Wooden floors and furniture add to the aesthetic beauty of the house. Interior designers and home decor companies prefer wooden furniture mostly.
We have no doubt that nothing could replace the royal look of wood in your home. Wooden furniture and floor are however highly susceptible to stains and scratches.
Even though you try your best to keep them safe, some stubborn black stains creep into your most loved furniture. Well, you can’t throw out the piece because of a single black stain.
Right? We are here to help.
Let us look at not one but three ways to remove black stains on wood. Try using your favorite one and let us see what works best for you.
You may also be interested in 10 Simple Steps to Refinishing Hardwood Floors.
Tip#1: Using Hydrogen Peroxide
Step 1: For this tip, we have to make a small visit to the nearest pharmacy or drugstore to buy some Hydrogen peroxide solution.
Take a piece of cloth and soak it in standard Hydrogen peroxide solution (3%).
Make sure to use a clean piece of cloth. You should be careful while buying Hydrogen peroxide solution. Do not buy strongly concentrated Hydrogen peroxide as it might damage your wood instead of removing black stains.
Wrong concentrations can cause discoloring or blemishes in the wood. Hydrogen peroxide can cause skin irritations too. So it is ideal to use gloves when you handle chemicals.
If you are not using gloves, then wash your hands immediately after handling the hydrogen peroxide. You can use hydrogen peroxide to remove stains on both finished wood and unfinished wood.
Step 2: Carefully place the hydrogen peroxide-soaked cloth on top of the dark-stained part.
Start with gently wetting the part.
Then spread the cloth on top of the stain evenly. Press the cloth onto the stain to soak the wood in hydrogen peroxide. Do not miss any part of the stain. Use a big cloth, if necessary.
Step 3: It’s time to wait!
We can’t expect hydrogen peroxide to work wonders within seconds.
You need a little bit of patience. But don’t worry, it will be worth it. Leave the hydrogen peroxide-soaked cloth over the stained part for a night. Do not disturb the cloth while it works its magic on your wooden furniture.
You have to leave it like that for at least 5 hours.
Step 4: Remove the cloth after five hours.
You have waited enough!
Now it’s time for the end results. Take the cloth away from the wood and remove all the excess hydrogen peroxide from the wood. If the treatment worked the stain might have been completely gone or faded away.
If it doesn’t work on the first try, don’t be disheartened. You can try a couple of times more using the same steps mentioned above. Clean the wood well before applying hydrogen peroxide again on top of the stain.
If you have applied hydrogen peroxide a couple of times and if the stain is too stubborn to fade, let us try something more powerful.
Caution: When you are using hydrogen peroxide on wood, make sure to keep fire and matches away from the premises to avoid any accidents.
Read: Is Cherry Wood Expensive? Why It Depends
Tip#2: Applying bleach
Step 1: Bleach is the next best option if hydrogen peroxide didn’t work out for you.
When you purchase bleach from a nearby store, make sure to check the content in it. You shouldn’t miss out on oxalic acid in the bleach packet you buy.
The best use of oxalic acid is that it removes stains from the wood but it wouldn’t fade the natural color of the wood. Seems like the perfect match for us, Right?
So grab that bleach containing oxalic acid from your nearest store and get to work. You can use oxalic acid for both finished wood and unfinished wood alike. The bleach might be in the form of a powder. You should mix it with water to make a paste of the right consistency.
Step 2: Put on your goggles and gloves.
Bleach is very strong and can cause irritation or burn to your skin and eyes. Safety should be your first priority. So make sure to put on that safety gloves and a protective helmet or goggles. Do not panic if your eyes or skin get exposed to bleach. Wash your eyes with plenty of water.
Use running cold water to wash the eyes. Make sure not to rub your eyes while washing. If the irritation continues, do not hesitate to visit the nearest medical center
Step 3: Mix oxalic acid with water.
You might think that only professionals can do the right mixing. You can do it.
Just follow the instructions carefully. Take 473 ml of water and mix it with 28 grams of oxalic acid. Stir using a stick or a spoon to break the clumps of oxalic acid.
Continue stirring the mixture until it becomes a smooth paste. There are different brands in the bleach industry and each of them might have separate mixing instructions. So make sure to read the package well before preparing the mixture.
The mixture should be made only at the time of usage. If you prepare the mixture beforehand, the mixture will lose its consistency or might get hardened.
Step 4: Apply the bleach to the stain.
To apply the bleach on top of the stain, take an old brush or toothbrush. Clean the toothbrush well before putting it into the bleach mixture. Take the right amount of mixture in the toothbrush and scrub it on the stained area.
Scrub the stain in a circular or swirling motion for better results. Make sure to apply the mixture only to the stained areas. As mentioned earlier, bleach is very strong and it might cause discoloring in the unstained areas if you are not careful.
If you are not confident about keeping inside the borders of the stain, use masking tape on the unstained areas. Thereby you can prevent the bleach from spreading into the unaffected areas.
Step 5: Bleach needs time to soak into the wood and remove the stain.
So leave it alone to dry well. Wait for a few hours for the bleach to settle in. Meanwhile do not touch or smell it, as the bleach is very toxic for humans and pets.
Tip#3: Sanding the wood
Step 1: Wash and clean the wood well before sanding the stained part.
While sanding a lot of dust flies around you.
If you have applied any chemicals to the wood, this dust might cause serious irritation to your skin and lungs so make sure to wash the wood to clean those chemical residues.
Step 2: Wear a mask and goggles to protect yourself from the dust.
Sand the wood over the stain with 100-grit paper to remove it. The best sandpaper to remove the wood finish is coarse sandpaper. Sand the finish above the stain by working in the direction of the wood’s grain.
Sand steadily until the wood is completely bare. An electric or belt sander is usually not necessary if the stain is just in a small area.
An electric sander could be useful if you need to remove several stains, such as those covering an entire floor. Sand only the little area directly above the stain. You’ll have more to refinish if you sand too much.
FAQ on Black Stains on Wood
How to protect furniture from moisture and insects?
Upholstery on furniture has a tendency to draw moisture from the walls, which inevitably damages the wood. To avoid damage during the rainy season, move your couches, mattresses, closets, and wardrobes six inches away from the walls.
Keep the windows open to bring in sunlight when it’s not raining. This will help to lower the humidity in the space.
Naphthalene or camphor balls work well as moisture absorbers. They will also aid in preventing termites and other pests from damaging clothing and wardrobes. Neem leaves or cloves will work in the same way if you prefer something more natural.
When it comes to controlling temperature and humidity, humidifiers are an excellent investment. Your wooden furniture would survive longer if the humidity levels in your home could be controlled.
Do not clean your home’s furniture with wet clothes. Instead, it is advised to use clean, dry wiping cloths.
Additionally, as the dust has the propensity to attach to wooden objects during the monsoon, it should not be left uncleaned. Apply a coat of lacquer or varnish, depending on the polish of the furniture, at least once every two years to fill the pores and lengthen its lifespan (i.e., it stops the wood from swelling).
You may also be interested in learning how to remove black or brown spots on your ceiling.
Conclusion
These are the different methods you can try to remove stains from your favorite furniture.
Protect your furniture from unnecessary stains and damages sealing it with a good varnish or paint. You can rejuvenate your wooden furniture easily if you are ready to invest a little bit of time and care.
Share with us your story of saving the furniture. Have a good day!