Wood floors look good, but by their very nature, they are vulnerable to collecting marks and stains which can prove difficult to remove. The key thing to remember is that prevention is better than cure, so to that end, you need to mop up any spillages as soon as possible.
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Know your stains
Given the popularity of hardwood and engineered flooring http://theflooringgirl.com/blog/2016-hardwood-flooring-trends.html it’s no surprise that there are plenty of stain removal products available. But before you start trying to treat a stain, it’s important that you understand what caused it.
Pale or white coloured stains are most likely just on the surface of the floor and should prove pretty easy to remove by lightly sanding the surface and then reapplying the surface treatment. Darker stains are more likely to have seeped deeper into the wood grain and then it will be harder to remove. The good news is that newer floors with a lacquer or varnish finish are more resistant to stains than older floors finished in other ways.
Stain removal
When it comes to removing stains on wood floors there are a number of products available. One of the most versatile is hydrogen peroxide which is low in cost and widely available. All you need to do is soak a clean cloth in hydrogen peroxide and place it over the stain, then leave it for a few hours. This should pull the stain out of the wood grain. Mop up any excess liquid, and if the stain hasn’t come out completely you can try repeating the process.
If the stain is rather more persistent then you need to consider sanding. You can either sand just the area of the stain or the whole floor. If you just sand the stain you need to make sure that when re-treated with varnish or wax you get it to match the rest of the floor. Sanding the whole floor may sound drastic, but once re-treated you should be able to achieve an even finish.
Be careful when sanding that you don’t go too deep. If after you’ve taken off a thin layer the stain is still present, it’s worth repeating the hydrogen peroxide treatment again as it may work better with the surface treatment removed and the grain opened up.