Hardwood flooring is wonderful for pretty much every room in the house. It is durable, insulating, fairly low maintenance and it adds value to your property.
Like any flooring, hardwood floors will take a fair amount of use and abuse from the people, pets, and furniture in your home. Hardwood floors are more durable than other kinds of flooring like laminate and vinyl, but they can still end up with some staining.
You don’t need to panic if you spot stains on your hardwood floors. There are ways to deal with the staining. Just remember not to dive straight in with harsh chemicals. These can cause damage.
There are two types of stain that you’ll find on hardwood floors. We’ll break down each kind of stain and give you a few tips for removing them.
White Rings and Stains
White stains on hardwood flooring mean that the stain is on the outer coating rather than in the wood itself. This is good news as it hasn’t penetrated. These stains are much easier to remove than darker stains.
Usually, white rings or stains are water damage. The rings tend to be a result of damp furniture feet resting on the floor.
So, how do you remove them?
- Baking Soda and Water – Create a paste using baking soda and water and rub it into the stain with a soft microfibre cloth. Leave this in place for about 24 hours before wiping it away.
You’ll want to add the water drip by drip as you are looking for a paste. Remember that more often than not these stains are caused by water. You don’t want lots of liquid sitting on the floor.
After 24 hours, wipe up the paste and use polish on that area. Make sure you use a made for purpose polish for polishing hardwood floors. - Mineral Oil – Also called liquid paraffin, mineral oil is commonly used in woodworking as a coating and finishing treatment. It can help remove surface-level stains by replacing the damaged coating.
Apply a little bit of mineral oil to a microfibre cloth and rub it onto the stain. Leave it for a few minutes and reapply oil to the stain. It should start to lighten the stain. After a few applications leave the mineral oil overnight.
Don’t overdo the oil. Use thin layers each time you apply and only give it a few coats.
Darker Stains
Darker stains are more of an issue. These stains have penetrated deeper into the wood. You’ll need to use harsher chemicals and more abrasive cleaning tools. In serious cases, you may need to sand the flooring to remove the damaged parts.
When using harsh chemicals like bleach or peroxide you need to make sure that the room is well ventilated and that you wear gloves to protect your skin. The floor can be replaced, your hands can’t!
- Hydrogen Peroxide or Bleach – These are two different chemicals and should not be mixed. Either use one or the other.
The application process for both is the same. Soak a cloth in the bleach or peroxide and wring it out.
Place the saturated cloth over the stain and leave it in place for 6 hours. As the chemical penetrates the wood it should lift the stain out.
You’ll need to keep a close eye on pets and children while the cloth is in place. You do not want them to ingest the chemicals.
After 6 hours remove the cloth and wipe up any excess solution. Hopefully, this will lighten the stain. If not you can repeat the process after 12 hours.
Be aware that it may not remove the stain. If this is the case you’ll need to use sandpaper to remove the damaged wood. - Sandpaper – You’ll need fine sandpaper of about 100 grit. Start by removing the surface coating of oil or wax. If the stain is quite light, this may be enough to get rid of it.
Once you’ve cleared the surface, you can start rubbing the wood in the direction of the grain. You’ll need to press hard enough to remove the damaged wood.
If the stain goes deeper than a few millimeters don’t spend hours trying to sand it out. You’ll have a big dip in your floor.
Use cotton wool to feather the edges of the sanded section. This helps it blend in and look more natural.
To finish up you need to reapply a surface coat of oil or wax.
Final Thought
The best way to deal with stains on hardwood floors is to prevent them. Clean up any spills as soon as possible. This is especially true of water. Hardwood flooring is water-resistant but it will be damaged by large amounts of water or sitting water.
Take care of your hardwood floors and they’ll take care of you for many years!
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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