Removing Christmas Tree Stains from Hardwood Flooring

by April Reinhardt
(last updated December 30, 2013)

3

While a live Christmas tree during the holidays can fill your home with a wonderful aroma, it can also leave behind pine needles, stains, and sap. If you place your tree onto a hardwood floor, removing pine needles may not prove much of a challenge. However, removing tree sap stains from hardwood flooring can prove difficult.

Even if you use a tree skirt under your tree, sap and tree stains can permeate the fabric and come to rest as a solid on your hardwood flooring. Whether you have real wood flooring or laminate, try some of these methods for removing Christmas tree stains from your hardwood flooring:

  • Alcohol. Pour a clear alcohol, such as Vodka, onto the stain and allow it to sit for at least thirty minutes, and then absorb with paper toweling.
  • Bug spray. Spray bug repellant, such as Deep Woods Off, onto the tree stain and then agitate with a stiff nylon brush and rinse away.
  • Ice. Rub the stain with ice and then gently scrape away excess sap and stain with the end of a rubber spatula.
  • Citrus solvents. A citrus-based solvent, like Goo-Gone, breaks down adhesives so that you can remove them. Gently rub a generous amount onto the stain, and then wipe away.
  • Isopropyl rubbing alcohol. Pour the alcohol onto a rag, rub the stain, and then buff away.
  • Lubricant. Spray a lubricant like WD-40 onto the stain and then wipe away. Continue the process until the stain disappears.

Exercise caution when using products that contain alcohol or petroleum-based products, as they are flammable. Also, test an inconspicuous area of your hardwood flooring with the product to determine if it will remove the finish or cause discoloration. You may even want to speak with local flooring professionals to determine the best course of action when removing Christmas tree stains from your hardwood flooring.

Author Bio

April Reinhardt

An admin­istrator for a mutual fund man­age­ment firm, April deals with the writ­ten word daily. She loves to write and plans to author a memoir in the near future. April attend­ed More­head State Uni­ver­sity to pursue a BA degree in Ele­men­tary Edu­ca­tion. ...

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What is 8 - 2?

2015-01-10 00:05:47

Katie

I had a large puddle of sap left on our floor from Christmas which my toddler promptly stepped in and tracked over our hardwood. Using a sample credit card (the kind that often comes in the mail) I scrapped off the excess sap. Using a small spray bottle I used a mix of rubbing alcohol and citrus oils. (Wild orange, lemon, and lime OIL) I spot treated the area. No scrubbing or soaking, just circular motions with fingertips and wipe off with a dry wash rag. Took 10 minutes and left my floor smelling like pledge once the alcohol burned off. I'll definitely use this in the future.

2015-01-06 11:49:33

Nick

Vodka works brilliantly too. I cleared up a patch of tree sap in just 10 mins ( I only let it soak briefly as I was worried about soaking the wood - but it still worked a treat)

2014-01-16 03:25:19

Ron

Ice works wonders. I had so much tree sap on our new cherry hardwood floors I thought I would have to replace them. Wd40 worked a bit, but the ice literally melted the sap away, which I wiped up as it came off with the same cloth filled with ice that I used to scrub the floor with. The 6'x6' floor area looks great, but I may never put a Christmas tree in there again. It was literally 3.5 hours on my knees rubbing the floor.

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