Stains on wooden furniture: you may already have everything you need at home to make these disappear
Tables, desks, work shelves, armrests, chairs, bookcases... If you think about it, there is a lot of wooden furniture in a home that can get dirty and stained. All it takes is for for something to accidently spill on a wooden surface to produce unsightly-looking stains.
To complicate matters, furniture is normally finished with lacquers or other protective coatings, so using degreasers or vinegar to clean them is risky, to say the least. So, how can we effectively remove stains from wooden furniture? Well, the answer is to use hydrogen peroxide.
Clean stains on wooden furniture using hydrogen peroxide
Food residue is the biggest cause of stains on wooden furniture. But, fear not - hydrogen peroxide can deal with this. We recommend using a 3% solution (10 volumes).
The first thing to do is to spray a little of the hydrogen peroxide on the stain and rub it in immediately with a soft microfibre cloth. This might be all you need to do to remove the stain.
If the stain remains, you can pour some hydrogen peroxide onto a cloth, soaking it. Then, put the cloth on the stain for 5-10 minutes. We do not recommend leaving hydrogen peroxide on wood for too long: although it is more delicate than vinegar and normal degreasers, it can still cause the wood to discolor and glossy finishes to turn dull.
Alternative remedies to hydrogen peroxide
In addition to hydrogen peroxide, you can try other methods but only after testing them out on a hidden spot of the furniture to ensure they are not too aggressive.
One method is based on using white wine/alcohol vinegar. It is not recommended to use vinegar neat, however: generally, it is recommended to dilute vinegar first with water in equal parts. Wipe the vinegar over the stain and dry off immediately, using another cloth. Another way to use vinegar is to mix it with olive oil to counteract any stripping effect of the vinegar. Neat vinegar could dry the wood fibers too much, making the stained area look old and worn. Use one spoonful of vinegar and one of olive oil for this method. Pour the mixture onto the stain, rub in with a soft cloth - following the direction of the grain of the wood - then remove any excess and polish the wood until it's dry.
For more serious staining cases, you will need to sand sand down the spot and then restore the finish using the appropriate wood oils and/or sealants.