Wooden Kitchen Table - Heat Mark Removal

[stelit]

Hey All: A paper plate with hot food left a white cloudy heat/scorch mark about 8" in dia on my wooden kitchen table. The finish feels a tad bit unusual in that area of the table now.

I've polished the area w/ pledge, cleaned with a wood oil cleanser, murphy's oil, tried rubbing in baking soda and toothpaste mixture the whole nine....White mark still there.

Is there anything else that I can try to remove this mark? I'm trying to avoid having to strip and refinish the entire table.

What a mess! Thanks for your help!

 

[nealtw]

I will be watching the suggestions but I think you are into refinnishing.

 

[BridgeMan]

I'd be inclined to try a heavy-duty (automobile?) polish or even rubbing compound, to try and rub out whatever is there using an old towel. Sounds like it could be either something in the bottom of the paper plate that the heat caused to transfer to the table's finish, or possibly even something in the finish itself, made cloudy by excessive heat. If those don't work, the next step would be a soft steel wool, just enough to gently abrade the finish to take off the "whiteness." You may have to do some touch-up in the rubbed area using a clear preservative, to match the table's original finish.

Can't blame you for not wanting to refinish the entire table, although that's still an option if all else fails.

 

[shecandoit22]

Hello Stelit,

This is Shecandoit22 from Home Depot.

Great news this can be fixed with an Iron and thin white cloth. I know it sound weird but it really works.

All you have to do is set the iron to medium heat and on the steam setting. Cover the white spot with the thin white cloth and then rub the steaming iron over it for approximately 30-45 seconds and check the stain. Some stains take a little bit longer but not much. Once I get the white to disappear I let it cool completely and then either polish the entire table top or you can get away with using a little olive oil in the effected area.

It seams really weird that you could use heat to correct a heat stain but I think it has something to do with the steam from the iron.

Make sure not to keep the iron on the table to long since it will create more of an issue than you started out with.

I hope this gets your table back in tip top shape.

 

[zuki]

Thanks a bunch for this tip. I have an antique table with
white heat stains. I'll try your suggestion. I was resigned
to living with the stain. This would be a real blessing
Thankzzzz again...zuki

 

[stelit]

Hey Shecandoit22,

I used your tip last night....couldn't wait to try it out. I was skeptical but it did work...the white mark is gone...Thank god-what an eye-sore! The table in the area still feels rough though....I rubbed in some olive oil and polished it with pledge and the roughness is still there. Do you think I can get away with a thin coat of poly or something over that area to mask the roughness? I think if I can cover the roughness, the table will be back to its magnificent self. Let me know what you think. Thanks!

 

[shecandoit22]

Hello again stelit,

Shecandoit22 here. I am so glad that it worked out for you.

If it has a coat of poly already on it I would try and rub the spot out with 000 or 0000 steel wool before I would add another coat of poly.

I use the steel wool in between coats of poly to smooth it out. So I think it would do the same thing for your rough spot.

Let me know how it turns out.