Simply make a mixture of baking soda and vinegar and spread it over the stain. Then, use a rag or a sponge to rub at the stain until it starts to fade. Once the stain is completely gone, you can wipe the residue off with a wet cloth.
Using Mild Abrasives (Toothpaste/Baking soda/salt)
Buff out water stains on wood with a mild abrasive. Using a non-gel (plain white) toothpaste, baking soda paste or salt paste (adding a few drops of water to form the pastes), gently rub the mixture into the stain.
Mineral Oil: This is one of the most effective ways to treat minor surface level water stains. Gently rub it into the stain using a microfibre cloth and leave for five minutes. Repeat the process and then leave for 24 hours. If it doesn't remove it to your satisfaction, try mineral spirits – see below.
To remove dark water stains from wood floors, you have two options. Dip a small brush (such as a toothbrush) into a small amount of bleach and rub it onto the stain. Do a second round after several hours and let the area rest until the next day. Alternatively, you can strip, sand, and reseal the area.
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.
Dry-mop at least twice a week using a microfiber head, focusing on corners. Avoid using water to clean your hardwoods, and never wet-mop, as the moisture can damage the material. To avoid staining and cracking, blot up spills immediately with a dry, clean cloth.
Thankfully, most watermarks are not permanent, and it's almost always possible to get rid of the stains from your wood surface, depending on the intensity of the stain and condition of the wood.
Combine ½ cup of white vinegar and 1 gallon of water in a small bucket. Add a few drops of lemon or orange essential oil to the solution if you want a scented cleaner. To clean your wood floors, simply dip a sponge mop in the solution and squeeze it dry. Wipe it across your floors while rinsing the mop out frequently.
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.
To get rid of the excess stain now, take a cloth dampened with mineral spirits and use that to scrub down the piece. This should remove the excess stain. Alternatively, apply another coat of stain, wait a couple of minutes for it to soften up the old, tacky, excess stain, then take a cloth and rub away the excess.
This method is best used for stain removal. Create a solution that's one cup water, one cup liquid soap, and two cups baking soda. Next, add a splash of white vinegar. You may notice a slight effervescent reaction when you begin to mix the ingredients together – this is normal.
The most common method for getting water stains out of quality wooden furniture is by using baking soda. This is most effective with stains that have just occurred, so old water rings may not budge, but a new one will disappear. All you'll need is a box of baking soda, water, soft cloths, and furniture wax.
Solid Hardwood Floors
Sealed hardwood floors can withstand the moisture and heat from a steam mop, and they clean really nicely with a streak-free finish. However, avoid using a steam mop on unsealed hardwoods, as they're more vulnerable and easily damaged by excessive moisture.
Although it may be tempting to deep clean your hardwood floors with a steam mop, don't. “Drastic temperature changes and moisture may warp the wood,” says Steve Stocki, manager of marketing and merchandising at Lumber Liquidators. That's true whether you have solid or engineered wood floors, and for bamboo, too.
The best way to clean hardwood floors is to adopt a regular routine. Use a broom or hardwood floor mop for cleaning wood floors daily. A microfiber dust mop pre-treated with a dusting agent will pick up dust and dirt and prevent scratches. Vacuum your hardwood floor once a week.
Since vinegar is an acid, it will actually break down the finish on the surface of your floor, and over time it will reduce the shine, and leave a dull appearance. Using vinegar and water to clean floors can also lead to an excessive amount of water on the floor, which can cause swelling and discoloration.
Do mop a wood floor with a damp mop or cloth. String mops are less common these days, and that's not a bad thing for cleaning wood floors. They can be tough to evenly wring out and use. Microfiber cloths are great for using with wood flooring.