Wood is a porous material that will soak up material you place on it. Clear sealants help close these pores a little and will prevent many stains, but sealants might not always work to remove pervasive stains such as water from a leak or flood. These stains can seep through a ceiling and ruin the look of your knotty pine. Repair these dark stains as soon as possible, as the longer you wait the harder they will be to remove completely.
Instructions
1. Apply a quarter-sized dollop of toothpaste on a damp cloth.
2. Rub the toothpaste into the water mark with the cloth. Buff in circular motions until the water mark is gone or until it is as light as possible.
3. Wipe the excess toothpaste off the ceiling and continue if you can still see the mark.
4. Add just enough lemon juice to 2 tablespoons salt to make a thick paste. The paste should be the same consistency as toothpaste. Don't make it too runny as it can easily run and drip off the ceiling.
5. Buff the lemon juice paste into the water mark until it is gone or until it is as light as possible.
6. Wipe the cleaning paste off the ceiling.
7. Buff the area with superfine steel wool if you can still see the stain. Buff along the grain of the wood until the mark is gone.
8. Wipe the area with a damp sponge and dry it completely with a clean cloth.
Tags: water mark, area with, ceiling Buff, gone until, gone until light, into water