How to Get Rid of a Water Mark on a Wood Table

Apply a lubricant such as furniture wax, liquid furniture polish or petroleum jelly on top of the water mark. Allow it to remain for six to eight hours. If you can still see the water mark after eight hours, leave the lubricant on the stain for a few more hours. Once the water mark is removed, wipe the area clean with a cloth.

Place a thick blotter or cloth towel over the water mark. Set an iron to moderate heat, and then carefully run it over the towel. Lift the towel occasionally to see if the water mark is lessening. Keep running the iron over the towel until the water mark stain has disappeared. Make sure the iron is not too hot, to avoid burning the tabletop.

Spread 2 tbsp. mayonnaise onto a paper towel. Put the paper towel on top of the water mark stain, and gently rub it into the stain. Allow the towel to sit on the water mark for 15 minutes. If you can still see the water mark, add more mayonnaise to the wood. For a tough water mark stain, add baking soda to the mayonnaise. After the water mark is eliminated, clean the area with a paper towel, and spray with furniture polish to remove the mayonnaise smell.

Dampen a clean cloth with denatured alcohol. Test on a small area of your table before applying it to the water mark to make sure it won't hurt your table's finish. Skim the surface of the watermark with the alcohol-dampened cloth. Use a small amount of alcohol at first, and gradually add more until the water mark stain is removed.

Prepare a paste out of cigarette ash and olive oil in a small bowl. Work the mixture slowly into the water mark, which will remove the water mark stain. This mixture is most effective on dark, polished wood, like mahogany.