HELP! Wood Flooring stained and I’m a renter!
I am hoping someone on this forum may be able to advise me on how to go about removing the stain from my wood flooring. I live in an apartment in NYC and I was testing different methods to clean my outdoor cushions. I lay a tarp down in my living and begin cleaning the cushion with an oxiclean solution – and lots of it because the cushion kept absorbing all the cleaning solution. I give up and rest the cushion on my deck to dry. Due to the rain fall we have been having I decide to move the cushion in doors to finish drying. I place it at the bottom of my stairs. 12 hours later I go to move the cushion and THIS! (see photo) I dropped to me knees in shock. The chemical reaction between the oxiclean and water ruined my flooring! It looks like its a surface stain but as you can see there are some very very dense areas. I have more marks around my apartment (from moving the cushion around) but they just looked like dirt stains (my landlord probably won’t notice those). I bought 100 grit multipurpose sand paper. Is there anything else I should do? I read Hydrogen Peroxide could be helpful but I can’t find it any where. I think it must be a popular item these days. Information on the floors, it doesn’t look like there is much of a gloss or sealant on the floors. HELP!
Replies
Take your sharpest kitchen knife with a curved blade and scrape at the stain to see if it is just a surface stain before you start sanding. Go slow and easy. If it can be scraped you might get away with scraping it and hitting it with some spray poly. If the stain is through the finish and in the wood you may be SOL for it not getting noticed.
Surface? Is it actually real wood? Hardwood covered in urethane? Is it a snap together laminate? Newer waterproof type? I’d start with a green scotchbrite pad and go from there.
Does oxi clean have ammonia in it? Ammonia can turn the wood black, and it will not come out.
As someone suggested, see if it is on the surface, or in the wood.
The best bleach, if it is in the wood, is oxalic acid. You can get it on amazon.
Online it says Oxiclean is made up of hydrogen peroxide with a Tetraacetyl ethylenediamine (TAED) activator. I took a knife and poked at the wood grain and I can see fresh wood under it.
Would oxalic acid cause more damage? For example if I was to put oxalic acid on a section of wood flooring with no damage, would it then cause damage?
I did see a video online of a person who was able to clean up a similar stain she said was caused by "oxidation" from her dish washer. And oxiclean causes oxidation. She set hydrogen peroxide on the stain for an hour and then used one of those green sponges and began scrubbing. The peroxide got almost all if not all of it up. Could hydrogen peroxide damage wood? However, I have to find some, its sold out everywhere online. I think people are buying it up because of the Covid-19 outbreak (not sure what for)?
I think its wood? Honestly, I'm surprised it is wood and not a laminate. It feels like wood, but it feels almost matte, no sheen that I can see. And when I look at it really close in some sections I see deeper grooves so that's wood right? not lament? Mind you this is an apartment in NY, they use the cheapest material possible to make the biggest profit, so if its not laminate I would assume its a cheap wood- (she says knowing nothing about wood)
Look for peroxide in a pharmacy. Or Wal-Mart. It'll be next to the isopropyl alcohol and Band-Aids.
Mikaol
The hydrogen peroxide in pharmacies is a 3 percent concentration, and won't bleach wood. And youd be putting far too much water into the wood, creating more problems. Hair bleach is 6 to 10 percent, and would work better. Food grade is 35 percent hydrogen peroxide, and is what they use to bleach flour white.
Oxalic acid (wood bleach) may help, diluted appropriately.. also may be overkill.
Oxalic acid is wood bleach, and is used to remove the black marks from glue up reaction to glue and steel clamps. Works with no damage to surrounding wood. Have not needed any since using tiny spacers to keep the clamps from touching the glue during glue up. You only need a tiny bit, enough to wet the surface of the stain. Do not need to flood the area being cleaned.
If it is indeed wood and the finish is not a polyurethane but an oil finish, which is very common for matte finish floors, it could be a reaction with the tannins in the wood. The oxi-clean could have changed the pH balance and caused the tannins to darken. I know there are a lot of variables in there but if this is the case, we have a product called Tannin Remover that could work.
https://rubiomonocoatonline.com/products/tannin-remover
If you choose to try this out, please try it in an inconspicuous area (like the corner of a closet) before attempting to use on the main floor.
Sand the floor with sandpaper and cover with varnish. This can help if the stain is not set in the wood.
I agree with trying oxalic acid. The label usually says "Wood Bleach". So, read the label. Don't confuse with two part wood bleach. Different stuff. If the oxalic acid works, it will work quickly. No need to flood it or let it soak for a long time.
Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser contains oxalic acid.. I have used it and a toothbrush to remove small tannin stains from white oak.. I would also use distilled water to mix with the cleanser.
https://www.barkeepersfriend.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SDS-BKF-Cleanser-26FEB2020.pdf
Also see here: https://www.finewoodworking.com/2018/10/10/remove-iron-stains-wood
Try the oxalic acid first on a small corner of the stain. Give it about 1 hour to do whatever it will. It should deal with the issue, assuming it is a tannin stain.
If not successful and you decide to sand - do not start with the 100 grit. Try a finer grit, say 220. You don't want to scratch the floor and create more damage.,
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