# oak table **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 12, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oak-table/535872 "2010-04-12T19:27:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zebra1050](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/82dd89/32.png) [@zebra1050](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zebra1050)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oak-table/535872/1 "2010-04-12T19:27:39Z")
had a oak table in attic and someone put boxes on said table and left carboard squares on table what is best way to remove the mess ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oak-table/535872/2 "2010-04-12T20:18:27Z")
Pick up the boxes and cardboard squares and throw them out? Really, you’re going to have to be a lot more specific about what the mess is. Did things get wet? Was there glue involved? How, if at all, is the table finished? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oak-table/535872/3 "2010-04-12T20:20:51Z")
Well cardboard does not naturally stick to oak. I’m guessing based upon the limited information that you have posted, is that the oak table had a polyeurathane finish that became tacky in the hot attic. The cardboard adhered itself to the sticky finish. If that’s so, you need to strip off the polyeurathane, sand the table and reapply the finish you want, polyeurathane or some other finish. Just google, “stripping and refinishing oak furniture” or here [let me google that for you](http://lmgtfy.com/?q=stripping+and+finishing+oak+furniture). ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oak-table/535872/4 "2010-04-12T20:22:49Z")
Oh, also this thread is a candidate for “worst thread title of the year”. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oak-table/535872/5 "2010-04-12T21:15:53Z")
> [@zebra1050](#): > > had a oak table in attic and someone put boxes on said table and left carboard > squares on table what is best way to remove the mess youll have to give us a little more information like were they heavy boxes or was water involved or were the boxes actually stuck to the table or just left areas of discoloration and when you refer to mess are you referring to the boxes or discoloration or what and by the way why do you write this way ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2010, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oak-table/535872/6 "2010-04-13T09:07:57Z")
I agree that you haven’t provided enough info for anyone to offer advice. This might be an easy fix or a complete stripping/refinish operation. One of the most important aspects here is the type of finish on the table because you need to try a solvent to remove the cardboard without dissolving the finish. Even then, it’s questionable the correct solvent would do the job without leaving behind some sort of evidence of the cardboard damaging the table. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2010, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oak-table/535872/7 "2010-04-13T12:20:49Z")
Take off and nuke the table from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.