Placing a cup of water down on your coffee table or next to your bedside is likely something you do without even thinking about it, but it can do some more long term damage if you’ve forgotten to put a coaster down. Leaving behind a stubborn mark that quickly turns into a stain where the cup once sat, it can ruin the appearance of a table in a matter of moments. 

Water marks appear when moisture gets trapped in the wood’s finish, which coasters can easily prevent. But depending on the wood, even placing a cup down for a few seconds can leave an unsightly mark. While some experts recommend using mayonnaise to remove stubborn stains from wood, there’s another kitchen staple you can use to lift stains in a matter of minutes. 

Speaking to The Spruce, a cleaning expert shared that walnuts can be used to remove water stains from wooden furniture thanks to the ingredients oily properties. 

Wood and flooring expert Yuri Grakovski explained how the trick works, and said: “When the walnut is rubbed into the wood, it moistens the dry spot and helps bring the stain in line with the surrounding grain”. 

To do this, you’ll need to use raw walnuts that have been cracked open. Once open, you can simply rub the nut into the water stain in a circular motion and leave the oils to soak in for 10 minutes. 

Once it’s had enough time to work, follow up with a cloth to buff the area and help penetrate the oil into the surface, making sure to wipe away any leftover oil afterwards. 

This won’t work for all water stains, however and it’s important to check the colour of the stain before attempting to remove it as this won’t work on deeper stains. 

White water marks are left behind when moisture is simply trapped in the wood’s finish, but darker stains are a sign that the liquid has seeped into the wood itself, and may require completely refinishing the surface. 

Using a walnut to lift stains will only work on rough or lightly finished wood on recent stains that haven’t soaked into the wood or surface too deeply. 

Raw, shelled English walnuts are best for cleaning as they're high in oil, and can be found in supermarkets like Sainsbury's for £4.30.