How To Clean Baby Oil Off Wood Floor

Hardwood floors are timeless, but grease is the last thing you want to see on your most loved hardwood floor. But if you have turned it into a greasy mess for some reason, there are a few easy ways to restore it to normal.

To clean greasy hardwood floors, you'll need to wipe the grease off using hot vinegar, followed by warm soapy water, and top it off by sprinkling baking soda. Finally, saturate the area with a cleaner or degreaser to bring it back to life.

This task will require a bit of trial and error depending on how bad the stain is, but the techniques mentioned in this article are all you need to clean greasy hardwood floors.

Microwave a Bowl of Vinegar-Water Mixture

The first step is to make a vinegar-water mixture. There are two ways to do this:

Mix equal parts of hot water with vinegar in a small bowl.
Mix equal parts of water of normal temperature with vinegar, and then microwave this mixture.

Vinegar is an excellent cleaner due to its acidity. It can cut through oil and grease without leaving any residue. Because of its disinfecting property, vinegar is widely used to clean windows, carpets, dishwashers, etc.

However, always dilute the vinegar with water while cleaning hardwood floors because concentrated vinegar can damage the finish.

Even though vinegar is a good cleaning agent, there are a few things you should never clean using vinegar. Stone floor tiles, egg stains, and marble countertops are very sensitive to vinegar and can get damaged when exposed to this cleaning solution.

Wipe the Grease Using Vinegar

Take a clean cloth or a sponge mop to scrub the grease using vinegar. Be careful not to over saturate the cloth or mop because excessive moisture can lead to cupping, splitting, and gapping the wood.
Wipe the area in circular motions, so that the cloth absorbs maximum moisture. Always use a soft cloth, as you don't want scratches on your glistening hardwood floor.

Take a Bowl of Warm and Soapy Water

Once you're done with the cleaning-using-vinegar process, fill a bowl with a mixture of dishwashing soap and warm water.

Soapy water is another effective natural solution to remove stains from hardwood floors. Dish soap is an alkaline-based product and can cut through oil and grease, especially when mixed in hot water.

A soap molecule has a hydrophilic end that loves water and a hydrophobic end that hates water. As the soap molecules touch the grease, the hydrophobic end attaches to the grease while the hydrophilic end attaches to the water. As a result, the grease breaks into smaller drops and suspends in the water. This makes it easier to wash them off the wood surface.

Wipe the Area Using Soapy Water

Dip a clean cloth or sponge into the soapy water, and slowly wipe the stained area. As mentioned earlier, do not over soak the cloth with water to avoid excess moisture on the wood floor.
Wait for five minutes, so that the soapy water fully soaks on the grease.
Wipe the area using a dry cloth. Remember to use a clean cloth to prevent dirt from sticking on to the wood.

Sprinkle Baking Soda

The next step involves using baking soda to remove the remaining stain. There are two ways to do this:

Sprinkle baking soda on a wet sponge or cloth. Rub the cloth on the stained area until the stain fully disappears.
Sprinkle baking soda on the stained area. Wait for at least an hour for the baking soda to soak on the grease. Then gently wipe the area using a cloth dipped in warm, soapy water.

Baking soda is a popularly used cleaning agent. It is a mild alkali that can dissolve oil, grease, and dirt in the water. It is also a natural deodorizer, as it brings both the acidic and basic odor molecules into an odor-free state.

It is recommended to mix baking soda with water before cleaning a surface, as baking soda alone might damage wooden floors. Wait till the mixture loosens the grease residue before scrubbing the area.

Saturate the Area Using a Degreaser

To add that extra finishing touch, pour a few drops of any good quality degreaser on the stained area.
Allow it to soak for at least 10 minutes.

Degreaser is a cleaning agent that can dissolve grease and oil. Just like its name, degreasers make it easier to remove grease by changing the substance's state. Most degreasers contain chemicals or solvents, so read the instructions before using one. They are available in various forms, such as sprays, wipes, or solutions.

If you are looking for good quality degreasers, Swiffer WetJet and Citra Solv are excellent options.

How to Maintain Hardwood Floors

Stating the obvious, you certainly cannot prevent accidental grease spillages. However, you can take a few actionable steps to protect your most loved hardwood floors from oils and grease stains.

Clean the Spills Immediately

Keep in mind that the longer you allow the grease to sit on the floor, the deeper it will get absorbed, and this will make it more difficult for you to remove the stain. Therefore, if you accidentally knock off the cooking oil bottle, clean the spill as soon as possible.

Clean the Floor Regularly

We know cleaning regularly is a bit overboard, but unfortunately, it is the right thing to do. As wood is porous, grease and oil spills along with dust get absorbed quickly. The longer you leave them untouched, the deeper they will set in.

To avoid this, dust or sweep your floors daily or at least once in two days. You can also make a cleaning mixture using warm water and dish soap. Gently mix the two and mop the hardwood floor.

Polish Your Wood Often

Polishing wood floors will take the finishing of your floor to the next level. Clean the floor thoroughly before you start polishing. Bona Hardwood Floor Polish is one of the best hardwood polishes that will give your floors a long-lasting shiny look.

If you haven't done this before, here is a video that you can refer to whenever you decide to polish your hardwood floor:

Use Furniture Pads

The last thing you need on your shiny wood floor is a scratch. Scratches are a common problem when you have hardwood floors. The best way to avoid this is to add pads to your furniture's legs like chairs, sofas, and tables.

Use Wood Cleaner Every Month

Wood cleaners are great products to keep your hardwood floors glistening and free of damage. When your floors start to look dull and show signs of wear, wipe or spray the hardwood using wood cleaners. Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner, Pledge Wood Floor Cleaner, Black Diamond Stoneworks Wood Cleaner, Libman Hardwood Floor Cleaner are among the best wood cleaners available.

Final Thoughts

If you want to see how exactly the stains are cleaned, here is a video that might help you:

To sum up, you'll need a bowl of vinegar, water, dishwashing soap, baking soda, degreaser, and a cloth or sponge to clean greasy hardwood floors. Remember to wipe the floor gently, as scratches can destroy the finishing of the wood.

Hopefully, you found this article useful to bring your wood floor back to life. If you have been waiting to clean up that stain on your floor, it is time to add this not-so-difficult chore to your to-do list.

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