Things You'll Need:
- Box fan Cloth face mask Clean stain-free rag or cleaning cloth Denatured isopropyl alcohol Sandpaper Tack cloth Soft-bristle paintbrush Polyurethane or stained varnish
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Step 1
Prepare the area you will be removing stains from. Open the windows in the room, and turn on a box fan to allow fresh air to circulate. Wear a face mask, because breathing high concentrations of denatured isopropyl alcohol and polyurethane may cause lightheadedness, dizziness and fainting. Wear old clothes to prevent ruining nice clothes with stains from the polyurethane.
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Step 2
Remove furniture and rugs from the immediate vicinity of the individual stain you are cleaning. Saturate a clean stain-free cleaning cloth with denatured isopropyl alcohol, and clean the surface of the stain. Denatured isopropyl alcohol can be found at most hardware stores, because it is commonly used to clean wood--it evaporates quickly before it has a chance to seep into the wood's pores.
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Step 3
Sand the stain. Sand lightly, barely applying pressure to prevent creating deep sanding marks on the floor. Sand until you have removed the polyurethane or staining varnish. Some of the stain may still exist at this point because it has so deeply penetrated the wood.
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Step 4
Wipe and dab at the area with a tack cloth to remove dust. Clean the area again with the cleaning cloth and denatured isopropyl alcohol, and allow it to dry for a few minutes. If parts of the stain still remain, sand lightly again to remove a bit more of the stain, and clean the area with the alcohol again. Repeat this process until the stain is completely removed.
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Step 5
Reapply staining varnish or polyurethane with a soft-bristle paintbrush. Apply one coat, and allow it to dry for about an hour. Sand any rough spots, then apply a second coat. Apply both coats only to the sanded area to keep the entire floor from looking splotchy. If needed, apply a third coat over the entire surface of the floor to create a more uniform appearance.
