White Vinegar Use a clean damp cloth to wipe the stained area and let it dry for 30 minutes. If the stain is still visible, add a little baking soda to the mix for some scrubbing power and repeat the process. When you're done, wipe the wood with a clean damp cloth to remove residue.
Combine Vinegar and Olive Oil for a DIY Wood-Stain Remover
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.
Wipe wood furniture with a barely damp microfiber cloth to remove dust and grime. (Use a cotton cloth to avoid damaging the wood.) Quickly wipe it dry with another microfiber cloth. Don't let water sit on wood since it can warp the surface.
If you're dealing with water rings or food stains on your wood, you can use a little olive oil and vinegar (mixed equally) to remove those stains without stripping your actual wood stain. Just rub the solution in the direction of the wood grain, let it sit, and then wipe it away with a damp towel.
White Vinegar
Even though vinegar is a natural, safe cleaner and disinfectant, the acidic formula is also tough on stains and safe for wood. Soak some paper towels in white vinegar and layer them over the stain. Let the soaked towels sit for about 30 minutes to penetrate the stain.
Diluted vinegar can dissolve the finish that protects the wood and leave it looking cloudy, dull, or scratched. (The same goes for wood furniture.) Follow the manufacturer's cleaning recommendations or pick a cleaner that's made specifically for hardwood flooring.
Remember, while vinegar is generally considered a gentle household cleaner, its mild acidity is strong enough to damage wood on its own, which is why it should always be diluted.
Baking soda has a lot of great cleaning uses, so it might not be too shocking to learn that some people swear it's the key to removing water stains from wood. The magic of this trick is that the gentle, yet abrasive, cleaner frees the moisture that's trapped under the surface of your wood furnishings.
Wood. The ammonia in original Windex can damage wood, so if there's a mess on your backyard deck, keep the Windex inside. “Wood is a natural surface that can dry out and crack, like your skin,” says Glickman.
Mix a solution of one cup of white vinegar and one cup of cool water. Spray solution onto the stain (Be careful not to soak the area). Use a clean towel or cloth to blot the stain. Work from the outside edges of the stain to the center.
Can I use olive oil on wood furniture? Yes, you can. Use a cloth to work the oil into the wood grain, rubbing back and forth. When the wood has absorbed the oil, leave it for ten minutes then wipe the excess off with a clean cloth.
You should also bear in mind that baking soda is an abrasive and can scratch the wood as well as stain it. Bicarb could also react with some laminates on wood too and cause bleached spots.
Pompeian, the century-old Baltimore olive oil importer, suggests using a blend of half olive oil and half vinegar instead of toxic cleansers the next time you polish your wood furniture. You can even fine-tune the formula for specific pieces, from bookshelves to dressers to a dining-room table.
Mix baking soda (half a cup) with vinegar (one cup) Spray the bubbling mixture on your wooden surface. Relax for the solution on the wooden surface to stop bubbling before you clean it with a wet cotton rag. Clean the surface with a new cloth.
Don't use vinegar or baking soda.
Many DIY home cleaning solutions involve the use of vinegar or baking soda, but these are, in fact, the worst things you can apply to your wood floors. They actually damage and dull the polyurethane, which can irreparably ruin them.
To sand wood previously stained you must start by using medium-grit sandpaper followed by a progression of increasingly finer sandpaper grits. This should remove most of the color left by an old stain. If you're applying a new stain, it should mask any residual color.
Because the additional coat is not penetrating the wood, it is simply layered on top, which will cause the coat to be more fragile and will not offer the same level of protection as the proper amount of stain. Additionally, moisture in the wood can not escape, which will result in the stain peeling.
To remove stains with vinegar via pre-treating, you can dilute the vinegar with water (vinegar 1:3 Water) or soak in undiluted vinegar and allow garments to soak between 15-30 mins or even overnight depending on the stubbornness of the stain.
Cleaning with vinegar and water is cheap, safe for the environment, and generally does a great job at cleaning many items in your home. Just please don't use them to clean wood floors. Using vinegar and water as a homemade wood floor cleaning solution can have a negative effect on your wood floor.