Yep, water under the finish.

With poly or lacquer you can rub it with alcohol to try and get it to
evaporate. The alcohol enters the finish in the same way as the
moisture and as it evaporates it takes the water with it.

The iron is an attempt to do the same thing but dangerous because a
few degrees to hot and you bubble the finish.

The mayonnaise idea is a variation on my favorite, mineral oil. The
oil displaces the moisture. Rub it fast to generate some heat to help
the emulsification, etc.

On Dec 31, 4:02*pm, "
wrote:
Some idiot (not me!) put something hot on our
cherry table. It left a milky white blush stain (not
very large).

What's the best way to repair it? I've done a Google
and found that people use a) toothpaste b) a steam iron c) denatured
alcohol.

What do you guys recommend?

MJ