I have removed white blush from old old furniture with a poultice of cigarette ashes.

Cigarette ashes and also cigar ashes are a mild abrasive. But i think if you are feeling a change in texture the damage has gone below the finish...

The rules on things like this are start slow and become more aggressive. First of all how old is the table.....and was it "expensive"? trying to guess what kind of finish is on it. Expensive will usually be varnish from any time....and more likely in older pieces.

start by wiping with mineral spirits. Then test the finish like on the back side of a leg to see what is the finish....try denatured alcohol first to test for shellac....If it doesn't take the finish....then try lacquer thinner AKA acetone...AKA nailpolish remover. On a Q tip to see if it dissolves the finish....

I have a hunch that just a very thin coat, with no rubbing, of lacquer thinner will magically make the white disappear. But then you will have to put some sort of finish over the whole top to even out the raised stuff.

Doesn't it fry your hide when people seem to think every table is formica?

Thank you, both! I’ll try a paste of ashes on a small spot to see what happens.

lindac, it’s only 20 years old or less. I remember it costing just under $2k if that tells you anything.

Probably lacquer.....and at 2 K makes me very sad that it was abused!!!

We had this problem to deal with this morning, after last night’s birthday party where hot food was served on paperplates. I had 6 big white spots!

what worked for me, was using an iron set to medium heat (no steam) , ironing on a terry cloth hand towel. Moving the iron at all times. The heat removed most of the ’white’. The little ’white’ that was left polished out with a paste of baking soda and water.

Forgota bout that remedy....no steam in the iron!! Essentially melts the finish again>

And that is one of the reasons I never EVER use paper plates. I have gone to auctions, garage sales and thrift shops and have stacks of white porcelain plates....averaging less that $1 each and used many many times

In the meantime, send that photo to your "friend" who didn't heed your request. The dufus.

Pudgeder, I saw the spot when he was still there sitting next to it! He knows he did it and that I was upset, and he blew it off by saying ”well, you’ll just have to research how to get it out”. He has been one of my best friends since we were kids. He’s on my s*** list! and I will make him make it up to me. The jerk!

My solution would be to contact a professional and have them do an estimate for repairing the top. You then present the bill to your friend and have him pay for the repair.

Your friend is both morally and legally responsible for the cost of repairing something that he deliberately ruined.

This was not an accident as you asked him to use the protective covers and even provided them to him.

Helen, I expected you to say he was morally bankrupt. lol! I think it would be impossible to find someone in this area who could / would look at the table and repair it. In the end, it’s a mark on a table, and now a conversation piece when I have company. :O)

I tried using a superfine sandpaper (the kind used on guitars) to try to remove the tacky odd texture on that veneered stripe. I think it helped a little and I can see some fading in the white spots.

Eta: This is my same friend who once came to a party, walked into the dining room, and THEN wiped his dirty and wet shoes on my dining room rug. I caught him in the act and told him not to do it again. I think he’s just a smart and funny guy who gets excited when he’s having fun, and he does stupid things like this without realizing/registering it.