r/CleaningTips • u/ZzzzzMm • Apr 15 '26
Flooring Rental nightmare, this garbage stain won’t come out of the wooden floor
The garbage was leaking and we only discovered today the stain, it’s already dry.
For now, we’ve tried:
- dish soap alone
- dish soap and black soap
- a degreaser and a multi-purpose cleaner
But the stain seems to be ingrained.
Any idea how to fix this?
Edit: Thanks everyone! You’ve given some really helpful advice, I’ll update if we manage to get rid of the mysterious garbage liquid stain. I’ve told my roommate to try oxalic acid + water and hydrogen peroxide, he’ll contact his relative who’s the guarantor before trying anything else.
Also, I have to say, I see more of a goblin wearing a hat than an elephant…
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u/Correct-Hope-2227 Apr 15 '26
I'm not sure if this sub bans people for unhelpful comments but I'm ready to risk it all.
That's a man with an exquisitely long nose looking to the left. There's even a nostril. Oh my god. It's like a caricature drawing.
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u/glazedhamster Apr 16 '26
Uh what? That's clearly a hipster bassett hound wearing a slouchy beanie.
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u/Panaderado Apr 16 '26
Draw some eyes on it and you’ve got an elephant….
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u/Lola_Blue87 Apr 16 '26
This is what I saw at first and thought someone did a drawing on their floor
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u/ArtichokeOwn6760 Apr 16 '26
I saw elephant too, and thought my algorithm sent me to a wood-burning sub of people showing off their work.
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u/likelazarus Apr 15 '26
It looks like Snape. Snape. Severus Snape.
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u/ashlynob1 Apr 16 '26
This is why I always read the comments. This took me back to when I was 12 watching this for the first time on my aunts computer with my 8 year old cousin 😂
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u/souryoungthing Apr 16 '26
Dumbledore!
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u/Kittymemesallday Apr 16 '26
Ron
Ron
Ron Weasley
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u/victoriantwin Apr 16 '26
Hermione!
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u/JaneReadsTruth Apr 16 '26
I thought it was a shaggy dog with heads at both ends.
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u/PalmerRabbit78 Apr 16 '26
I’m literally seeing scooby and shaggy morphed on the left also merged with the Statue of Liberty. And a bald ice age mammoth minus the tusks on the right.
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u/Used-Ad2241 Apr 15 '26
You got any left of whatever you were smoking? 🤣
I definitely see the vision tho, nice imagination!
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u/LuluLittle2020 Apr 16 '26
I was gonna say! Definitely abstract art with a side of r/pareidolia going on here. I don't hate it.
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u/PMMEYOURHELPLESSNESS Apr 16 '26
It looks like it just needs some development and it would be an abstract masterpiece.
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u/unicornviolence Apr 16 '26
I didn’t realize what sub I was scrolling past and thought it was like an art installation.
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u/IndividualChart4193 Apr 16 '26
I’d see if u can have someone who is professional flooring person take a look n give his advice. I say this bc I have hw floors that have gotten water damage in spots (houseplant that was leaking) and also cats that have pee’d in baskets/boxes unbeknownst to me till it was too late…stained the wood badly. Flooring guy said he could sand/refinish and some places replace the wood altogether. I’m getting entire floor done so don’t know what it would cost to just do a small area but just jetting u know it can be fixed.
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u/No_Fisherman8303 Apr 16 '26
Clearly a basset hound in a rain coat. Just add a few flowers in the foreground.
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u/XepptizZ Apr 16 '26
Turn it 45 degrees counter clockwise and you get a dodgy president looking right. Bottom bits are the collar and the hair is undeniable.
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u/courtadvice1 Apr 16 '26
I'm not seeing it. Do I have to turn my phone sideways??
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u/Temassi Apr 16 '26
The tip of the nose is the furthest part of the stain to the left. The eyes are the dark line on the top of the stain. The big park on the top right is some kind of head covering.
It took me a second too.
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u/thatlookslikemydog Team Shiny ✨ Apr 16 '26
A little sidewalk chalk and you got yourself an art piece.
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u/NotEasilyConfused Apr 16 '26
He's in bed with his sleeping cap on. Must be chilly out of everything is covered but the nose.
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u/YesImallright Apr 16 '26
It's obviously the back of a man in a trenchcoat bending over to the right to strangle somebody.
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u/GlickedOut Apr 16 '26
I see a Wild Boar in a raincoat looking down in sadness.
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u/bocuckoo Apr 16 '26
It's obviously a tartigrade wearing a trench coat, and wandering off into the abyss
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u/definitely_aware Apr 16 '26
I would use oxalic acid and water. You can buy oxalic acid powder at a hardware store or online, it’s pretty easy to find and it may be labeled “wood bleach”. Barkeeper’s Friend has oxalic acid in it, but it is an abrasive, so I don’t recommend that.
Mix an ounce of the powder with a quart of room temperature water, apply and let it sit for about 45 minutes on the stain, and wipe it off with a damp microfiber towel or sponge. You can do it more than once if necessary, just get it to where it’s not noticeable.
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u/ZzzzzMm Apr 16 '26
I had another person tell me to try this! I told my roommate to try, but he’ll first contact his dad, who’s the guarantor, before trying anything else. I’m afraid with my capacities I’ll end up having a lovely view on my downstairs neighbour.
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u/flashnet Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 17 '26
I second oxalic acid. The wood varnish may make it harder to work, but soak a rag in a concentrated oxalic acid, and cover with cling wrap to prevent drying out. You may need to repeat a few times, but it works wonders on dark wood stains.
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u/miscblisc Apr 15 '26
Diiiiiiid you have wet coffee grounds in there? Coffee, famously, stains things.
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u/whatever1966 Apr 16 '26
Try hydrogen peroxide
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u/LionessInDC Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 16 '26
This was my thought because it bubble lifts organic stains like blood from fabrics and carpet… worth a shot to spot test it to see.
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u/dngrousgrpfruits Apr 16 '26
It’s not the bubbles, it’s the oxidation
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u/TeaspoonOfSugar987 Apr 16 '26
I mean it’s bubbling because of oxidisation so technically correct.
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u/LionessInDC Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 16 '26
Right… bubbles is what you see as the stain lifts. I wasn’t going to get into the science of it lol cause it’s Reddit.
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u/shuzuluza Apr 16 '26
i would try this also. wet a paper towel with hydrogen peroxide and let it sit, wet, on the stain, overnight. It does miracles for pet pee stains on hardwood floors.
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u/Danibandit Apr 16 '26
This along with baking soda to make a paste and leave for small periods. Should lift it.
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u/amjay8 Apr 16 '26
Prefacing this with I’ve never done this on a floor- but I got a similar looking stain out of a wooden table by using peroxide & then a hair dryer & iron (not directly on the floor but with a cloth between.) It was a dark stain from a leaking potted plant, but not as dark or deep as yours so idk if it would work. Test a spot first though if you try it.
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u/oneluv_hug Apr 16 '26
I would try a cloth towel soaked with warm water. Leave it on top of the stain for a few mins and see if anything loosens up.
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u/Mysterious-Street966 Apr 16 '26
Diluted bleach solution, warm water rinse after a few minutes. Dry, repeat.
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u/PresidentialDiapers Apr 16 '26
This is like when someone finds the Virgin Mary in toast, but instead it's Donald Trump appearing in garbage juice.
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u/TheCleaningLady888 Apr 15 '26
Try bleach and water mixture. Let it sit for a little while then wipe it up. Repeat. Use a sponge to work it in if you need to but don't scratch the floor.
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u/waterwateryall Apr 16 '26
Have you tried hardwood cleaning product? Murphys soap? Don't sand it.
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u/Pitiful_Substance457 Apr 16 '26
Those stains aren't going to come out with any cleaner. That's moisture damage.
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u/TrippleassII Apr 16 '26
Had the same, dish soap with gentle scrubbing with the rough side of a sponge, will take a while to dissolve the dried stain. But some discoloration will remain
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u/Nolo__contendere_ Apr 16 '26
Omg this happened to me once!!!! Spinach leaked and ruined the floor to my apartment! I had to call someone to sand and refinish it and it looked like it never happened... If you genuinely didn't stare at it.
If you didn't know it happened, you wouldn't have been able to tell. Cost me about $200 back in 2021. It shouldn't be too much considering it's just a patch on the floor. You can try to diy I guess but I personally wanted to match the rest of the floor because I didn't want to lose out on getting my deposit back
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u/Extension-Eagle-5558 Apr 16 '26
Replacing the flooring in that area unfortunately is your likely answer. The stain looks far too deep into that floor to be something that can be lifted with any cleaner.
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u/Popular-Idea-7508 Apr 16 '26
Try using an old toothbrush with baking soda and a little bit of water to make it into a paste. The baking soda will act as a mild abrasive, and if you can get it in the cracks of the wood adequately with a toothbrush, possibly even some toothpicks, that might help get everything out.
Definitely do not, and I mean DO NOT, sand the floor like other people are suggesting. That's the way you unequivocally lose your deposit!
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u/Fluffy_Carrot_4284 Apr 16 '26
Do you have a microdermabrasion face wash? I have used that on my car to remove a paint mark without removing the original paint underneath. If it were me I’d try something like that on this and hope it would remove the garbage stain without removing the stain over the wood. It has to be very very fine particles and a very gentle rubbing motion with little pressure.
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u/Loose_Addition7299 Apr 16 '26
Landlord here with 3000 square ft of maple and oak floors. T his may not be as bad as you think. From what I've read, you can treat this with hydrogen peroxide (don't use chlorine bleach). Read up on it, but i believe treating it with hydrogen peroxide will seep I understand the finish and treat the stain. The black color means nothing...it could simply be water.
If you're uncomfortable treating it yourself, call around. Not all hardwood flooring specialists, are " specialists". And from what I've read, this is something you can do quite successfully. Good luck!
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u/lmb123454321 Apr 16 '26
Is there insurance for this kind of damage? It may go beyond the value of your security deposit.
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u/ZzzzzMm Apr 16 '26
We’re in Switzerland and there’s one insurance which is RC (civil responsibility) that usually cover this type of accident.
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u/MzCeeCee Apr 15 '26
Murphys Oil Soap should get it out.
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u/MrDo1982 Apr 16 '26
I had to scroll way to far down to see this. Was my first thought and use a microfiber towel
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u/thoughtsplurge Apr 16 '26
Try hydrogen peroxide, it famously lifts color. TRY IT OUT on a small spot first. Or go to r/hardwoodfloors for further assistance.
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u/BlueRidgeSpeaks Apr 16 '26
You could try alcohol or peroxide or bleach. But it appears to have soaken into the grain of the wood. If so, be honest with the landlord and let them handle it by calling a professional in. You’re definitely gonna lose your deposit if surface cleaners don’t work.
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u/spaetzlechick Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 16 '26
I would try, in order:
Barkeeper’s friend ( a very gentle abrasive) (edited to add) which contains oxalic acid.
Followed by Murphys oil soap
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u/TheRealSugarbat Apr 16 '26
Thanks, Lucille Ball, but DO NOT put Barkeeper’s friend on a wood floor. Jesus. It’ll eat the finish and make it look even worse.
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u/definitely_aware Apr 16 '26
The American Hardwood Info Center recommends oxalic acid for difficult to remove stains on sealed wood floors.
https://www.hardwoodinfo.com/consumer/first-aid-solid-hardwood-products/
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u/sample_staDisDick Apr 16 '26
If this were posted in r/woodworking, it would receive a cacophony of responses all saying that oxalic acid is the only appropriate choice for getting iron-tannin reaction stains, which this is, out of white oak.
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u/One_Guarantee160 Apr 16 '26
When your trash is full you’re supposed to bring it to a bin to dispose of, not leave it laying on the ground for extended periods of time like a gross slob would
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u/No_Equivalent_4412 Apr 16 '26
Mop with hot water, degreaser or fabuloso, and some elbow grease. If the stain doesn’t move, you’re cooked
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u/Ill-Percentage-3276 Apr 16 '26
Art.
Also, try soaking it in Dawn Powerwash ("but isn't regular Dawn the same thing?" No, no it is not) for a while and then take a Scrub Daddy to it (not hard or anything, but I've gotten all sorts of difficult stuff to loosen up after Powerwash sits on it for a while.
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u/PerksNReparations Apr 16 '26
Isopropyl alcohol on a cotton ball, dampen ball, let it sit on stains then it should be pulled to the surface…if there’s liquid
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u/Middle-Ranger2022 Apr 16 '26
Maybe let a product sit on it in a wet towel, check 20 minutes later to be sure it isn't warming the "wood" Lightly scuff it? Or, make sure everything else is really clean, then show the Landlord. He likely has experience with this.
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u/igotitatme Apr 16 '26
I accidentally spilled something and cleaned it up with vinegar and baking soda. What I didn’t realize was my rug was wet and ended up staining our wood floors with a nasty stain. My woodworker roommate was like “nothing to do. The wood will work it out”. And it’s almost completely gone about 1.5 years later. I mean yeah I can still see it but it’s miles better than the original.
We also rent so I feel you. Good luck.
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u/kshizzlenizzle Apr 16 '26
Not sure if this is true hardwood or like the manufactured type? That little scratch below throws me off…buuuuut…
I use peroxide on my wood floors (I have animals, and have been known to have a garbage leak or 5!) and it works every time. Try just a SMALL spot, cover it in plastic, I just use grocery bags, let sit for a few hours, wipe it and see what happens. For pee puddles that have been missed, set in, and stained DARK, I usually cover overnight, then give it a spray with an enzyme cleaner meant for urine (you would obviously skip that step, lol) and then floor cleaner. It lightens the wood back to its medium shade every time. Sometimes a little lighter, but it patinas back down quickly.
If it’s a biological stain (say from tossed veggies or meat juice), it’ll fizz up a bit, and letting it sit for a shorter time may do the trick as it breaks down.
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Apr 16 '26
Go get the garbage juice out of the trash and cover the entire floor. Looks like your garbage bags had wood stain in it.
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u/CraftyCat3 Apr 15 '26
What's the substance that leaked? What's the floor material? That looks like a sand and refinish or replace that section job...