How to Get Ink Out of Hardwood Floors
If you have hardwood floors, they’re likely the pride and joy of your home. But just as with any floor in any home, accidents are bound to happen. One of the most dreaded of these is ink stains.
Without proper cleaning, the ink could settle into the wood, which would require sanding or complete floor replacement to remove.
Luckily, you don’t have to rely on such extreme measures right off the bat. We know how to get ink out of hardwood floors, and today we’ll teach you how to do it too.
What this article covers:
- How to Clean Pen Ink off Hardwood Floors with Baking Soda
- How to Clean Pen Ink off Hardwood Floors with Lemon Juice
- How to Remove Dried Ink from a Hardwood Floor with Alcohol
- How to Remove an Ink Stain from a Hardwood Floor
How To Clean Pen Ink Off Hardwood Floors With Baking Soda
The first method will use baking soda to remove the stain. This method is also great for removing black stains from wood and removing dye from hardwood floors.
Step 1: Blot The Fresh Ink Stain
The first thing you need to do is to blot the fresh ink stain. You can use either a paper towel or a towel you don’t mind staining.
Gently put the towel onto the ink stain and press down. This will soak up the excess ink and prevent it from spreading further into the wood.
When soaking up the ink, it’s important not to wipe the floor. If you do this it will drag the ink stain onto clean wood. Rubbing on the stain will also push it further into the wood grain.
Be gentle and take your time to remove as much of the wet ink as possible.
Step 2: Create The Cleaning Solution
It’s time to remove the stain with the cleaning solution. To create the cleaning solution, add baking soda and water to a cup. Continue adding baking soda until you are left with a thick baking soda and a water paste.
Step 3: Clean The Stain With The Baking Soda Mixture
When removing stains from wood floors, the goal is to let the abrasive nature of the cleaning mixture do the work.
Apply the baking soda mixture to the ink stain and use your finger to abrade the stain. If the stain is tougher, you can also use a cloth or a toothbrush to scrub the stain. Try not to spread the stain further by working in small circles.
After you have cleaned the stain, let the mixture sit on the stain for about 10 minutes.
Step 4: Remove The Baking Soda Paste
When the 10 minutes is done, take a damp cloth and wipe away the paste. Clean the cloth and repeat the wiping until the mixture is gone.
How To Clean Pen Ink Off Hardwood Floors With Lemon Juice
This method is a bit more abrasive than the baking soda one and works wonders when removing Sharpies from wood floors as well.
Step 1: Blot The Fresh Ink Stain
First, use a paper towel or an old cloth to blot up the fresh ink stain. Don’t spread the stain into the clean parts or rub it deeper into the wood. Take your time to gently blot up as much of the excess ink before moving on to the cleaning process.
Step 2: Apply The Cleaning Solution
Similar to the previous method, this one relies on the acid of the lemon juice and the abrasive nature of salt to remove the stain. It's a bit harsher, so it’s important to keep an eye on the health of the wood floor while cleaning.
First, apply some lemon juice to the stain. Next, add salt as the abrasive. The salt will help ‘open’ the wood which will allow the vinegar to get to the stain and remove it.
Use a cloth or a toothbrush to gently abrade the salt and lemon juice mixture. As the ink starts to lift, wipe it away and reapply the mixture. Make sure not to rub the ink onto the clean parts of the wood.
Don’t forget to take your time and aim for more gentle repetitions instead of harsh rubbing.
When you have finished cleaning the stain, let the mixture sit on the stain for another 10 minutes.
Step 3: Remove The Cleaning Solution
Take a damp cloth and wipe away the cleaning solution. Clean the cloth between every wipe to prevent any ink restaining.
How To Remove Dried Ink From A Hardwood Floor With Alcohol
If the ink stain has dried, the cleaning method will need to rehydrate the stain. This method works wonders on dried stains and is also effective at removing nail polish from hardwood floors.
Step 1: Clean The Surrounding
If the stain is dried, it’s likely been there for a while. Before applying any of the cleaning solutions, take a damp cloth and wipe the stain and surrounding wood. This will prevent any other medium from causing trouble when introducing the alcohol to the stain.
Step 2: Apply The Cleaning Solution
With a cotton ball or a paintbrush, add nail polish remover, rubbing alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide to the dried ink stain. Keep the cleaning solution from the clean wood as this method can be damaging to the wood finish.
Step 3: Let The Solution Soak
After you have applied the cleaning solution, gently put a paper towel over the ink stain. It will soak up the excess cleaner and help the solution clean more effectively.
Leave the solution to soak for 10 minutes while keeping an eye on the wood. This method is harsh and could strip the wood of essential moisture. So, if you notice any strange warping, remove the solution.
Step 4: Remove The Cleaning Solution
Finally, remove the paper towel from the cleaning solution. Take a damp cloth and remove the cleaning solution, rinsing the cloth between every wipe.
Be thorough. If any cleaning stays behind, it could seriously damage your hardwood floors. If necessary, use the Orbit Vibe to clean and polish your hardwood floors after the cleaning.
How To Remove An Ink Stain From A Hardwood Floor
The final cleaning method makes use of professional cleaning chemicals and will be the most effective method.
Step 1: Blot The Stain
As before, blot the ink stain and remove as much of the excess wet ink as possible. Try not to spread it onto the clean parts of the floor by rubbing it.
Step 2: Apply Spot And Stain Remover
Next, choose a spot and stain remover. Pig Out is specially formulated to remove ink and works wonders to remove grease from wood floors and also gets rid of the sticky residue on floors.
Follow the instruction for the stain remover of your choice and watch as the ink stain disappears.
Step 3: Remove The Cleaning Solution
Take a damp cloth and remove the cleaning solution after the recommended time. Repeat until all the cleaning solution is gone.
Conclusion
As beautiful as hardwood floors are, the fact that they are natural makes them particularly prone to permanent stains. Ink, in particular, can be almost impossible to remove without physically sanding away the stain.
Fortunately, the above stain removal methods are a lot less invasive. Use common household items or TruckMountForums spot and stain cleaner to save your floors, your sanity, and your wallet.
Did you find our blog helpful? Then consider checking other guides:
- How to Remove Glue from Wooden Floor
- How to Remove Haze from Engineered Hardwood Floors
- How to Get Rid of Slick Spot-on Hardwood Floor
- How to Remove Water Stain from Wood Floor
- How to Get Oil Out of Wood Floor
- How to Get Red Wine Out of Wood
- How to Remove Moisture from Wood Floor
- How to Clean Subfloor After Removing Carpet
- Best Mop to Clean Hardwood Floors
- How to Clean Old Hardwood Floors Without Sanding
- How to Clean and Shine Hardwood Floors
- How to Clean Prefinished Hardwood Floors
- How to Remove Urine Odor from Wood Floors
- How to Remove Dog Poop Stains from Hardwood Floors
- How to Deep Clean Hardwood Floors
