How to clean dark spots on hardwood floors

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How to clean dark spots on hardwood floors

Cleaning Dark Stain from Hardwood Floors

Cleaning Dark Stain from Hardwood Floors

How to clean dark spots on hardwood floors
Dark stains from hardwood floors takes quite a bit of work. But with proper steps the result is always worth every effort. The following are steps to do the job effectively.

Materials:

  • Fine grade steel wool
  • Mineral spirits
  • White Vinegar
  • Clean rag
  • Household bleach
  • Bowl or small bucket
  • Water
  • Oxalic Acid
  • Baking soda or ammonia
  • Stain, this is available in department stores and hardware stores
  • Finishing solution, this can be purchased in any hardware or home improvement stores near you.

There should be enough ventilation in the area. Open the windows and use fans for good airflow in the area. Safety first. Always read the safety precautions in every chemical being used.

Now we can go ahead and start the hardwood floor dark stain cleaning procedure

First, rub the dark stained area with steel wool and mineral spiritsPour some mineral spirits over the fine steel wool and rub the dark stained areaApply white vinegar over the stain and let it sit for several minutes. Repeat this step if it lightens the spot. 

If the above didn’t work, mix bleach with water over 1:1 ratio. Apply it directly on the stain not the surrounding area. If no noticeable improvement happened, add oxalic acid to the stain. 

If the stain is gone, neutralize it with ammonia or baking soda. Let it dry then sand it. Make hardwood floor refinishing with wood stain that matches the color of the wood. Coat the wood stain and let it dry.

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Hardwood Flooring gives the most elegant and fancy look in any home. It looks great when it is new, but to keep the new long-lasting, proper maintenance is required. In a daily routine, small water spill accidents are normal. But, these accidents give long head-acing stains on the hardwood flooring. Hardwood Flooring is highly prone to stain. Therefore, it becomes difficult to remove a stain when it gets dried and old.

How to clean dark spots on hardwood floors

Stains on the floor can be white or black. With the white stains, you can take a relaxing breathe as you are lucky then. White stains mean that either the stain in the finish or only in the wax of the floor. It is easy to remove this kind of stain. But, if the floor has some black stains, then it a problematic area for you. 

A black stain indicates the damaged wood. This kind of stain penetrates in finish and sets there. When a stain is black occurs, methods are less but will work for you. A black stain needs more hard work for its removal. Normal cleaning of the floor or removing white stains is a little easier than the black one. But it is not impossible. So, don’t lose hope.

Removing black stains can be an easy process in some ways, but only if done correctly. There are some ways that can be used for the removal of the stains. Before going forward, let’s look at what causes black stain on the Hardwood Floor. 

What Causes a Stain on the Wooden Floor?

Precisely, anything which has liquid as its element can cause stain on the wooden floor (if it spills off). Sometimes, the water spills off on the floor. Sometimes you forget the cup on the floor, which leaves a condensing ring over there. These small mistakes create a big problem for the homeowner. Other causes of black stain on the wooden floor are:

  1. Ink
  2. Blood
  3. Urine
  4. Pet’s Poop
  5. Vomit
  6. Food spillage
  7. Steamed mops
  8. Dirt

The bad habit of not cleaning the floor daily can worsen the floor condition. Keeping the floor clean is a challenging job when you are a pet lover, and you have a child in your home. Pet’s dirt is the big cause of having black stains on the wooden floor. A kid’s urine allows the growth of molds and mildew, which ultimately leaves a black stain over the area. Not only this but not to clean the floor regularly also tarnishes the floor and it looks dark. 

Even, Steamed mops can be the reason for the dark spots on the floor. When a wooden floor is not sealed, the steam penetrates through a small opening and can destroy your floor by leaving spots on the floor. If your floor is not sealed, then avoid steam mops for cleaning.

But some people say that neither of the above-listed points is the cause for the dark spots on their flooring. In that case, iron-oxidation can be a cause for the dark spots on your flooring. When a wooden floor is exposed to water and metal-nails, it forms iron oxide. 

The iron-oxide then reacts with the tannin in wood and turns black. The best way to avoid this is to use highly steam mops if your floor is sealed properly. But, if your floor is not sealed, in that case, one can go for soft brooms, dry mops, or vacuum cleaners.

How to Remove Black Stain from Hardwood Floor?

Removal of dark black stains can become simple and easy procedural work. But, before adopting any method, one has to be clear what kind of stain it is and how long it’s been there. A fresh stain can be removed easily than that of an older one. But, if you have an old black stain, then you can use some techniques to remove it from the flooring.

The tools or supplies which you may need during the removal process are steel wool, damp cloth, vinegar, bleach, Hydrogen peroxide, Hardwood floor wax, lemon oil, and mineral spirit.

After arranging for all the tools, now, you can adopt stain-removal techniques. Techniques for the removal of Black Stain from Hardwood Floor:

1. Clean the Spot Area

Cleaning the surface is equally important as that of cleaning it deeply. For cleaning the surface, first vacuum your hardwood floor. After that, damp a dry cloth on the surface. Don’t rub it tightly. Removing the dirt from the surface is important because, with it, there are high chances that the surface will get scratch and will worsen the condition.

After surface cleaning, soak the finest steel wool in a mineral spirit. Start rubbing the spot with the soaked steel wool. If you are short of mineral spirit, then you can also use lemon oil for its replacement. Do not scratch the floor with tight-hands; else, it will leave a scratch on the floor.

2. Sandpaper for the Black Marks

Sandpaper is another tool that can be used for removing the black spots from the Wooden Floor. Whether you have a sealed floor or a floor that isn’t sealed or polished, sandpaper can be a good choice for both the type of floors. 

Use the sandpaper in the back-and-forth way. Continue the technique until the stain gets removed. After the removal, you can top-coat the area with wax or wood varnish.

3. Bleach the Dark spot

Bleaching is the best way to regain the new look of the floor. Bleaching can be possible with either commercial products or with homemade products. The products like Chlorine, white vinegar, baking soda, Hydrogen peroxide, and oxalic acid can help you to bleach the floor.

Chlorine can be used to bleach the stains which are caused due to blood, ink, and food. 

White vinegar is a great cleaning agent for floors. It not only removes the stains, but it is also good for the odor of the hardwood floor. For using white vinegar, mix one cup vinegar in a bucket of warm water. Soak a cloth in it and gently scrub the area with it.

Baking soda is a home remedy that can be used for cleaning the floor as well. Mix baking soda with vinegar and make a paste of it. Apply this paste on the stained area and let it dry. Once it gets dry, clean the area with a soft cloth. It will help you to lighten the stain and to remove it wholly.

Hydrogen peroxide is another way to clean the stain. Soak a clean cloth in it and allow it to stay on the stain for at least 8 hours or till the time the stain gets removed. It will help to remove the stain and smell of your wooden floor. 

The use of hydrogen peroxide will give you a new, sanitized look to your floor. It removes the dust and pet’s dirt from the floor and gives the real appearance to the floor. It is completely safe for kids and pets if used cautiously.

Tip: Wear gloves before bleaching the floor. Else your skin can react with the bleaching agent. You may get wounds on your skin. Ensure that the area is lighted and ventilated. Read all the instructions given by the manufacturer before using the bleaching product.

4. Get a stain that matches with your floor

After bleaching, sand the spot area. Rub it until you get the match of your flooring. Remove the sand dust with a vacuum cleaner. Apply a rag on the spot and rove it after 15 minutes. It will remove the excess stain from the floor.

5. Finishing off

Once the stained area gets dry, apply the favorite wax over the treated area. You can also use polyurethane for the treated area. Applying wax over the treated area will give you the final finish and a new look to the floor.

Tip: It is better to use the same finishing product for the stained area, which you must have used for the other non-stained area of your flooring. Otherwise, you will see different color patches on the floor.

How to Prevent Hardwood Floor from getting Stains?

Removal of black stains is a time-consuming process or a complete job for the house-owner. So, it is better to prevent your floor from getting black stains. Here are some tips for it:

  • Clean the spill offs immediately. Never delay the cleaning work.
  • Use good and recommended products for cleaning the floor.
  • Rather than going for wet mopping, prefer damp mopping.
  • If you find any mildew and mold formation, immediately remove them. 

These measures can help you to prevent the black stains on your beautiful flooring. 

Endnotes

Removal of Black stains is more head-acing than white stains. The hard work for the removal of black stain depends on the type and how older that stain is. But, with some up-listed ways, you can make your old floor to look like a new one.

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Why does my wood floor have black spots?

To set the record straight, those stains are there because you mistakenly spilled ink or food spillage on the floor. Of course, you may have inadvertently done that only to come back later to see that the floor has been stained. Aside from those, there are other causes of black stains on the floor.

How do you remove black water spots from hardwood floors?

To remove dark water stains from wood floors, you have two options. Dip a small brush (such as a toothbrush) into a small amount of bleach and rub it onto the stain. Do a second round after several hours and let the area rest until the next day. Alternatively, you can strip, sand, and reseal the area if possible.

How do you get stains out of hardwood floors without sanding?

Hydrogen peroxide.
Step 1: Soak a soft rag with hydrogen peroxide..
Step 2: Place the rag on the area with stains. ... .
Step 3: Leave the rag on that spot for about 6 hours..
Step 4: After 6 hours, remove the rag. ... .
Step 5: Clean the area with another clean rag to remove the hydrogen peroxide from the floor completely..

How do you get black stains out of wood?

Sand away the stain with 150-grit sandpaper. Switch to a finer sandpaper once you reach the bare wood. Take 150-grit sandpaper and sand the stain directly, again along the grain of the wood. Continue sanding until you remove the whole stain.