From the Mailbox:

When I came to my son’s home, I brought the children some gel window decorations. My granddaughter placed the gels on an alder coffee table which is stained dark. The sun shining on the gels caused some of the colour from the gels to stain the table. Do you have any suggestions so that I may be able to rectify this for my family?
Thanks! Rose

From Reena:

You sound like a very loving grandmother with great intentions, Rose. Accidents happen to everyone.

To fix this problem, begin by wiping the area with dish soap and water. Follow up with a baking soda and water paste. Leave for 10 minutes and then wipe clean. You can also try WD-40, non-gel toothpaste, rubbing alcohol, or possibly baby wipes.

With so many woods and finishes on the market, you must always test everything on an inconspicuous area first to ensure that it does not damage the finish because what works on one piece of wood will not necessarily work on another.

As a last resort, use acetone. This typically removes dye, but is so strong that the finish can become permanently stripped away as well. If all else fails, you may have no choice but to refinish the table.

Lastly, I have been told that Acne Gel containing benzyl peroxide or hydrogen peroxide is fantastic at bleaching out dye stains on wood. Apply, then leave for a day and wipe.

Keep us posted!

All solutions are to be used at the risk of the user.

Reena Nerbas is the author of the two National Best Sellers, “Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions & Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets,” available in stores across Canada. Reena is a columnist and Home Economist in a lab coat (and she’s not afraid to use it). She can be heard on CBC radio programs across Canada.

To learn more about Reena, click here.