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I've spilled Merlot on my zinc coffee table

2004

Hi,

I spilled wine on my zinc top coffee table and a permanent stain was the result. How can I refinish my table as to make the stain less obvious? Are there any products that you can recommend?

Thank You,

Walter Van Der Wahl
Furniture - Brooklyn, New York, USA

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I don't know if this will work, so test it on a bit of the table that isn't obvious. Try cleaning the zinc with a copper or silver very mild abrasive cleaner with added cleaning solution such as "Duraglit" and then use a mild alkaline (sodium hydroxide) to replace the zinc oxide layer. I suspect you may have to do the whole table surface to get a consistent colour again, but try it and see. It sounds as if the zinc is porous due to its surface coating and the merlot has seeped into the pores. The pores need to be removed before you will lose the red colour. I would also suggest that next time, you don't waste good merlot on the table - it won't appreciate it!

Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2004