How to remove water/ nail polish remover from a Bombay secretary desk?

Fiona
by Fiona

the top is marred. I don't care if i have to redo the whole thing, but that water stain is the main problem right now. Ideas anyone?


  11 answers
  • Water stains can often be removed by rubbing mayonnaise into the water mark. Another option is olive oil. Nail polish remover stains are very different. They have removed the finish and you will probably need to refinish it.

  • William William on Oct 26, 2020

    Water stain can be removed by placing a cloth over the stain. An iron set to medium heat and iron the cloth. May take a few passes. Nail polish remover has removed the finish. It would need to be refinished.

  • Kirsten Ruiz Kirsten Ruiz on Oct 26, 2020

    I use alcohol on a cotton ball. rub it around, ring disappears!!

  • Marion Nesbitt Marion Nesbitt on Oct 26, 2020

    A water ring means moisture is trapped in the finish. If you refinish, it will disappear with the sanding or finish remover. Less hassle, less work, better result if you just refinish.

  • GrandmasHouseDIY GrandmasHouseDIY on Oct 26, 2020

    I agree with Marion. I would strip it and sand it down, that would give you the absolute best result possible.

  • Mogie Mogie on Oct 26, 2020

    Nail polish remover is an organic acetone liquid. It strips the finish off your wood table as efficiently as it strips the old polish off your nails. If the spill is severe enough or the table is protected with a very thin or fragile finish, the polish remover can soak into the wood, bleaching any wood stain and raising and roughening the grain. Big mess. Delicate job.

    Needs to be refinished.

  • FrugalFamilyTimes.com FrugalFamilyTimes.com on Oct 26, 2020

    I’ve had luck hiding water marks in wood with Restor-a-finish. So easy!

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Oct 26, 2020

    Nail polish remover has probably damaged your finish. I would try fine steel wool on that area and then you can re apply a top coat. Clean with denatured alcohol after using the steel wool before applying a new top coat.

  • Cheryl A Cheryl A on Oct 28, 2020

    if it is a water stain this is how to remove that https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbg_91_ngRA


    if it is nail polish remover https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbfLQxqrMWU

  • Lindsay Aratari Lindsay Aratari on Oct 29, 2020

    Maybe try sanding it down

  • Chalking Up Success Chalking Up Success on Oct 31, 2020

    Sand the surface to get rid of the watermarks and then refinish it. If it's not going to get much traffic, clear wax is a good option. Otherwise you can use a clear polyacrylic sealer so that the finish will be more robust. Heat from coffee mugs will also leave ring marks so make sure to use coasters underneath cups and mugs in future to protect the surface. This is a great tutorial that may help: https://chalkingupsuccess.com/coffee-table-makeover/