Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Hardwood and cleaning

How to remove dye stains from hardwood?

Felicity Rilke — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:38:45 -0800

Ho do I remove confetti and streamer stains from hardwood floors? We held an election party last night complete with streamers and that metallic confetti which shoots out of poppers. Some of the streamers and confetti sat in pools of alcohol all night and today I am faced with candy-coloured marks all over my light-coloured hardwood. What's the best way to get rid of them (or, at the very least, fade them so they're less noticeable). I don't want to ruin the floors with my experimentation.

Hardwood floor vacuum

sandpine — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 10:29:21 -0800

I'm looking for a reasonably priced vacuum for use on hardwood floors. Doesn't need any sort of powered brushes just suction. Thanks!

How do I clean the blood stain from my hardwood floors?

gemmy — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 22:06:55 -0800

I cut my foot pretty severely on a broken glass, and now it looks like someone slaughtered a pig on my hardwood floor. How do I get the blood stains out? While cleaning this afternoon, I accidentally broke a glass, overbalanced, and stepped on some of the shards with my bare feet... I'm absolutely fine now, it's not even that painful, but I bled pretty profusely from two cuts on my foot for a little while. Once I had patched myself up (and finished lamenting my own stupidity), I tried to clean up. Unfortunately, I live in an old building where the lacquer topcoat for the hardwood floors is all scuffed up, and in places almost gone, so now it looks like my blood kind of soaked into the wood itself. I did my best to clean it (cold water, murphy's oil soap), but it still looks really bad - like something out of a CSI episode.

I have been Googling for cleaning tips, but most everything is how to clean blood from clothing and sofas and things, or places recommending exactly what I did to no effect. Does anyone have experience cleaning blood off wood? Is there something I can do to at least make it less red, so its not so obvious? Would some hydrogen peroxide or bleach help, or do I risk an even bigger stain? Thanks, Hive Mind!!!

I wanna see myself in my hardwood floors

printchick — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 15:42:19 -0800

What is the best way to clean a hardwood floor? I've gone the Murphy's Oil Soap route and it just leaves splotches, even after I try to wipe it with a rag afterwards. I'd rather avoid getting on my hands and knees. Anything that is tried-and-true and will make my floor shine? We have a prefinished floor, if that makes a difference. I've searched other threads and they don't quite answer my question. Isn't there some sort of Swiffer product out there for hardwood floors? Any other method that works for you?