We all know what happens then. That beautiful piece of furniture is now marred by a perfectly circular ring of wood graffiti. Sure, you can fix this problem with some sanding, staining, more staining and a couple of coats of polyurethane. You could even hide the stain with that 1997 issue of Travel and Leisure Magazine. Or, you can just expect people to use a coaster.

Such simple expectations are going to fall on deaf ears. You’ll warn guests that you don’t want them to leave a permanent mark on your furniture but they won’t listen. The cold, wet glass of Diet Fresca is going right on the table–sans coaster.

What is it about the coaster that is so hard to understand? We all place them conveniently in a stack right next to where the incident will occur. We know trouble is just around the corner so we prepare for it. It must be too much to ask for your guests to reach a foot away to get one and then a further burden for them to aim their drink when placing it back down on the furniture.

Take a look around your own home. How many pieces of your furniture have been “tagged” by the wet drinks of your friends or lazy family members?