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How To Renew and Repair Hardwood Floors - Part 2

Part 1

Food Stains, Dried Milk

Food and dried milk stains should come clean by simply rubbing over the stain with a clean damp cloth. Once the area is clean and dry apply floor wax and hand buff.

Mold

Use a high quality hardwood floor cleaner and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Grease & Oil Stains

Soak some clean cotton in hydrogen peroxide and lay it over the grease or oil stain. Then soak some more cotton in ammonia and place it on top of the cotton that was soaked in hydrogen peroxide. Allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove both layers of cotton. If the grease and oil stain is not completly removed use a second application, in the same manner as the first. Repeat the process until the stain has disappeared. Once the stain has been removed, use a clean damp cloth to remove all traces of the hydrogen peroxide and ammonia from the floor. Then apply wax and hand buff.

Note: When working with chemicals such as ammonia and hydrogen peroxide it is wise to wear rubber gloves and goggles. Ensure that the saturated cotton is properly disposed off.

Water Stains, White Spots

An initial attempt to remove water stains and white spots should be to rub the area with #000 steel wool. If this solution does not work, sand the area with a very fine sandpaper and then moisten #00 steel wool with mineral spirits or a wood floor cleaner. Once the floor is completly dry, stain the damaged area if necessary, apply a floor wax and hand buff.

Wax Build-up

Wax build-up can turn floors yellow over time, especially in areas that have a lot of exposure to sun light. Use mineral spirits or a high quality wax stripper made for wood flooring (follow the manufacturer's instructions). If necessary use a #000 steel wool to help to remove the wax. Strip the old wax away with odorless mineral spirits or a high quality hardwood floor product made for stripping wax. Once the floor has completely dried, wax with a high quality flooring finish and buff.

Note: Once all of the wax has been removed consideration should be given to finishing the floor with a high qualtity polyurethane finish rather than wax.

Surface Scratches

Surface scratches should disappear by applying a fresh coat of high quality wax to the hardwood flooring.

Heel Marks

Most heel marks damage should be able to be removed by rubbing the affected area with #000 steel wool that has been moistened with liquid floor wax. Rub the affected area in a circular motion. Once the stain is removed, hand buff.

Surface Finished Floors

When a stain, scuff, scratch or other damage has not penetrated past the finish layer of the hardwood floor - it is not actually in the hardwood itself you have a floor that is "surfaced finished". If the stain or scratch has penetrated the finish only and is not in the wood, you are dealing with a surface finished floor.

Chewing Gum, Crayon, Candle Wax

You want to freeze the chewing gum that is on the hardwood floor so that it will become brittle and the natural stickiness of the chewing gum will become non effective. To do this, fill a plastic bag with crushed ice and set it on top of the chewing gum. Wait about 10 minutes, remove the bag and the chewing gum should flake off. Thick layers of chewing gum, may require several applications. Once removed clean the area with a quality floor cleaner that is made for urethane floor finishes.

Cigarette Burns, Scratches

Touch-up kits especially made for hardwood flooring are the best method of eliminating a cigarette burn or scratches on a finished floor. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.

If the cigarette burn or scratch has penetrated the finish and is in the hardwood itself, it may be necessary to replace the piece of damaged hardwood or the individual parquet boards that have been affected.

Food, Water, Dark Spots, Dog Spots, Oil, Grease,

Any food, water, dark or dog spots that have not penetrated the surface finish, and they shouldn't, should be removable with the application of any quality hardwood flooring urethane finish cleaner. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.

For stains that do not remove easily you can use the cleaner with a scrubbing pad especially made for hardwood floors that have been finished with a urethane.