Help with finishing kitchen cart and hiding or removing stains

sorry to say, i think whatever finish they used needs sanding. i’d recommend sanding down to the bare wood, then sealing with food-safe waterlox – no more water spots.
are you positive there’s not a layer of veneer on the top?

-- Carol

I’d give Howard Restor-A-Finish a try. No guarantees, but the stuff does work in many cases. For your piece, I’d go with the Cherry color since it’s a little darker and might be more likely to darken those spots to get close to the overall color.

Here’s a short video that might help you decide if it’s something you’d like to try:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIGyIbJS8bI

-- Half of what we read or hear about finishing is right. We just don’t know which half! — Bob Flexner