7 Easiest Ways To Clean Paint Stains Off Of Hardwood Floors

Indeed, investing in a hardwood floor is a wise choice in sprucing the warmth, curb appeal, and value in your place. However, when you are doing some paint work on your ceiling or walls, there is a chance that you can stain your hardwood floors.

If this happens, what will you do? You can either do a DIY method or hire professional floor cleaning services to do it for you. We at Shiny Carpet Cleaning are going to share some practical tips on how you can easily get rid of paint stains from your hardwood floors.

Continue reading to learn more.

Is It Water or Oil-Based Paint?

Before you take out your tools and solutions, make sure to identify what kind of paint it is – water or oil-soluble paint. For you to identify, secure a cotton ball and dip that into your rubbing alcohol.

After, gently rub it to the paint-stained area and notice if residues are sticking to the cotton balls. If there is, then it’s a water-based paint, otherwise, it is oil-based.

Now, you’re done with the mystery challenge, and we can proceed with the methods.

Removing Latex Paint Stains On Your Wooden Floor

Latex paints are water-soluble types, so you can fairly use your rubbing alcohol to safely remove it. Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Use a putty knife or blade to gently scrape off the dried paints on your wooden floors. Other things you can use include credit cards, spatula, or any items with a straight edge for scraping.
2. Mix lemon juice and alcohol (1:2 ratio) in a small bowl or drinking glass. Then grab a cotton ball and dip it into your solution. After, lightly rub it to the stained area to soften and remove the paint stain.
3. You can use your old toothbrush to brush or scrape off those paint stains. Dipping the brush into your alcohol-lemon solution before brushing is also an excellent option.
4. The last option will be using denatured alcohol and a rag for rubbing off those hardened paint stains.

Removing Water-Soluble Paints with Soap and Water

Most local floor tile cleaning companies will recommend you to try non-chemical methods for removing paint stains on your hardwood floors, before using those commercially-sold solutions. With that, you can save more without damaging your wooden bare floors.

1. Prepare a diluted soap solution with warm water.
2. Grab a clean rag then soak that in your warm soap solution, before you start rubbing on those stained areas.
3. To remove those hardened paint stains, you can use a putty knife or unused credit card for scraping.

Using Heat Gun To Remove Paint Stains on Wooden Floors

1. Warm temperature is known to dissolve paints, so we are using this concept and our heat gun tool for this process.
2. Turn your heat gun on and point it towards the stained area. With that, you are softening the hardened paint stains on the wood.
3. While heating those stained areas, use your putty knife or spatula to gently scrape off those paint films.
4. For those stubborn paint stains, you can use commercial paint remover solutions sold in hardware stores.
5. Your last resort in case all your efforts failed will be calling a professional hardwood floor cleaning company near you.

Using Paint Thinners To Remove Oil-Based Paint Stains on Your Hardwood Floors

We are done with water-soluble paints, now let’s jump to the oil-based types. Technically, the process is almost parallel for both paint types, except will be using organic solvents to dissolve or soften out your oil-based paint stains.

For this scenario, the common choice is using paint thinners to assist in scraping off those hardened paint stains. Use a rag and dampen it with paint thinner, then rub it off the stained area.

For the remaining stains on your wooden floor, you can use a putty knife or vinyl card to lightly scrape them out.

Using Commercial Paint Removers for the Job

Meanwhile, if you hate DIY solutions for removing those stubborn paint stains; then you can go to your nearby hardware or home improvement store to purchase a commercial paint remover solution. 

In line with this, some of the best floor cleaning service providers use this approach since it is convenient and cost-efficient. Also, these products are engineered not to harm your hardwood floor finish, while removing those paint stains.

When you have your commercial paint remover, spray a sufficient amount on the stained portion and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. After, rub the stained area with a rag or paper towel to remove the residues. You can also use a putty knife to facilitate your scraping process.

Denatured Alcohol for Removing Old Hardwood Finish

Before you can re-apply a new coat for your hardwood floors, you need to remove the old coating using denatured alcohol. With that, grab a rag and dampen it with denatured alcohol. After, rub it to your hardwood floor and let the alcohol seep through for 15 to 30 minutes.

It will soften the old finish on your wooden floors, so it will be easier for you to brush or rub with a dry rag.

Alcohol-Based Cleaning Pad

You can also buy a cleansing pad in your nearby pharmacy or drugstore, and use that for rubbing off paint stains on your wooden floors. It is an excellent remedy for light paint stains, yet not much for serious ones.

Hiring A Hardwood Floor Cleaning Service

If you are not tech-savvy or confident of doing DIY tricks for this dilemma, then leaning on professionals is your safest choice. With that, you need to be meticulous in hiring a credible one so that you can guarantee their service.

Nevertheless, we offer reasonable floor cleaning services cost for this concern, and other floor cleaning requirements you need inside your house or office. You can call our office today to ask for a free quote or onsite inspection.

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