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Warped wood due to water damage is the worst. It’s hard to fix any water damaged item or material, let alone wood furniture. It seems impossible to fix so you end up throwing out your favorite dresser or table.
It leaves rings and strange colored spots. And the worse damage means the swelling and warping of the wood. It’s ugly and it’s disappointing.
Instead of throwing out your swollen wood furniture, you can attempt to fix it. It depends on the extent of the water damage, but you can perform miracles with the right help.
So, we’re going to learn how to fix water damaged swollen wood furniture. These are our tips and tricks to restoring your favorite piece of wood furniture.
How to Remove Water Spots and Stains from Wood Furniture
- 3 microfiber cloths
- Buffing cloth
- Mineral oil
- White distilled vinegar
- Wood furniture cleaner
1. Make sure your wood furniture has completed the drying process. Avoid working with wet wood. Take the piece of furniture outside to work on.
You’re working with wood furniture cleaner and wood wax. You need a well-ventilated area.
2. Add some wood furniture cleaner and to a microfiber cloth.
3. Take this microfiber cloth and start rubbing the stain in a circle or clockwise motion. It’s going to take some time to see progress but it will take up the stains as long as it’s not too deep in the wood.
4. Don’t let the cleaning solution set into the wood. Before it starts, take the unused microfiber cloth and wipe up extra cleaner.
5. Once that’s finished, you can polish the furniture to bring it back to life. Mix a cup of mineral oil and a fourth cup of white distilled vinegar.
6. Add this polish mix to a clean microfiber cloth. Start polishing with the grain.
7. Wipe the furniture down with a buffing cloth. Make sure you remove any cleaning solution.
How to Remove Mold and Mildew from Wood Furniture
- Microfiber cloth
- Buffing cloth
- Rubber gloves
- Scrub brush
- Bucket
- Hose
- Mineral oil
- White distilled vinegar
- Bleach
- Laundry soap/detergent
1. Before you get started, make sure the piece of wooden furniture is completely dry. Any bit of moisture content may disrupt your process.
You don’t want to mess with it while it’s still wet. As soon as it’s dry, take it outside to work on.
You need a well-ventilated area since you’re using bleach. You don’t want to inhale those fumes. Plus, you’ll save yourself a mess.
2. Use your hose to fill your bucket halfway with warm water. Put on a pair of rubber gloves.
3. Add two cups of bleach to the water. Then, add three cups of laundry soap. Stir up your cleaning solution until it’s fully combined.
4. Dip the scrub brush bristles in the cleaning solution.
5. Start scrubbing the areas of your furniture with mold and mildew. Scrub until there’s no mold left.
6. Rinse the piece of furniture off with your hose. Leave it outside to dry to prevent any more water damage.
7. Once it’s dry, you can polish your piece of furniture to bring back that new look. Mix a cup of mineral oil and a fourth cup of white distilled vinegar.
8. Add this polish mix to a clean microfiber cloth. Start polishing the wood with the grain.
9. When you’re done polishing, wipe down the wood with a buffing cloth. This is to remove extra polish that hasn’t set into the wood.
How to Fix Water Damaged Swollen Wood Furniture
- Microfiber towel
- 3 microfiber cloths
- Buffing cloth
- Rubber gloves
- Dust mask
- Safety glasses
- Scrub brush
- Bucket
- 220-grit sandpaper
- Mineral oil
- White distilled vinegar
- Bleach
- Furniture oil
- Wood moisturizer
1. Before you start, make sure the piece of wood furniture is dry. You’re going to need to do this outside or in your garage.
There are smelly cleaners involved and you’re going to make a mess. So, take the furniture to your working area.
2. Put on your safety glasses, dust mask, and rubber gloves. You have to protect yourself from sawdust while you’re sanding.
3. First, you have to sand the wood. This will help fix the texture. Before you sand, you need to remove all mildew and mold.
This is where the sandpaper comes in. The wood needs to be all the way smooth.
4. Wipe down the area with your gloved hands to remove every speck of sawdust.
5. Now, you probably weren’t able to get the wood smooth, so you’re going to clean it down. In a bucket, mix some water and bleach.
6. Dip the bristles of the scrub brush into the bucket to get it wet. Scrub the wood.
7. Use a microfiber towel to dry the wood off so it doesn’t get too moist.
8. Now you can add furniture oil for a sleek look and it fixes the color. The more coats you add, the darker the wood will be.
Apply a few drops of oil to a microfiber cloth and start rubbing the oil into the wood. Add as many layers as you need.
9. Let the furniture oil dry. Once it dries, you can start moisturizing it. Wood moisturizer helps the wood fight against water damage.
Apply the moisturizer to a clean microfiber cloth. Wipe the table evenly until all the moisturizer has sunk into the wood. Let the wood sit to dry out.
10. It’s time for the last step in repairing your water damaged swollen wood. You need to mix one cup of mineral oil with a fourth of a cup with white distilled vinegar.
11. Dip a clean microfiber cloth into the polish you made. Polish the piece of furniture, following the grain of the wood.
12. After you’ve polished it, use a buffing cloth to clean up any extra polish.
Conclusion
Don’t stress out. You don’t have to throw away your favorite piece of furniture because of awful water damage.
We hope these tips help you remove water stains, mold, and even fix the swelling of your wood.