Removing Oak Furniture Mug / Heat Stains and Rings
Oak furniture can be used to create a warm, welcoming and natural feel in any room of the house, helping you to create a homely atmosphere throughout your home. While oak furniture is extremely durable, it can still become damaged from everyday wear and tear (like anything else in this world). Heat stains particularly are a widespread problem that many people think can’t be removed. This isn’t necessarily the case however, heat stains can potentially be removed, providing you take the right action.
Continue reading to discover our top tips on how to remove heat stains from your beloved oak furniture be it in the kitchen, hallway, living room or dining room.
Fight Fire with Fire
When we say fight fire with fire, we don’t mean literally. Heat on heat, however, is one of the most effective ways of removing heat stains from oak furniture. Applying further heat to the heat stained area can really help. Iron is probably the most practical and convenient household item that will allow you to do this with ease.
Firstly, you’ll want to clean the surface thoroughly and dry it. A clean cotton towel should then be placed over the affected area before you run the iron over it. You should take extra care not to touch the oak with the iron as this will potentially cause further heat damage to the furniture. Make sure you have the steam filter set to ‘on’ as this will help to remove the heat stains from the affected area. This will be a key factor in determining whether the stain is lifted or not.
Using Old Fashioned Techniques
A wide range of techniques has been carried through from generations gone by. One of the most popular techniques involves using 50% toothpaste and 50% baking soda to create a paste that you can gently rub into the stain. Over the years, this has proved to be an effective way of removing stains caused by the heat from mugs and plates.
An alternative to this would be to use a different type of paste, made using salt and olive oil, vinegar and olive oil, or Vaseline. The stain itself will dictate which method works best for removing it, so it’s best to take the time to try a couple and find out which works best for your oak furniture.
Take Extra Care
Removing heat stains from oak furniture can be tricky, so it’s best to avoid them in the first place. Spend a few quid on some quality coasters and placemats to ensure your hot items never connect with the surface of your dining or coffee table. Hot items, such as mugs, will inevitably cause heat stains on oak furniture if the surface isn’t protected with coasters. A durable lacquer can also be used to treat the surface of your oak furniture, ensuring heat stains don’t occur straight away. It’s always best to use coasters and placemats though, as they have been specifically designed to protect quality (and often expensive) oak furniture from becoming damaged.