If it is minor damage it may be possible to re lacquer the table. This material allows water to penetrate the protective surface on the wood. There are few options when repairing the damaged surface. What I did not understand at the time was that our table had been refinished with heavy duty polyurethane so this habit did not affect the wood finish very much.

Did you see and copy that habit from your childhood. I just accepted wiping the table with a wet cloth as the way to do things. In addition to ruining your table, damage from water will void your warranty. I still have a clear memory of our family dinners. When dinner was done we would all take our dishes to the sink and my mom would use a dish cloth and soapy water to harcourt off our old wooden kitchen table. Did you know that if you use water to clean your commercially manufactured wood table the water will destroy it.

The water will cause warping, checking and delamination. I grew up in a small, mid western town.

Manufactured tables are most often coated with lacquer.