Can you bleach hardwood floors?

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Can you bleach hardwood floors?

Can’t stand the ugly view of mold and stains on the once beautiful wooden floor? Do you have any commercial bleach at home, but you are not sure if it can be safely used as a stain remover for this type of floor? Can you bleach hardwood floors?

In general, the use of bleach on hardwood is not always a safe option. However, if you take the necessary precautions, you can use bleach to restore the shine of hardwood without causing permanent side effects on the floor.

Types of wood bleaches

There are three types of bleaches that can be used on wood: chlorine bleaches, two-part (peroxide) bleaches and oxalic acid. Not all bleaches are replaceable. The best floor bleach depends on the color source you want to remove. The challenge is therefore to know what caused the stain and which whitening agent is suitable.

Chlorine bleach: As in laundry, chlorine bleach removes dyes and many organic stains such as tea, blood, berry-based juices and other food products. The use of home bleach is the mildest form and may require several treatments to prove effective. For a stronger chlorine based bleach, choose pool chlorine (calcium hypochlorite). Buy chlorine for the pool at your local supermarket or pool supply.

Two-part bleaches: While chlorine bleach fights many organic paints, dyes and stains, it does not significantly change the color of the wood. Two-part bleach is the only choice for changing the color of the wood. Some stains that do not respond to oxalic or chlorine bleaches will disappear after applying two-part bleaches. Look for this type of bleach at your local DIY or DIY store.

Can you bleach hardwood floors?
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Oxalic acid: Nothing combats iron and rust stains like oxalic acid. It also removes water stains (caused by the iron content of water) and some black iron-based inks, although they are not effective against carbon-based Indian ink. Even animal urine stains can react to oxalic acid. Oxalic acid can be purchased in crystalline form in pharmacies and hardware or home stores, as well as other sources. For best results, use pure oxalic acid.

Sometimes you can find a reference to other bleaching solutions. For example, bleaching with chlorinated lime is often used in particular for walnuts. On the other hand, potassium permanganate creates a bleach that leaves a residual purple shade. Both of these chemicals are readily available online and in local stores or pharmacies. Simply dissolve the chemicals in water to create a strong solution. Continue painting, wait for the solution to work, and neutralize as with any other bleach.

Whitening and safety guidelines

Before applying any bleaching agent to hardwood floors, consider the size of the bleaching area and the condition of the floor, as well as the nature of the bleach itself. Each bleach will slightly worsen the wood. Chemically weakened wood fibers are more susceptible to wear due to pedestrian traffic. For this reason, many specialists advise against whitening wooden floors.

Bleaching stains is not as destructive as bleaching the entire floor to remove wood color because it covers a limited area. It is also much easier: before applying the bleach to the wood, you need to remove the finish – with a tool for removing insulation or grinding.

 

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