Accidents happen all the time and there is hardly anything you can do in order to prevent them all. Accidents related to your wooden floors happen often too, one of the most common out of them being the stubborn stains. Whether these will be stains left from food or drinks, paint or nail polish, or whatever you can think of, these stubborn stains are nothing but needless for your wooden floor and we are sure that you do not want their annoying presence at all. In case we have guessed that right, today’s article is specially dedicated to you, because today we will discuss how you can prevent and remove stubborn stains from all sorts from your wooden floor. Enjoy!
First of all, do you wonder how stains get stubborn and permanent? It is easier to explain than easier to get rid of these, to be honest! When there are spills or other reasons for stains being left on the surface of your floor, the finish of your floor is the preventive layer on top that preserves bare wood underneath and protects it from imperfections and issues. However, when this protective layer gets thinner with time, starts chipping and wearing off due to some damage, or due to everyday use, this leaves the bare wood with little to no protection and stains can easily occur its appearance, soaking into the wood structure and colouring and damaging the surface, if not removed immediately. Generally, liquids and spills are definitely nor good for your wooden floor, even when its finish is in flawless condition.
The best thing to do is handling them as soon as possible, immediately after you notice them. There isn’t something special or different you need to do, just grad a damp cloth (you can use a couple of drops of hardwood cleaning product with a neutral pH) and rub the spill/stain gently, staring from the outer areas of the stain to the centre in order to prevent spreading it all over.
Do not rub it aggressively, because you can cause the pigment of the stain getting deeper into the wood’s porous structure and getting permanent. Other than that, you should be ok with getting rid of the most common domestic stains, if you make sure you are cleaning the stain from the floor as soon as possible.
How To Prevent Your Wooden Floor Get Stained
Sticking to a good maintenance and preventive routine is the key to preventing many stains and all sorts of accidents. It is really not that hard at all, neither it requires elbow grease, time and energy. Here are our top tips and tricks on how to prevent your wooden floor getting stained.
- Place mats in all key areas of the house where high traffic and a high level of everyday use is expected… or happening. At first, this might sound like not the best idea, because you enjoy your wooden floor a lot and you do not want it covered with mats and rugs, but think a bit more and you will see all the benefits of covering a few key areas of your floor. It might not be the way you imagine enjoying your beautiful wooden floor, but it is definitely more practical and functional to have it that way and more protective and preserving for your floor too. Some of the areas with priority in this situation are your front door, so the mat will catch all the dirt and dust coming from inside and entering the house and prevent not only stains, but fine scratches and dents too. Consider placing a mat on the floor under your kitchen sink to prevent water damage, as well as under the bowls with food and water of your pets. Kitchen and dining room areas are often a subject of food and liquid spills, so be sure to play around and place a few beautiful mats or rugs to prevent your wooden floor getting damaged.
- If you are organising a dinner party, or having guests, additional protection is very important too. You can either add more mats and rugs around and under the table and in all those high traffic areas. Additionally, keep your eyes peeled for spills and make sure you remove them immediately as described above.
- Overall, make sure you are preventing spills in your everyday life. Of course, it is not always possible, however the more protection and attention you pay to minimising these risks, the less you might need to worry for your wooden floor.
How To Remove Stubborn Stains Out Of Your Wooden Floor
In case you do not have much of success with removing a stain by simply rubbing it with a cloth and a cleaning product, then it is about time to consider a sanding service, if the stain seriously occurs the appearance of your wooden floor. Stains get stubborn and their pigment gets almost impossible to remove, when they penetrate through the worn off finish of the floor and get to the bare wood underneath, transferring the damaging pigment to it. Besides the fact that re-sanding and refinishing of your wooden floor will help you get rid of the nasty stains, it is also a much needed service, because the protective finishing layer of your floor is already experiencing wear and tear and this can lead to even more serious issues and imperfections.
When planning a re-sanding and refinishing service, always make sure that you are hiring professional, reliable and experienced help. Do not attempt these as a DIY project, because you can create even more serious damage that is hard or impossible to fix. A professional refinishing team can guarantee the best results possible and a final outcome you will enjoy for sure. The process of refinishing starts with sanding. Sanding a wooden floor means removing the top layer of worn finish from the surface of your floor and a thin layer of the surface of the bare wood underneath, when needed. In this case you can have the peace of mind that all sorts of stains and imperfections will be gone. Next, the pores of wood are open and ready for the new layers of finishing products to soak into the wood and ensure protection from within, as well as on the top. It is really that easy and extremely beneficial for your floor, so don’t make your mind for too long and pamper your wooden floor with a good refinishing service, if it needs it.
