covered with those white circles from the mugs, and I guess previous owner didn’t bother fixing them because I “inherited” those along with the table.

2020-07-30T01:01:31+00:00

Isabelle

Do heat stains go away themselves without treating them?

2020-07-22T15:23:12+00:00

Martha

Hi! If the piece is not an antique, I’d recommend you an ordinary toothpaste, only don’t use the one that’s like gel! For faster effect, mix in some baking soda. Just live the mixture spread over the mark for 10 min or so, and then wipe it off.

Lemon oil also works, as far as I know, some friends of mine use it. Just apply some onto the clean cloth and carefully rub the mark until it’s deleted.

Hope I was helpful!

2020-06-26T10:28:25+00:00

Emma

Hello everyone here! I need your advice, people. Did someone ever have to remove the heat stain on painted wood? What did you do for that? I’d be grateful for any tips!

2020-06-19T09:40:32+00:00

Ashley

Hi there! I had the same trouble! Five years living with an ugly white spot in the middle of my dining table! And you know what? Once I tried a hairdryer on it, the cloudiness vanished! I kid you not, try yourself, it works!

2020-06-18T10:33:50+00:00

Samuel

Is it possible to delete a heat stain on the veneer table? Did anyone face the same issue?

2020-06-11T10:01:56+00:00

Kayla

Since granite itself is a very heat-resistant stone, kitchen counters are less durable because of their coating and finish. So, unless you’re sure that you will never put a hot pan on them, we would not recommend this sort of counters to you.

2020-06-10T10:17:49+00:00

Grace

Hey! Does any of you know: will heat stain granite? We’re thinking of buying granite counters for the kitchen but, you know, hot dishes and pots… Any suggestions about this? Thanks!

2020-06-03T11:03:39+00:00

Alexandra

Hey there. I assume that your piece is located in too humid surroundings and the excess humidity matters. If not (you know better), try to recall whether anyone spilled something on the piece recently or placed something hot on it.

2020-06-02T10:20:20+00:00

Logan

Why is my wood stain cloudy? Can’t get rid of those white marks! Please, help!

2020-05-26T11:04:41+00:00

Morgan

Hi! That’s a common trouble in fact! Mine turned cloudy, too. Mostly, it happens when we put something hot on it or if water or other liquids spill on the tabletop. My guess is that yours was affected the same way.

2020-05-25T13:37:19+00:00

Taylor

We have a pretty old wooden table in the leaving room. I’ve recently noticed that in some parts the coating turned whitish. Why did my varnish turn white? Can someone give a suggestion?

2020-05-20T13:13:57+00:00

Isla

Hello! To clean off the cloudy marks from wood, try either a straight toothpaste or go for a blend of vinegar and olive oil mixed equally can help. Also, try simple mayonnaise, they say it’s a great thing to reanimate wood!

2020-05-19T10:39:10+00:00

Maria

Hey there! Need help from someone who knows the matter! My table now looks like dalmatian, all in spots of white. Don’t even know what made those. How do you remove cloudiness from a wood table, huh?

2020-05-14T13:27:25+00:00

Emily

Hello! Got the same issue. For my chairs, a simple mix of water and dish soap worked just right! But I don’t know whether it’s ok for any sort of finish so you’d better try on a small hidden area somewhere far away from the people’s sight! And remember not to soak the wood!