Dealing with Stains on Hardwood Floors

[joyridder]

I just had a quick question regarding a mold stain on my hardwood floor caused from a garbage bag leak. I tried just wiping it up thinking it was a quick clean job, only to discover that the stain is actually grounded into the wood grain. I googled for a solution and found this site. http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dumm...e/id-2492.html

and would like to attempt the following:
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Dealing with stains
Stains are the toughest fix when it comes to hardwood floors. One stain or water ring can ruin the look of the whole floor. Unfortunately, refinishing the entire floor is sometimes the only way to get rid of a stain or ring. But before you rent a sander, try to get rid of the stain. Doing so requires using a gentle touch and the right materials, but it's worth a shot.

Most stains on hardwood floors are very dark, even black. You don't need to try to get rid of the entire stain in one try. Getting rid of the blemish may take several attempts, but you may be successful.

Follow these steps to remove a stain, but remember to always follow safety measures by wearing eye protection:

1. Sand off the old finish.

2. Mix oxalic acid crystals (sold at home centers and paint and hardware stores) in water, carefully following the package directions.

Be sure to wear acid-resistant rubber gloves to prevent injury.

3. Soak a clean white cloth in the acid mixture. Then press the cloth on the stained area and let it set for about an hour.

4. Lift the cloth and check to see whether the stain has been bleached away. If it hasn't, repeat the process.

This step may take several applications, but eventually the stain will be bleached away.

5. After the stain is gone, rinse the area with household vinegar to neutralize the acid.

Wipe away any excess moisture and allow the area to dry completely.

6. Apply a matching oil-based stain lightly to the bleached area.

Use several coats, if necessary, to match. Don't try to match the color with only one application. You can always darken the area with additional coats, but you can't lighten it after it's gotten too dark. If you think the stain is too dark, wipe the area immediately with a cloth dampened with mineral spirits. Doing so will remove some of the stain and lighten the area.

After you've achieved the desired color, allow the area to dry overnight.

7. Apply the topcoat finish and blend into the adjacent areas.

Once again, you may not get a perfect match; however, it may be good enough to avoid having to refinish the entire floor. If it doesn't match enough to suit you, refinish the floor.
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Anyone know which products would contain this "oxalic acid crystals"
and or have any other suggestions as to how to deal with this??
hope this makes sense, and any suggestions are appreciated!
Thanks In Advance
Kim=)

[Fuji]

Shitty deal. I rsanded efinished the whole hardwood floor with my GF for her condo... it sux.

I would recommend you hire a professional or live with it. fixing trhe patch may look worse than b4. the cost of a pro doing it is high, but at least it won't look like shit and you having to refinish the whole floor. I found this to be a difficult task for a do it yourself and would not reccommend anyone to do it.


It's like tyring to paint a part of your car where its scratched. You wouldnt do it yourself there so why would you do your own floor, they are the same difficulty

[joyridder]

I had a feeling it was going to be a bitch to deal with...
The only downside is that is a rental property, if I owned it I would def refinish the floor entirely. And I have lived there for over a yr with no damage whats so ever! so I basically have about a yr to make sure its dealt with!

[frostyda9]

Acetone

[CRXguy]

Originally posted by joyridder
I just had a quick question regarding a mold stain on my hardwood floor caused from a garbage bag leak. I tried just wiping it up thinking it was a quick clean job, only to discover that the stain is actually grounded into the wood grain. I googled for a solution and found this site. http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dumm...e/id-2492.html

Anyone know which products would contain this "oxalic acid crystals"
and or have any other suggestions as to how to deal with this??
hope this makes sense, and any suggestions are appreciated!
Thanks In Advance
Kim=)

Do not attempt to do what that site states. You should never use any acid type material on hardwood. That's a big no-no.

Is your floor a stained floor or a natural finish? Is the mold stain covered on just one board, or scattered over a few boards? What area was stained?

Depending what your floor looks like, this is what I would do. If it's a natural colored floor, meaning waterbase/oil based finish was applied after the floor was finished sanding, you *might* be able to get away with a patch job depending where this stain is. If the floor has been stained with a custom color, I usually suggest clients to live with it or re-sand the floor when they're ready to do some work in the house. Stained floors are much more harder to work on than natural colored floors.

Originally posted by Fuji
Shitty deal. I rsanded efinished the whole hardwood floor with my GF for her condo... it sux.

I would recommend you hire a professional or live with it. fixing trhe patch may look worse than b4. the cost of a pro doing it is high, but at least it won't look like shit and you having to refinish the whole floor. I found this to be a difficult task for a do it yourself and would not reccommend anyone to do it.

Jerk, shoulda hired me!!! :p