How to Clean Up Bleach Spill on Hardwood Floor

Bleach is a powerful cleaning agent to clean toilets, remove stains, and whiten clothes. But it will not be the perfect bait for every household cleaning workflow. For example, you can’t clean your hardwood surface with bleach as it damages the base by discoloring. 

Now, you may ask- what happens if the bleach spills on the hardwood floor accidentally? If bleach falls on your surface, clean it immediately. Otherwise, it will discolor your natural wood base. 

If you don’t know how to clean up bleach spills on the hardwood floor, check out the cleaning methods we mentioned below to prevent floor damage.

What Can You Do After Spilling Bleach on a Hardwood Floor?

Take the following actions promptly after spilling bleach on your hardwood surface. Otherwise, it will damage your floor permanently.

Clean It Up

When the bleach spills on your hardwood floor, clean it with a wet cloth as soon as possible.  It will ensure you there is no remaining bleach residue on your hardwood surface. Therefore, removing the bleach immediately when the bleach falls on your floor will prevent the bleach from damaging your hardwood base. 

However, you will not get the best output every time by removing bleach spill immediately. You will get no luck almost if bleach is on the floor for a long period or spills a large amount of it on the surface. 

Replace the Damaged Hardwood Plank

If the budget doesn’t matter to you, you can replace the entire damaged area. Regarding this, call a certified hardwood flooring specialist and allow him to replace the damaged hardwood board with a new one. Make sure the new hardwood plank you will install matches the remaining wood boards. Indeed, it’s the best way to fix the bleach-damaged floor. 

Hide the Damaged Area

Covering the bleach-damaged area of your hardwood surface is an affordable yet effective way to fix the flooring issue. Just hide the affected area with a rug or a nice piece of furniture. It doesn’t only cover the damaged wooden plank but also brings a new look to your room. And the best part is- you don’t need to spend a thousand bucks though it’s not a permanent solution.  

3 Effective Ways To Remove The Bleach Spills From Hardwood Floor

Don’t know how to clean up the bleach spill on the floor? Then, check out the below guideline to get rid of bleach from your hardwood surface.  

  1. Try Out Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is a common ingredient you can use as a floor cleaning agent. Just soak a cotton rag with hydrogen peroxide and place it on the bleach-stained area for a few minutes. The hydrogen peroxide will react with the bleach and dissolve it. Then, take a brush and start sweeping the area to remove the remaining residue. Finally, air-dry your floor. 

  1. Recolor the bleach stain area

Recoloring the bleach-damaged area with touch-up markers or wax crayons will be your quick fix. Generally, you can find this stuff in your local big box hardware store in the glue or paint section. 

We recommend you get several types of stain markers, a black Sharpie, and a box of Crayola crayons. Then, blend and match them to get the color of the wax or stain you go after. 

You can use crayons for a bumpy floor or a wooden surface that has a deep and exposed wood grain. On the other hand, you should use touch-up markers if you have a high-gloss or smooth surface.

Some markers have actual stains, and others have dyed ink. If the bleach stain on your wood floor is in high-traffic areas, it may rub out over time. 

With wax, just polish the crayon to the wood, and the friction will melt the bleach. Then, take a scraping card to scrape away the bleach residue from your wood surface. 

Keep in mind; the goal of this method is not to make your hardwood floor perfect as it’s a bit challenging. This cleaning process will help to hide the affected area so no one can notice it. 

  1. Sand Down Your Hardwood Floor

It’s a permanent solution to fix the bleach damage on your hardwood surface. However, sanding a hardwood floor is not a piece of cake. You need to put a lot of effort if you want to sand down your hardwood base by yourself. So, it will be better to hire a professional to sand your wood floor. Bear in mind; sanding down your wood surface will cost you around $2000-$3000. 

Is It Safe to Clean Hardwood Floors With Bleach? 

No, cleaning your hardwood floors with bleach is not safe. Bleach contains sodium hypochlorite, which is a highly corrosive and reactive ingredient. When your wood floor comes in contact with bleach, the bleach reacts with the color of your wood plank and alters it. In other words, it will change the wood color. 

In short, tidying up your hardwood surface with bleach will lead you to a risk of discoloration. 

Therefore, bleach can break down the bond that holds the wooden planks with each other. Creaking wood surface, splinters, or worse are the outcome of cleaning your hardwood floor with bleach. 

To sum up, we recommend you avoid bleach to clean the wood floor.

FAQs

How do you get bleach off hardwood floors?

Use 100-grit sandpaper to sand the bleach. Continue to sand down the bleached area until you see the original color of your hardwood surface. Then, use a damp rag to remove the bleach residue. We hope it will help to get rid of bleach from your hardwood floor. 

How do you remove bleach from wood?

First off, make a paste with vinegar and dab a damp cloth with the vinegar paste. Then, apply the cleaning paste to the bleach-affected area and let it sit. Next, use a brush to brush away the bleach residue and air dry your floor. Finally, stain your hardwood surface. 

Does bleach ruin hardwood floors?

Yes, bleach can ruin the hardwood floors. It contains sodium hypochlorite, which is a corrosive ingredient. It reacts with your hardwood plank and damages the wooden board by discoloring it. 

How do you sanitize real hardwood floors?

You can make a solution of water and vinegar to disinfect your hardwood floors. So, make a cleaning solution by mixing vinegar and water. Then, soak a cloth with the solution and use it to wipe away your wood surface. Then, use a sponge to absorb the water to dry your wood floor. 

What happens when you put bleach on hardwood floors?

Bleach can discolor your hardwood surface by reacting with your wood planks. Therefore, it can break down the bond that holds the wooden board together. So, avoid using bleach to clean or disinfect your hardwood surfaces.

Conclusion

Cleaning up the bleach spills from your hardwood surface is not a long-term solution. If the bleach-affected area is small, we recommend you cover it up with area rugs or furniture. 

On the other hand, replacing the damaged wood planks will be your best trait to fix the bleaching issue permanently. Keep in mind, you need to spend a lot of bucks to replace the damaged wood board with new ones. 

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