My grandpa told me to use mayonnaise on water stains, and I thought he was joking

I was working on a solid oak table for a client in Tacoma last month and found a nasty white water ring right in the middle. I was about to start a full sand and refinish, which would have taken me a whole day. My grandpa, who did this for 40 years, called and said, 'Kid, just rub some mayo on it and walk away for a few hours.' I laughed, but I had nothing to lose. I used a dab of regular store brand mayo, rubbed it in, and covered it with plastic wrap. Came back after lunch and the ring was completely gone. Just wiped it off and hit it with a little polish. Saved me like eight hours of work. Has anyone else actually tried this wild old school trick, or did I just get lucky?

3 comments

3 Comments

terry67711d ago

Yeah, it's wild how many of those old kitchen fixes actually work. @the_susan is right to be suspicious, but I've seen it with my own eyes on my mom's coffee table. It's like there's a whole world of simple fixes that got lost when everything became a specialized product you have to buy.

the_mary11d ago

My uncle used a paste of olive oil and salt to clean tarnish off an old brass lamp. It looked brand new. I get where @the_susan is coming from with the professional worry, but some of this stuff just works. There's a book from the 70s my neighbor has, full of these hacks using vinegar and baking soda. It feels like we're paying for a lot of stuff we already have in the cupboard.

the_susan11d ago

That trick sounds completely insane. The idea of using food on fine woodwork goes against every professional instinct. Your grandpa must have been a real character to pass that along.