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Monica asked: My husband had bug spray on his arms. When he rested his arms on our cherry wood dining room table, it left white smudge marks. I tried wiping it off with a damp cloth, and then used my wood cleaner, but it’s not coming off. Any suggestions? The wood cleaner is called Guardsman Wood Cleaner.
White marks on wood furniture are left by moisture penetrating the protective finish. There are a couple of tricks you can try to remove the white marks, but if these don’t work your only option may be to refinish the wood.
You Will Need:
- Creamy peanut butter
- Soft cloth
- Wood polish
Steps to Remove the Stain:
- Apply creamy peanut butter directly to the stain. You want a thin layer over the entire white area.
- Use the cloth to rub it into the wood like a polish. You may have to rub gently for a while, but eventually, the natural, mild abrasive in the peanut butter should allow the oil to work into the finish to replace the moisture and remove the white discoloration.
- When you finish, wipe the surface clean.
- Follow with a wood polish.
Additional Tips and Advice
- If your cherry wood has a varnished finish, another option is to lay a damp towel over the white marks and iron with high heat. Do not use this method if you have a shellac finish, as it’s liable to make the stain worse. Polish the surface when you’re finished.
- You can use plain white toothpaste instead of peanut butter if you prefer. Follow the same procedure as described above.
- If this doesn’t work, you may have to refinish the furniture. Consult a professional for advice.
Creamy peanut butter worked GREAT. Thank you.
Thank you!
I have been stressing for over a year how to get the white off cherry wood. This soooooooo worked. Thank you.
I have use a cloth and iron, Vaseline, salt and oil, vinegar and oil, toothpaste… nothing has taken off the white stain on my living room table.
How do I get spilt baby milk off of a cherry table that has been there for a few years?
Amanda,
First, examine the stain to determine if there is dried matter on top of the wood (milk residue) that needs to be cleaned off. If the table was never cleaned or used since, you might need to first remove the residue. You can use a wood cleaner or mix of equal parts white vinegar and water. If there is no residue or if you remove the residue and still see a white spot, use the guide How to Remove White Rings from Wooden Furniture. The white mark is caused by either liquid or heat (if the baby milk was warm at the time), and the steps in that guide are for those stains (liquid/heat). Good luck!