Need help on removing stains from oak wood

10 years ago

Hello everyone,

I have had a Crate & Barrel Sierra queen bed for a few years and I love it. Recently I noticed there were a few "water mark" kind of stains on the side of the frame. To get rid of them, I googled and found oxiclean might be able to do the job. Big mistake! No only it didn't remove the water marks, but left a more obvious dark stain as shown in picture 2. In addition to the stains, I also see some scratches on part of the frame, looking like only affected wax layer (picture 1)

. According to CB website, the bed frame is european white oak finished with oil and wax if this helps. I know very little about woodworking, so I am asking for your suggestions on how to deal with these two issues.

Thanks a lot!!!

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Comments (3)

bobismyuncle
10 years ago
I don't really have a solution on hand for you. But there are several lessons here:

1. Oil has virtually no protection against moisture. In fact some oils are hygroscopic (meaning they have less than 0 water resistance, actually attracting moisture).

2. Wax has virtually no protection against moisture. As one finishing expert writes, "Wax is the closest thing to no finish at all."

.3. Don't believe everything you read on the internet. OxiClean is sodium percarbonate, that when mixed with water, has a chemical reaction that creates hydrogen peroxide. That is a bleaching agent and why it works on things like clothes.
1. When you are using a new product or process, ALWAYS test out on a piece of scrap of the same material or in an obscure spot.
5. Wood bleaches are not "spot cleaners." Most are designed to be used over a whole piece, and on raw wood. http://www.woodcentral.com/bparticles/woodbleach.shtml

Like I said, I don't have a good answer for you. Oaks are tannin-rich wood. Chemical reactions between tannin and iron can create black spots like this. Might there be iron in your tap water? The article above talks about oxalic acid as a way to remove this, with all the above warnings on its use. I'd be tempted to just leave it and not make anything worse.
Leon W thanked bobismyuncle
Leon W
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
bobismyuncle,

Thank you so much for all the helpful information. You are right that I will not try any bleach on the stain to make it worse, but that dark spot really hurts my eyes. Can I try papersand it then coat with wax or even monocoat?
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User
10 years ago
As Uncle's Bob said, the color is most likely the result of the tannins in the oak reacting with chemicals. Best option now, IMHO, is to not use any more chemicals. You can try sanding. But, you need to sand the entire piece, since you will need to finish the entire piece(Not necessarily the entire bed frame, just the stained piece). Just be aware, there are parts of that grain that sanding will not remove, since that part is deeper. Should only be a bit noticeable, however.

Take off the finish on the entire frame and use a water based poly to refinish the entire frame. The WB poly will be the easiest for you to use and will not change the color.

Testing is really important when working with wood and finishes. Before trying anything on the outside of that piece, test on the inside. That tells you what you will find when working on the part that shows.
Leon W thanked User