Stains are any wood floor owner’s worst nightmare, especially if you’ve just spent your savings on a new floor! It’s a common misconception that if you drop something that can stain on your floor that it’s ruined, but this isn’t always the case! No matter what wood type, thickness, finish or wear layer, there’s usually a way to save your floors. 

The first thing to remember is to act fast, no matter what floor you have. If you are able to wipe up any spillages as soon as possible, this will massively reduce the chances of staining or at least make it easier to deal with. 

Before you start panicking and get out lots of different chemicals, it’s important to assess the situation properly. If you know what it is that’s stained your floor, then it’s possible you’ll be able to contact the manufacturer and ask for specific advice. 

Like anything, a pale or white stain should be fairly easy to remove. However, a darker stain unfortunately can be a bit more of a challenge, with sometimes sanding down being the only way to remove it. 

One of the most effective ways of removing stains from a wood floor is to use hydrogen peroxide. Cheap and available in most stores, this is your easiest and most reliable substance used in conjunction with a rag or cloth. Soak the cloth in the substance and place it over the stain and leave it for around 6 hours. The stain should hopefully be gone after this time, however if it’s extra stubborn then we’d advise leaving it and trying again in 12 hours and repeat the process.

In most cases, this process should remove the stain or most of it. However, sometimes it isn’t quite enough and a more drastic solution is needed. Sanding your floor is your last resort and shouldn’t normally need to be done for the first 15-20 years. Many home owners wait until the whole floor could do with a sand down, however it is possible to sand down the specific area where the stain is, but this does come with its own risk – sometimes it can end up looking uneven. If the sanding doesn’t remove the stain, then you should repeat the hydrogen peroxide process on the new surface and this should remove the stain. Don’t forget to refinish your floor after it’s been sanded down though!