Stains on the characters

I have had a query about those wood stains that mark and spoil some of the old folded sheets from France (chestut wood shelves are to blame). It has been suggested that good old Marseille soap is the best treatment and it may well work if the stains are light and fairly new. If this soap, which has some olive oil in it, I understand, does not work after a good long two -day soak in cold plain water, a light brushing with the soap is the best, try nail brush, then I have two remedies which often work - one is the oxygen powder Vanish which you can apply as a paste for a short while and then rinse, or a soak in Napisan which is used to whiten babies clothes and nappies, and does not scorch the material - bleach is the very last resort, applied with cotton buds directly along the lines and rinsed as soon as they move, the trouble with bleach is that it leaves 'cloudy' stains behind and spoils the creamy look of old linen. Constant washing and exposure to sunshine will lessen the stains but will take much longer and if you are using the sheets as curtains, is not practical. Good luck!