How to Remove Oil Stains From My Wooden Table

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Things You'll Need

  • Paper towels

  • Baby powder

  • Clean cloths

  • Iron

  • Bowl

  • Fuller's Earth

  • Dry cleaning solvent

  • Spoon

  • Spatula

Oil stains on wood cause a greasy, discolored spot on your table.

Wood is a natural material that absorbs stains. When an oily substance comes in contact with your wooden table, the grease stains the surface before it soaks into the wood. To effectively remove an oil stain from your wood table, you must remove the grease from below the surface as well. Oil left in the wood causes discoloration and, depending upon the source of the stain, can leave an unpleasant odor, too.

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Step 1

Soak up excess oil on your wooden table with paper towels. As the towels absorb the oil, throw them away and replace them with a clean one. Continue to wick up as much oil substance as you can with the paper towels.

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Step 2

Pour baby powder over the oil spot on the table. Leave the baby powder in place to absorb oil residue from the wood. After 30 minutes, wipe the powder off the surface of the table.

Step 3

Heat from your iron helps wick out oil stains.

Lay a clean cloth over the site of the oil stain on your table. Heat an iron to the low heat setting and then rub it back and forth over the cloth. This helps to draw out some of the oil stain that the wood absorbed.

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Step 4

Mix equal parts of fuller's Earth and dry cleaning solvent, both of which are available at your hardware store, to create a thick paste. Spread the paste over any remaining stubborn oil stain on your wood table. Allow the paste to dry completely. As it dries, the oil will be drawn out of the wood and into the paste.

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Step 5

Remove oil-absorbing paste with a plastic spatula.

Remove the dried paste from your table with a spatula. Dampen a clean cloth with water and wipe up paste residue. Dry your table with another clean cloth.

Tip

Use baking soda or cornstarch in place of baby powder to absorb oil from your wooden table.

Clean a surface oil stain with diluted dishwashing detergent.

Blot a grease stain with a cloth dampened in rubbing alcohol. The alcohol helps break down and remove the oil.

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