Here's my test.org file :
* Test org :PROPERTIES: :COLUMNS: %15foo %fooo %2foooo %2fooooo %2foobar %2foobaz %2fooquw %2fooqux %2fooapp %2foopoj %2fooazf %2fooavp %10foopa %1whatever :END:
Here's how I test it : emacs -Q -L ~/sources/org-mode/lisp/ test.org -f whitespace-mode
then hit: M-x whitespace-mode RET ;; not required M-x outline-show-all RET ;; not required C-c C-x C-c ;; enter org-columns q ;; leave it The buffer is still marked "unmodified" but there are five space characters at the end of the headline. (and this will later confuse org element cache which thus give errors, but I guess that's to be expected.) Emacs : GNU Emacs 25.0.50.1 (i686-pc-linux-gnu, X toolkit, Xaw scroll bars) of 2015-07-11 on Aurora Package: Org-mode version 8.3beta (release_8.3beta-1286-g20795f @ /home/youngfrog/sources/org-mode/lisp/)
