<p>With all this cold weather, snow and ice, I have had some problems with ice build up on my bay windows. Today I noticed a water leak in my living room and the ceiling in the bay window has water marks all over it. The drapes are damp too but I can deal with that- just take them to the dry cleaner. But what has me sick right now is that the beautiful cherry table I had sitting on the alcove is all wet. I blotted off the water but I can tell the wood finish is ruined in a few places. There was a puddle of water underneath the lamp and now I have a big water ring mark. How do I get this water ring mark off? Is there anything I can do right now to prevent any of the damage from getting worse? I know I will have to eventually refinish the table but I don’t want it to warp. I am just sick about it now. </p>
<p>Now I am heading outside to try to knock some of the ice dam off. If anyone wants to come over and help me, I would be happy to have the company :)</p>
<p>googling found:</p>
<p>Water Rings</p>
<p>Water ring stains on wood finishes can be easily removed by ironing them out. Just place a thick piece of cloth over the water ring and press it with a warm iron. Rub the warm iron over the cloth-covered water ring until it disappears.</p>
<p>If the water ring is extremely stubborn, rub it with lemon or orange oil. Let the oil set on the water ring for several hours or overnight, and wipe off the excess oil. The water ring should be much less apparent or it may be completely gone.</p>
<p>Another remedy for water rings on furniture is a mixture of white toothpaste and mayonnaise. Just rub the water ring with an equal mixture of white toothpaste and mayo and wipe off any leftovers. Rub the area with orange oil or lemon oil, and the water ring should be gone.</p>
<p>Good luck, mom2boys. I think you showed remarkable restraint when you mentioned going outside to “knock some of the ice dam off” instead of switching around the word order.</p>
<p>As a collector of antique furniture, my advice is to <em>leave it alone</em>!!!</p>
<p>Most water rings in traditionally-finished furniture will spontaneously disappear in a few days to weeks if you keep your hands off them.</p>
<p>I’ll let hugenot weigh in on this before you try it but I have had success with a very small amount of mayonnaise rubbed into the area.</p>