How to remove white water stains from hardwood floors

Q: Why does my wood floor have white spots?

Spills and Condensation If youre washing that pizza down with an ice-cold beverage, resting the can or bottle on the wood floor can cause white marks.

Water stains are among some of the most unsightly blemishes that can befall your glorious hardwood floors. When they pop up, they’re difficult to deal with. If they’ve been there for months, they might need to be sanded out.

Table of Contents Show

The Different Types of Wood Stains
Use an Iron
Toothbrush and White Distilled Vinegar
White Toothpaste
Sanding and Refinishing
Deep Cleaning and Recoating Options
How do you get white water stains out of hardwood floors?
How do you remove old white water stains from wood?
Can water stains be removed from hardwood floors?
Why does my wood floor have white spots?

We have some tips and methods to help you get rid of stubborn water stains from your hardwood flooring before they set in and become a visual nuisance.

The Different Types of Wood Stains

First, it’s important to identify what you’re dealing with. There are light and dark wood stains, both of which have their own difficulties.

Light water stains can simply be moisture trapped near the surface level of wood. These are most commonly referred to as water rings or ring stains when you forget to use a coaster on a wooden table, for example. With hardwood floors, condensation from an air conditioner unit is one of the most common reasons that this happens.

Dark wood stains are much deeper and usually stem from moisture problems. This could be due to trapped moisture under the subflooring, continued humidity, or other problems. Dark water stains almost always require sanding and refinishing to remove.

Use an Iron

A clothing iron can actually help to pull up all that moisture from inside of a water stain, and visually remove 80-95% of it until it’s no longer visible to the naked eye.

All you have to do is make sure your clothing iron is completely empty, and lay a cotton towel down over the water stain. Let the iron heat up on its lowest setting for a moment.

Lay the iron down on the towel directly over the water stain. Press the iron against it for a few seconds, and lift it up to check on the water stain. This may need to be repeated five or more times until the water ring is completely gone, although you should see it gradually lessen the more you do this.

To reiterate: don’t use anything other than the lowest setting, and do not apply the iron directly to your floors.

Toothbrush and White Distilled Vinegar

This age-old method uses something simple: a plastic bristle toothbrush, and white distilled vinegar to remove stains. While this doesn’t lift the moisture out from the wood, it does remove the visibility of water stains.

Simply use a toothbrush to gently scrub circles into the areas of the water stain. Keep in mind that these bristles aren’t the most delicate on your floors, so the finish may be slightly damaged after. This pulls the stains out after a few minutes of continuous circular motions.

White Toothpaste

Vinegar didn’t work? That’s okay—take that same toothbrush and use white toothpaste to get the job done. It’s important that the toothpaste has no added coloring whatsoever.

Simply brush circles into the floor with white toothpaste to remove water stains. After one to two minutes, clean up the toothpaste and inspect the area. Doing this for too long can ironically cause discoloration in other parts of the wood, so if this doesn’t work, try something else.

Sanding and Refinishing

If all else fails, the floors may just need to be sanded down and refinished. Assess all of your flooring to see if the entire space could benefit from refurbishment.

If you’re only experiencing a few water stains that don’t appear to have any underlying causes, consider using an area rug in the meantime until you’re ready to have the floors refinished.

This is a lengthy project. DIY warriors can absolutely get it done, but it’s very time-consuming.

Deep Cleaning and Recoating Options

If your hardwood floors are simply damaged beyond DIY levels of repair, it’s time to bring in the big guns. Contact us today at (215) 515-7355 for a quote on new high-quality hardwood flooring and repair services. Restore those waterlogged, stained floors, or let us help you select an entirely new hardwood floor.

Water spilled on a wood floor may cause a white stain or mark if the water isn't wiped up immediately. These unsightly stains are not permanent; mayonnaise makes them go away, in many cases. Use real mayonnaise, rather than similar sandwich spreads, for best results.

1.
Blot the affected area of the floor with paper towels if the water stains are fresh. Wipe up all the water on the surrounding parts of the floor that have not yet been stained by the spill. Skip this step if the floor is already dry.
2.
Scoop enough mayonnaise out of the jar to spread a layer of mayonnaise over the water stain, using a rubber spatula, instructs Today's Homeowner. Spread the mayonnaise over the affected area so the stain is completely covered with mayonnaise. If you need more mayo, use a fresh spoon to scoop out some more. Allow the mayonnaise to sit for at least 30 minutes.
3.
Wipe up the mayonnaise with paper towels or a soft cloth. If white spots are still visible, apply more mayonnaise over the affected area and rub it in a bit with a soft cloth. Apply more mayonnaise over the area and allow it to sit for an hour or two, applying more if it begins to dry out, advises Charles and Hudson.
4.
Buff the mayonnaise away with paper towels or a soft cloth. Wipe the floor again with a damp soft cloth to remove mayonnaise residue; then immediately dry the area with a fresh cloth to prevent additional moisture damage to the floor's finish.
Things You Will Need
- Paper towels
- Mayonnaise
- Rubber spatula
- Spoon
- Soft cloths
Tip
White water spots or stains on a wood floor generally mean the top layer of the floor's finish has absorbed moisture that is not in the wood itself. Mayonnaise will not repair gray or darkened wood caused by water soaking into the wood. This type of damage may happen if the floor finish is long gone, such as on reclaimed barn boards or on an old floor in need of refinishing.
If there are multiple spots or a somewhat large area of the floor has been affected, apply heat with a hair dryer set to low heat to help remove moisture from the floor's finish, holding the hair dryer several inches away from each spot and moving it slightly to avoid overheating the finish.
Warning
Wipe up spills of any type as soon as you notice them to prevent damage to the floor or its finish.

How do you get white water stains out of hardwood floors?

Pour a generous amount of mineral oil onto a soft cloth. Rub the white mark with the cloth, working with the grain of the wood. Let the oil remain on the wood overnight. If the stain is gone the next morning, buff the area with a dry cloth to absorb any remaining oil.

How do you remove old white water stains from wood?

In a small bowl, mix equal parts vinegar and olive oil. Apply the mixture to the water stain using a cloth. Wipe in the direction of the wood grain until the stain is gone. The vinegar will help remove the stain while the olive oil acts as a furniture polish.

Can water stains be removed from hardwood floors?

You can remove water stains from wood with household products like distilled white vinegar, toothpaste, and even mayonnaise. Light stains are newer and can be removed using surface treatments like polish. Dark stains are older and have mildew growth; you'll need to sand the piece to get rid of them.

Why does my wood floor have white spots?

Spills and Condensation If you're washing that pizza down with an ice-cold beverage, resting the can or bottle on the wood floor can cause white marks.