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This works! I've removed multiple water marks/heat stains from my darkly stained coffee table and they came out. I just used damp paper towels and an iron but some thicker cloth probably works better.

The mayo trick on the other hand does not work.

These clouds usually go away on their own but for those really stubborn ones there's afew things you can do.

Set your iron to cotton (do not use steam), put a cloth on your wood table and work the cloud out. It's moisture that was trapped in there when the finished softened while it was hot. If you leave the iron on too long the fibers from your cloth will get stuck in the softened finish or the wood will warp slightly similar to sun damage, so be careful! If you're too wary to use an iron try a hot hair dryer, but in my experience this only works sometimes.

Good luck!

P.S. Mayo is for watermarks which may be different from this kind of damage. When I tried mayo all it did was attract my cats!

Can anyone tell me how to fix rubbing alcohol damage to the finish?

I wouldn't put an iron to my furniture, even through a cloth. It could further damage the surface.

This:

http://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-i-remove-water-marks-from-wood.htm

is a tutorial on how to get rid of the stains using various products (they include mayonnaise, too, but I think the idea is just to use something oil-based.)

This is so timely for me because last week I thoughtlessly took the lid off a pan and set it on my dining room table. Now there's a cloudy circle on it. I'm so frustrated! Do you think the iron method will work with my table as well?

We have a set of Lane MC tables in our living room that get these cloudy marks on them when they get wet (like the steam from a pizza box). The marks have always gone away within a day or two. How long has it been so far?

I find that Old English dark clears up just about anything.

Mayo will only work if it is an oil finish - it sounds like you have a laquer finish.

My coffee table is Lane too, but the water marks never go away unless I take an iron to them. I had tried Old English dark before hand but it didn't do anything.

this same thing happened to me. toothpaste did the trick. just rub a little with a dry towel, then wipe with a damp towel to see if the stain is gone. if it isn't, repeat. after the stain is gone, use old english to polish.

Applying a museum furniture paste wax (such as 'Butcher's') over the existing finish will protect the finish you have to prevent future mishaps.... though ultimately I suggest a cloth or trivet!

The cloud is in wax as far as I can see. Your best bet is to go get a can of "Howards Restore-a-Finish" in the approximate color of your wood -- or get clear. Follow the directions (lightly rub on with 0000 steel wool and then rub off with a clean rag)... It works on varnish and wax.

This is the cure for any white ring problem. I've restored tons of 50's modern furniture with it. It's a miracle.

If it's wax, then re-wax afterwards, if it's vanish, wax afterwards.

http://www.howardproducts.com/restora.htm

I read about and tried the hot, steamless iron trick on an expensive Danish piece...I was very careful and the iron still left marks. I would definitely try the hair dryer instead, as you can see the progress and stop before causing further damage!

I'm a lurker...but had to sign up and post to reply to this thread.

I got this tip from the Heloise column in the newspaper. Mix equal parts baking soda and non-gel toothpaste (the "paste" kind, not the gel kind). Take a damp cloth and dip it in the mixture, use circular motions and rub the cloudy areas.

We bought a table from craigslist for a steal b/c it had a lot of the heat marks on it. I was able to get them ALL out using this technique. The less damaged areas came out pretty fast...i had to work at it a bit for the more damaged areas.

Oh! i found an article:
http://www.heloise.com/topten.html