Q: I placed a dark red candle on our oak kitchen table for a day or so, and it left a round ring stain from the red dye. Other than refinishing the table top, is there any way I can remove the stain?
— Peggy Klinger
Clinton
A: You may be able to remove the stain if it hasn’t penetrated too far into the finish, the Hardwood Information Center says.
Try rubbing it with a soft, dampened cloth and either toothpaste, baking soda, creamy white appliance polish or non-sudsing ammonia. Or use a mixture of boiled linseed oil and either pumice or rotten stone, a fine abrasive limestone powder found in hardware and paint stores.
Apply the abrasive material to the cloth, not directly onto the wood, and rub in the direction of the grain. Dry the spot, and then apply paste wax to another clean cloth and use it to buff the spot.
Have a question about home maintenance, decorating or gardening? Akron Beacon Journal home writer Mary Beth Breckenridge will find answers for the queries that are chosen to appear in the paper. To submit a question, call her at 330-996-3756, or send email to mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com. Be sure to include your full name, your town and your phone number or email address.
