to ask WHAT THE JEFF HAVE I DONE TO MY TABLE??

[TwllBach]

WHAT THE FUCK

DP spent ages painting and varnishing this table last winter. I left a wet towel on it rolled up with a blanket I’d knitted inside it to try and block it, then took the towel off and it wasn’t like this I swear...

Then I laid the (cream) blanket on the table while it probably was a bit damp still and put ge place mats around the edges to try and stop it rolling. Left it for 24 hours.

What has happened????

More importantly HOW CAN I FIX IT??? Preferably in the next hour...

It'll probably fade. If not then a bit of sanding and revarnishing will sort it out. Not ideal but not difficult.

will mayo work on an old water mark?

Brasso works on water marks too, I tried dabbing it onto on a hot mug ring that someone had left on it

Never heard of trying mayo, I shall add that to the list

I know it's sorted now but due future reference, I wouldn't try any of those remedies for at least a couple of hours as you could potentially damage the wood or just have wasted a load of time with them.

Our table goes like that anytime it gets wet. It sorts itself out over an hour or two.

General advice for not repeating the mistake: NO wet anything on wooden anything.

Pictures of hearth for reference

That's quite a few dinks in your hearth OP. Did you not, erm, notice after the first one or two?

Cigarette ash also works on water marks.

Well done. We used mayonnaise and also used toothpaste rubbed in. I put a wet dish on a brand new cabinet. Didn’t notice it. Then it showed as a white mark
Get some furniture wax too and keep it conditioned

Bit late to the party, but DH, who is an antique dealer with a bit of restoration knowledge, says he should have waxed it, not varnished it, unless he used a specific varnish that's impermeable to water (and if he used one that's supposed to be impermeable to water, the product's not a very good one!). According to DH, wax is a more reliable sealant. But keeping moisture off wood is also a good rule of thumb...

Nope I am a genuine blinkered woman. I was just really pleased with myself that I could make a fire

I have a very pale wood table (don't know what it is - it's a Shaker if that helps) and it's got bloody white patches too. How does the mayo thing work?