My aunt has a dining table that survived three kids and forty years of holidays. It also has a perfect white ring right where somebody parked a sweating glass of iced tea. She told me the fix years ago and I did not believe her. Mayonnaise. On the wood. She said, just try it.

I tried it. The ring disappeared overnight.

How the trick works

White water rings happen when moisture gets trapped in the finish of the wood. The mayo, being mostly oil, works its way into that cloudy layer and helps the finish plump back up. It is not magic, it is chemistry.

What to do

1. Wipe the area dry and clean it with a soft cloth.
2. Smooth a spoonful of plain mayonnaise over the ring. A thin coat.
3. Let it sit for a few hours, or overnight for stubborn rings.
4. Wipe it off and buff with a dry cloth.

If mayo does not do it

The same idea works with a mix of baking soda and toothpaste, applied gently. Or try a hair dryer on low heat, held a few inches away, which pushes moisture out of the finish. Old, deep rings may need a refinisher, but surface rings usually give up.

The part nobody mentions

Do not scrub. Rubbing hard just damages the finish further. The ring lifts, it does not scrub off. I have saved a nightstand, a coffee table, and that dining table with this trick. My aunt was right, and I owe her a pie.