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. ...

MORE FROM APRIL

Cleaning Out the Doghouse

Cleaning out your dog's house is not only a good idea, it is the law in some states. You should clean out the doghouse at ...

Discover More

Adding a Garden Water Fountain

Adding elegance and visual interest to any garden, a water fountain also provides the relaxing sound of trickling water. Once ...

Discover More

Ham and Swiss Casserole with Creamed Onions and Ambrosia

Don't let the name of this casserole intimidate you. This is an easy dish to prepare since you're using pre-cooked ham along ...

Discover More

The Power of Microfiber! Zwipes Microfiber Cleaning Cloths will become your favorite tool for every cleaning task. This 36-cloth package is perfect for hundreds of uses in the garage, kitchen, bathroom, laundry, and all around the house. Each cloth is tough, streak-free, lint-free, reusable, and washable. Check out Microfiber Cleaning Cloths today!

More Cleaning Tips

Cleaning Painted Wood Floors

Wood floors that have been painted are a lovely way to make a room more interesting. This type of floor must be properly ...

Discover More

Cleaning Engineered Wood Floors

Engineered wood floors are becoming more and more common in today's homes. The reason is due to their relatively low cost, ...

Discover More

Restore Shine to Wood Floors

Wood floors can be a beautiful decoration in your home, but as they get older, they can become dull. To restore the shine to ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 8Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is eight minus 3?

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.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR AUTHORS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2017 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.