Oil stains are stubborn and often hard to remove from wood floors and furniture. Working as quickly as you can once the oily substance has been spilled can save yourself some work. With a little bit of elbow grease and common household cleansers, you can make your wood floors or other stained items as good as new.
Instructions
1. Blot the oil stain with a clean paper towel or a blotting paper. Blotting paper is made to absorb moisture and will pick up excess oil from a fresh stain.
2. Fill a bucket with warm water and a sudsy, mild dish detergent. Spread a layer of soap suds onto the oil stain.
3. Work the soap suds into the stain as well as you can. Some finished wood surfaces will not absorb the soap. Then rinse it off with clear water.
4. Allow the area you have treated to air dry. You may have difficulty assessing whether the stain is gone when the wood is wet.
5. Treat the oil stain with a stronger substance if it remains. Mineral spirits, also called Stoddard solvent, is a chemical stripper and thinner available at your local hardware store and can remove tough oil stains. Pour some mineral spirits on a cloth and rub it into the stain.
Tips Warnings
Wear rubber gloves when using mineral spirits to avoid skin irritation. Contrary to what the name may conjure up, mineral spirits is not like mineral water or alcoholic spirits and should not be ingested. Seek immediate medical attention if you accidentally drink mineral spirits or get the volatile liquid in your eyes.
