Cleaning up a specific stain on a wooden floor
October 3, 2023 7:19 AM Subscribe
I made the rookie mistake of placing a litterbox in the corner of a room with a hardwood floor without another layer of protection, and cat pee has stained the floor. Can I clean, and if so, how do I do it?
The stain itself seems to result from cat pee soaking under the litter box itself; the stain is about 6" x 12", like a shadow of the box. So, the stain is very dark, almost black. Obviously, I'm not getting anywhere with an regular spray cleaner.
The woodfloor is most of my small 2 bedroom apartment, and is pretty nice - recently buffed and has a shine to it, I don't know what kind of wood but its a lighter blond color. I rent this apartment, so I am hoping to at least improve the look of it, if not fix it entirely, without having to deal with the landlord.
Is there any way to clean it, without sanding and rebuffing? Or if it requires that amount of attention, how do I go about it?
PS: for all the cat lovers out there - they have multiple litterboxes, this is an extra, and is smaller than regular size.
The stain itself seems to result from cat pee soaking under the litter box itself; the stain is about 6" x 12", like a shadow of the box. So, the stain is very dark, almost black. Obviously, I'm not getting anywhere with an regular spray cleaner.
The woodfloor is most of my small 2 bedroom apartment, and is pretty nice - recently buffed and has a shine to it, I don't know what kind of wood but its a lighter blond color. I rent this apartment, so I am hoping to at least improve the look of it, if not fix it entirely, without having to deal with the landlord.
Is there any way to clean it, without sanding and rebuffing? Or if it requires that amount of attention, how do I go about it?
PS: for all the cat lovers out there - they have multiple litterboxes, this is an extra, and is smaller than regular size.
I'm a landlord, and we had a similar situation a few years ago with a tenant: the tenant's dog peed on the floor and left a similar, but smaller, very dark (almost black) stain on the hardwood floor. We got some estimates to fix the damage (a circle of around 6" diameter), and the cost was quite high (between $1000 and $2000), just for the one spot, with no guarantee that the repair would be invisible. The hardwood guy explained that the pee had almost certainly soaked deeply into the wood, so likely couldn't be sanded out, so the boards would have to be replaced. Replacing only a few tongue-and-groove boards without doing the whole floor is a little tricky to make invisible, especially if you're trying to sand and refinish only that spot without having it show. The hardwood person has to come back multiple times to sand and apply topcoat. In order to make the repair truly invisible, the whole floor may have to be refinished after the offending boards are replaced (it depends on the skill level of the hardwood person, and how aesthetically demanding your landlord is).
I would urge you not to try to improve the stain without talking to your landlord. There is no way for you to fix this and you may ruin the surrounding floor if you try. This is fairly major damage that needs professional repair: even a professional is going to have trouble making the repair invisible. If you don't talk to your landlord, the landlord will discover it upon move-out, and it's likely too late to schedule the repair at that point before the next tenant. The courteous thing to do would be to tell/show your landlord now, so that he or she can set up repair when you move out. (It may be possible to have done while you're still there, if you really want it fixed, but because it involves sanding (wood dust everywhere) and stain/varnish fumes, it's really better done when the apartment is vacant.) If you want to be a good tenant, I recommend against attempting to fix the problem yourself, and I would be upfront with your landlord about the issue, and willing to pay for the repair. It was your cats that caused it, and so you need to be responsible for paying for the fix. I speak so strongly because our previous tenant was very upset to have to pay for the damage that their own pet caused, it was a big dramatic situation, and because of that, we no longer allow pets. Telling your landlord about the damage and taking responsibility for the cost of professional repair will, I think, go a long way towards making your landlord feeling okay about this.
posted by ClaireBear at 8:22 AM on October 3, 2023 [7 favorites]
I would urge you not to try to improve the stain without talking to your landlord. There is no way for you to fix this and you may ruin the surrounding floor if you try. This is fairly major damage that needs professional repair: even a professional is going to have trouble making the repair invisible. If you don't talk to your landlord, the landlord will discover it upon move-out, and it's likely too late to schedule the repair at that point before the next tenant. The courteous thing to do would be to tell/show your landlord now, so that he or she can set up repair when you move out. (It may be possible to have done while you're still there, if you really want it fixed, but because it involves sanding (wood dust everywhere) and stain/varnish fumes, it's really better done when the apartment is vacant.) If you want to be a good tenant, I recommend against attempting to fix the problem yourself, and I would be upfront with your landlord about the issue, and willing to pay for the repair. It was your cats that caused it, and so you need to be responsible for paying for the fix. I speak so strongly because our previous tenant was very upset to have to pay for the damage that their own pet caused, it was a big dramatic situation, and because of that, we no longer allow pets. Telling your landlord about the damage and taking responsibility for the cost of professional repair will, I think, go a long way towards making your landlord feeling okay about this.
posted by ClaireBear at 8:22 AM on October 3, 2023 [7 favorites]
Best answer: If pee got through the finish of the floor, the finish seems like it's pretty porous. You could try applying some oxalic acid to the area to bleach the wood, but maybe test a little spot first. I reduced the visibility of some dog pee stains this way, but the finish on my floor was nearly gone, so ymmv. Make sure to not breathe oxalic acid dust!
posted by gregr at 8:27 AM on October 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by gregr at 8:27 AM on October 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: This happened to our wood floor years ago when we had an elderly cat that started missing his box. The floor had to be sanded and refinished to fix the damage.
posted by fimbulvetr at 8:52 AM on October 3, 2023
posted by fimbulvetr at 8:52 AM on October 3, 2023
Best answer: Had something like this happen and just sanded, stained, and sealed the offending slat. Cumulative work, not including trip to the hardware store, was like 45 minutes. But you may have to buy a couple stains to see what works best. Not too expensive.
If you live in a state or city where renters have any protections, I would just do it. Landlords always steal your deposit when you move out anyway.
posted by kensington314 at 10:50 AM on October 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
If you live in a state or city where renters have any protections, I would just do it. Landlords always steal your deposit when you move out anyway.
posted by kensington314 at 10:50 AM on October 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: You've already gotten good answers on what to do about the existing stain. To prevent future stains, I highly recommend getting a piece of waterproof vinyl flooring to put under the litterbox. Ideally, get a piece that's at least a foot larger than the litterbox on all sides. You can usually buy vinyl flooring in scraps or by the foot off a giant roll at your local hardware store.
posted by ourobouros at 11:07 AM on October 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by ourobouros at 11:07 AM on October 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
As a cat owner, I'd also do a complete check of the house and make sure there are no other pee stains in corners or in out-of-the-way places. Once a cat marks a location they'll hit it again and again, even after you clean it up. Nature's Miracle and other enzymes can help but in my experience they're never 100% effective.
If you have any floor rugs or other coverings, lift every single one and look for more damage.
posted by JoeZydeco at 11:53 AM on October 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
If you have any floor rugs or other coverings, lift every single one and look for more damage.
posted by JoeZydeco at 11:53 AM on October 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: For next time - always put a few disposable puppy pee pads under a litterbox that's on any kind of floor except tile. These disposible pads are better than a rubber mat because pee seeps below rubber mats and makes gross stains from the rubber which will permanently stain vinyl or wood floors. With puppy pads, it's visible when pee gets on or near them, and they're super cheap so you'll notice, clean, and discard it quickly. They're ugly, but as a pet owner, they'll save your butt so many times! (I also hide them inside of couch cushions to protect the foam from pee)
posted by nouvelle-personne at 12:50 PM on October 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 12:50 PM on October 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
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More likely than not the boards will need a complete replacement, with matching stain and finish.
Your lease probably prohibits you from doing any kind of construction on the property so you need to have a conversation with your landlord sooner or later. You could wait until you move out and they discover it and take your entire deposit, or you could talk with them earlier and see if there's an amicable and possibly cheaper way to remedy it.
posted by JoeZydeco at 7:27 AM on October 3, 2023 [4 favorites]