Remove dark water stains from wood. Stains on the wood floor make it look very unsightly. There can be two types of stains white rings are easy to remove.
The dark stains or the dark rings are very difficult to remove. When there are dark rings it means the water has surpassed the finish and seeped into the wood.
There are some good ways to remove the dark rings from the wood’s surface. But if the stains are not going off, refinishing the floor helps to retrieve its look.
And if everything fails, you have to replace the wood floor. Experts have suggested some best methods to remove the dark stains from wood.
Remove dark water stains from wood
To remove dark stains from the wood, apply a mixture of bleach with water. Mix up bleach and water in equal quantity, and apply to the wood surface in a circular motion.
If the dark stains are not going off with bleach, you should try oxalic acid. Once you have completed the cleaning process, perform refinishing of the wood floor.
Use bleach to lighten Up dark stains
Hydrogen peroxide or chlorine bleach is among the best solutions to lighten-up dark stains on wood. Don’t mix these two as it can give unwanted outcomes.
- Prepare a solution of bleach with cold water. Add both the ingredients in equal amounts, like 50 percent of bleach with 50 percent cold water.
- Take a sponge and apply the solution to the surface of the wood. Gently apply to all stains area and don’t drench the wood.
- After applying bleach solution to the wood, wait for it to dry completely Drying period depends on the weather conditions.
- Finally check if the dark stains have gone out, if not repeat the process with more percentage of bleach compared to water.
Try Mayonnaise to treat dark stains
Mayonnaise is an old method to remove dark stains from the wood surface. Mayonnaise does not smell good but it’s best to make wood look better.
Apply the mayonnaise to the dark stains, and wait for an hour. Now wipe off the wood surface, the oil of mayonnaise will seep into the wood surface, and water stains will be removed.
Sanding methods to remove the stains
Sanding can be used to remove the stains from the wood surface. Sanding can damage the wood surface; it should be the last priority. Use the finer grit sandpaper and coarser grit paper.
- Take a random orbital sander and fit it with a sanding disk.
- It’s better to test sanding by at a single stain, this method helps to determine how much effort is required to remove the stains.
- If a little effort helps to remove stains, continue sanding the wood in wide sweeping passes.
- Sweep the surface to remove dust, you can also use a vacuum cleaner to remove the dust.
Use oxalic acid to remove stubborn stains
Oxalic acid is the best cleaning agent for removing hard stubborn stains. Wear your waterproof gloves and eye protection as it can damage the skin.
- Read the manufacturer instructions about how to use the oxalic acid.
- Take the bucket and prepare a solution of the concentrated oxalic acid in hot water.
- Take a scrubbing brush and apply the hot solution to the area with black stains.
- Keep applying the solution to keep the solution hot until the wood gets bleached to the desired degree.
- Now rinse the wood with clean water, take a paper towel or cloth to make the wood dry.
Conclusion
Dark stains in the wood are because water seeped into the wood surface. Dark spots can be removed, with some remedies such as bleach, chlorine, or hydrogen peroxide is good to use with wood floors.
Even oxalic acid can be used to remove dark spots. Sanding should be your last choice as it can damage the wood surface. Protect your wood floor from moisture or water by refinishing the wood surface.
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