How To Safely Remove Rust Stains From Treasured Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors are often a treasured relic — a remnant of a bygone era that imbues a home with character. Installing hardwood flooring in your home anew likewise affords a priceless, organic aesthetic, which, to many, is the pinnacle of elegance. But unfortunately, hardwood floors are quite fragile, and are easily damaged by moisture and various items that can cause discoloration. Rust is a common nuisance with hardwood floors, as iron objects placed on their surface react with the tannins in the wood and the surrounding moisture to leave unsightly stains. If you've found rust stains on your beautiful hardwood, you may think that calling a professional flooring company is the only surefire way to remedy the situation. But before you pick up the phone, know this: There are several, relatively straightforward yet effective DIY tricks for removing rust from all types of flooring — even hardwood.

The most superficial of stains should come out with a bit of neutral pH cleaner and some elbow grease. Meanwhile, deeper stains may also need a bit of isopropyl alcohol to lose their grip on the hardwood fibers. Oxalic acid is yet another readily available cleaner that neutralizes rust stains through a chemical reaction. Finally, if all else fails, a bit of sandpaper and steel wool may be all you need to get the smear off the floors. Below, we'll walk you through all the DIY cleaning methods you should attempt on your rust-stained hardwood before you call a flooring restoration company for help.

First, try getting the stain off with a neutral-pH cleaner, like this product from Lowe's. Before applying the cleaner, wipe the stained surface with a water-soaked towel, taking care not to get too much water onto the hardwood. Then, blot the stain with a dry towel — some of the rust should transfer from the floor to the cloth at this point. Next, spray a bit of the neutral pH cleaner onto the stain, then wipe it off with a dry cloth. Now, you can attack the remnants of the stain with isopropyl alcohol. Pour a bit of it onto the area, let it stand for a minute or so, then scrub the stain with a medium-bristle brush. You can wipe the residue off with a moist towel, then dry the floor before reapplying the neutral pH cleaner one more time before wiping it off for good.

The method above uses several different means to target the stain, and it should help you get the iron oxide out of the wood. If it doesn't, you can up the ante and unleash a more powerful cleaner on the stains: oxalic acid. When oxalic acid is applied to rust, the ensuing reaction changes the iron oxide into iron oxalate, a salt that dissolves in water. Mix the oxalic acid with water per the manufacturer's instructions, then soak the stain with the mix for about an hour. Finally, wipe it off with a moist cloth and dry the area. The stain should be gone.

If cleaners and oxalic acid prove ineffective in lifting the rust stain, you'll have to opt for the last resort "nuclear option" — sanding and refinishing the floors. You have two possible courses of action here. You can either limit treatment to the affected area, or refinish the entire floor. Of course, you're probably tempted to go with the less expensive and time-consuming way and sand the stained part of the hardwood only. That's fine; just make sure you match the finish properly so that you don't end up with one part of the floor looking different from the rest. Refinishing hardwood floors completely will leave the floor with a consistent, fresh new look, but this approach requires professional assistance.

If you opt to treat the rust stains but not the entire surface of the floor, use sandpaper with a grit of 80 to 120 to gently sand the area. Once the stain disappears, clean the surface thoroughly so that there's no debris left from the sanding. Now, you can apply the first coat of the finish and wait for it to dry per the manufacturer's instructions. Then, use Grade #0 steel wool, like this product from The Home Depot, to buff the surface until it becomes completely smooth. Finally, you can apply the second coat of finish. Hopefully, this procedure gets rid of the rust stain and your hardwood floors look brand-new again.