I've Imprinted A Very Personal Bit Of My Journal Onto My Coffee Table

[Hashi]

Yeah, I really have. :banghead: I don't know how to get it off and would be glad of suggestions.

What happened was that my journal was open on the table when I spilt a drink and didn't clean it up for a long time after it dried. Only then did I see that the moisture had transferred the ink from my journal page onto the table top. It won't wipe off.

At least, it's in mirror writing. But.... it's something very personal and not what I want anyone else to see. I can actually read mirror writing myself and I don't know how many other people can.

The coffee table is pale pine with a cheap surface varnish painted on it. It's quite grainy and the ink seems to have embedded in the grain. The ink is from an anonymous biro (ball point pen).

So far I've tried mild stuff like washing up liquid and cream cleaner (Cif, if that means anything to others). If possible, I'd rather not wreck the surface of the coffee table if I can avoid it. It has a lot of history - it's from the 1950's, handmade and has a back story that I'm fond of. It's one of the few things I'm at all sentimental about. But I still don't do sentimentality very much so if the surface has to go, the surface has to go. I'd just like to avoid that if I can.

Any ideas? I'd be grateful for any. By the way, I'm in the UK, so non-UK brand names won't mean anything to me. :)

 

[digger]

Nail varnish remover or something like meths. Alcohol also might work.[DOUBLEPOST=1389905738][/DOUBLEPOST]And if that fails just sand the top down.
Oh and I can read mirror writing almost as easily as forward writing

 

[JustBe]

Baking soda and vinegar? Make a paste and gently scrub?

 

[Jane.l]

Oh no poor you !! I would suggest surgical spirit but wash it off ASAP - good luck hope it works

 

[elisabeth]

Alchohol should do it. If not try mineral spirits!

 

[franciemarnie]

Check web remedies too.

This is off topic. I understand it was an accident. But curious if what you wrote that was transferred before you was particularly meaningful to you. Like something you should look at more and would be epiphanic. Of course it might have been something like - got to do laundry later.

One time I got a movie from Netflix that was never in my queue and I was so irritated and it turned out to be this documentary with revolutionary ideas about thinking and being.

Sometimes accidents are interesting. Sometimes they are just accidents. Either way, I hope you get it off!

 

[DMerish]

An abrasive, over the counter, toothpaste applied with an old tooth brush should pick up the "stain" - use a bit of wood oil to seal the area afterwards, then wax.

 

[scout86]

There's a product called "Murphy's Oil Soap" (at least here there is!) that is designed for washing wood, and other stuff. It won't damage the finish, but it might take the ink off.

 

[bell]

This may sound too simplistic, but what about an eraser? It may just be on the top layer and come off with a little elbow grease.

And, I know how awful it feels when something like that happens, so go easy on yourself. Totally unrelated, but in case you're feeling down on yourself, I once burned "Will knit for beer" onto the office printer (can't remember how though) and as a result everything printed (this was at a uni law school) for the next hour came out with that on it. Yeah. It was awesome. But... it came off eventually, as I know this will, too.

 

[Britt.f7]

Try hair spray for lifting the ink and dabbing it off. Also, at least in the states, there may be specific removers at the store to remove the ink. That would be my first try. Otherwise you might be setting that into the wood.

 

[Abstract]

I think I would look for remedies that neutralise ink before anything else as I imagine an old finish like that would easily be damaged.

I have two stain removers that remove ink from fabric. They may not work as it is probably embedded. I would also probably use bleach before nail vanish remover or surgical spirits as it is less stripping and should remove the most unstable colour before all else - hopefully that would be the ink. Oh, and I have done something like this before although it wasn't my diary.

I would probably contact an antique restorer for advise if you can.

When I saw the thread I thought you had done it on purpose!

 

[Echo]

I wonder if a weak solution of bleach or neat lemon juice might do the job without damaging the surface. It sounds as if the varnish isn't covering the entire surface otherwise the ink couldn't sink into the grooves. If none of these suggestions works, maybe your local DIY store could recommend some kind of varnish remover that would bring it off, so that you could then revarnish it afterwards in a sensitive manner. I would try and avoid removing the surface any deeper than the varnish unless you absolutely have to, but I think that's what you're saying yourself.

I think most DIY stores ought to be able to advise you over the phone.

What a nuisance! Hope you find a solution quick.