Repairing Stained Linoleum

Have you ever noticed that there are simply some stains that don't want to come out of linoleum, no matter what you do? In situations such as these, you can try everything under the sun, and it simply won't work. For whatever reason, these types of stains pop up from time to time, and all we are left to do is either go nut's trying to clean them, or to try repairing the linoleum. Repairing stained linoleum is actually a fairly easy task, and here's how you do it.

• Strip the linoleum. When faced with a particularly difficult stain, usually it will only come out if you completely strip that section of flooring. Strip the particular section that is stained, and then clean off as normal. Once you have finished cleaning the stain, refinish the flooring, so that it doesn't get stained or damaged. While you can strip the entire floor, often all you really need to do is strip that one damaged section. If you are going to strip the floor though, make sure that you know the type of linoleum flooring used, otherwise you could cause more damage than the simple stain.
• Replace that section. Similar to stripping the damaged section of flooring, you can also replace that particular section that has been stained. Using a utility knife cut out the damaged section in an even, straight pattern (such as a large square, or rectangle). Take the cut section of flooring to your local home improvement store and purchase a replacement piece. Once you have purchased that piece of flooring, you can take it home and install it. Often, all you will need to do is glue the linoleum in place, and you are done. However, keep in mind that you should try to match up the pattern as much as possible, so that your patchwork is less noticeable.
• Replace the flooring. You can also use this particularly stubborn stain as an excuse to replace the entire floor. If you were thinking about a change in your kitchen or bathroom, then use this opportunity to create that change. While expensive, this method will guarantee that you have removed that stain, and that your floor will be looking like new in virtually no time at all. In a situation where you are replacing the flooring, about the most difficult aspect will be to decide what type of flooring to go with, and who will be doing the work.