Stains are a wood floor owner’s worst nightmare and many immediately think that their floor is ruined, however that is not the case. No matter what the species, finish or thickness of your flooring, it is extremely important you act fast. If you are able to wipe up the liquid or substance as soon as the spillage occurred, then this will massively reduce the chance of it staining or at least make the stain easier to remove in the future.


Before diving in with any chemical products that may ruin your floor, it is important to assess the situation. If you are aware of the substance that caused the stain, then you can reach out to us for specific advice on how to remove the stains on your floor.


Dark water damage stains on wood floor
Dark stains caused by water damage

White Stains vs Dark Stains

As a basic rule, if your floor has a pale or white stain then it sits in the surface layer of your floor and should be fairly easy to remove. However, if the stain is a dark shade then unfortunately the substance has seeped further into the grain and sanding down your floor may be the only way to remove the stain. If your floor is new or has a lacquered finish, then the chances of the stain being in the surface layer are much greater than if your floor is old or oiled.

Best ways to Remove Stains

Hydrogen Peroxide

One of the most common and effective ways of removing stains from wood floor is to use hydrogen peroxide. This product is fairly cheap and can be purchased from multiple online stores. All you need for this process is a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and a cotton cloth or rag. Soak the cloth in hydrogen peroxide and place over the stain and leave for around 6 hours. As the solution reaches the stain it is able to pull the stain out of the grain and remove the stain from your floor. After 6 hours remove the cloth and remove any excess solution left on the floor. If this process has removed the stain then fantastic, however if the stain has started to lighten or be pulled out, then we would advise waiting 12 hours and repeating the same process.

Man using a cloth to remove stains from a wood floor

If this doesn't have the desired effect on the stain, it means that a more drastic procedure will need to take place.

Plank Swapping

The first option you have is to remove the stained plank(s) all together and replace them with spares (this is one of the reasons why we recommend storing one spare pack of planks!). This will take some time but it is still a quicker work-around than the next solution.

Sanding Your Floor

Sanding your floor is a last resort for anyone with a stain. You can either sand down the specific stained area only or sand down your whole floor. If you opt to sand down just one area then you run the risk of an uneven finish with the rest of your floor, so even though it is more expensive, sanding down your whole floor will rejuvenate all the tired looking areas at the same time.

When you sand a wood floor it opens up a new surface area and gives you access to new grains of wood. If the sanding process does not remove the stain, then you should repeat the hydrogen peroxide process on the new surface layer and the stain should be removed. Remember, that once the floor has been sanded you will have to refinish your floor so that the protective layer is restored. Why not try a different type of finish this time around?


Read more like this:

Have Your Say

Have you got any tips to share with us on removing stains? Let us know in the comments section down below!

Remember to follow us on FacebookTwitter, and Instagram for the latest news and discussions. We’re always finding new ways to improve our stock, so keep up to date!