How To Hardwood Floors
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Hardwood Floor Stains
Hardwood floor stains must be treated very carefully so as not to damage the urethane finish or the wood. Here are some hardwood floor stain tips from the experts, our HTHF contractors.
Surface Hardwood Floor Stains
Heel marks, crayon, tar, lipstick and other such hardwood floor stains on the surface or finish of your hardwood floor are fairly easy to remove. Use a non-abrasive waterless hand cleaner or a cautionary amount of paint thinner. When you're finished, be sure to wipe the area thoroughly with a slightly damp cloth to remove any residue, and then dry.
Pet Urine Hardwood Floor Stains
The best method for dealing with pet urine hardwood floor stains is prevention. Stay on top of it. Wipe up urine as quickly as possible. If the pet urine is only on the surface or finish of the floor, you can try a pet stain and odor remover product as suggested below. The big problem with pet urine stains is when puddles go unnoticed and are allowed to soak into the floor, causing irrepairable damage. As with any type of liquid, it can seep into the gaps between the wood floor boards or saturate exposed areas (areas where the finish has worn) and warp the wood, turn it an unpleasant black or gray, and of 'course create an odor that can only be masked, not irradicated.
If you've got pets, we recommend the bona hardwood floor mop or bona spray hardwood floor cleaner or similar product as a fast and handy way to clean up pet urine on the spot.
Rug Pad Hardwood Floor Stains
Rug pads made with certain materials react with the finish and stain a pattern or discoloration into the hardwood floor. We cover this topic in detail because it is unfortunately a common situation hardwood floor owners find themselves in. The wrong rug pad can do serious damage that requires a sand and recoat. Review our articles on specific rug pad recommendations as well as details on area rug pad materials for urethane coated hardwood flooring.
Hardwood Floor stains, unlike staining on most every other flooring material, can be removed one way or another without replacing the floor. Easily and inexpensively, or with a sand and refinish to fully restore the floor like new again. But a plan for prevention is always the best route to beautiful, unblemished floors.