TIL that old trick with a potato for removing water rings actually works

I was fixing a 1920s oak side table last week and a client had left a nasty white ring from a wet glass. My uncle always said to cut a potato in half and rub it on the spot, but I figured it was just a wives' tale. Tried it for two minutes and the ring faded almost completely before I even had to touch up the finish. What other weird old-school fixes have you guys found that actually hold up?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_oscar1mo ago

My grandma swore by using a raw walnut to hide scratches on dark wood. She'd just rub the meat into the scratch and the oils would darken it right up. It sounds nuts, but I tried it on an old dresser last year and it worked like a charm. That whole generation had a fix for everything that didn't involve a trip to the hardware store.

jade_singh1mo ago

Oh man, the walnut one is so good! That whole idea of using food to fix stuff is wild when you think about it. I've heard of using mayonnaise to get rid of water stains on wood too, which sounds gross but apparently the oil does something similar. My mom used to fix a squeaky hinge by rubbing a bar of soap on the pin. It's kinda cool how they just used whatever was in the house.

lee721mo ago

Potato trick's cool, but honestly, how often do water rings really ruin a piece? (Most stuff looks fine with a little character).