Greasy food spilled on wood floor. Wood is finished, but very worn. Maybe that's why I can't get rid of the grease. Have tried two consumer wood cleaners that I had on hand -- Bruce and Ace. Result: Zip.
Am reluctant to get into big-time expensive refinishing, as it is not a large patch, but ugly and annoying.
Also worried about bleach: (a) would it remove the grease, and (b) would it create big refinishing problems.
Anybody know of a product that might get the grease out?
TIA
Amiga
On 2/15/2009 7:34 PM snipped-for-privacy@nospam.com spake thus:
Any oil-based solvent will work. I'd start with naphtha, which is pretty harmless (at least compared with worse stuff like gasoline, lacquer thinner, etc.). Cheapest way to get it is to buy some charcoal lighter. Squirt it on, let it soak, wipe off with rags or paper towels. Keep a window open or otherwise ventilate the room. Should get the grease right out.
a) TRY alt.woodworking.
b) I'm pretty sure it will fade, but not entirely except for a long long time, so if you think it's good, use David's technique so there will be less left there and less to fade.
I have some lacquer thinner. Why is that "worse stuff"?
While we're on the subject: Have always wondered what's the difference between lacquer thinner and plain old paint thinner.
I found this exchange on the Web:
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"On numerous occasions I've seen where "mineral spirits" is used to thin treasure gold waxes(gold and silver colors). I've used lacquer thinner to thin these wax colors, and wonder if it makes a difference. Paint thinner...lacquer thinner....mineral spirits... kinda confusing on what they are and when to use which one with what....EH?
"I would not recommend lacquer thinner. Lacquer quickly dissolves the pigment, while paint thinner or "mineral spirits" just takes a little longer. Make no mistake...paint thinner will destroy your paint job, but it usually takes a lot, and a while. Lacquer will destroy it almost immediately. Of course, there are exceptions to most rules, and I am continuously amazed at how some folks on this forum are able to make the impossible...possible. We learn something new every day!"
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Is this relevant to my problem? Is the speed of action the basic difference, or?
Sounds like lacquer thinner might not only lift out the grease, but the floor finish as well.
Would your other suggestions, starting with naphtha, be less drastic?
Awaiting Your Wisdom
Amiga
Have never had your particular problem, but have used mineral spirits on wood for all sorts of conditions. It is safe to use on good, finished furniture to remove gummy, old furniture wax (it is also an ingredient in real furniture wax). It is a solvent. Mineral spirits would be my first try - just wet a clean cloth and wet the grease spot well. Let it soak for a minute or two and then blot up with a dry paper towel or cloth. Repeat if needed. It is kind of oily, but will dry. You probably should let it dry for a day before moving on to other solvents. If it doesn't seem to take out the grease, the next step would be denatured alcohol (flammable - be careful) which should also dissolve the grease but can soften finish or some stain.
Cat litter can be used to soak up oil, and have used it on concrete but never on wood; might leave gray residue.
Lacquer thinner is likely to dissolve finish, which you do not want. I have used mineral spirits to clean finished wood with no harm to finish. M.s. cleans grease and wax nicely...have used it to clean gummy old grease from cabinets prior to painting. Also used to wash off stripper when refinishing furniture. Flammable but not as potent as some.
on 2/16/2009 5:01 AM (ET) snipped-for-privacy@nospam.com wrote the following:
Lacquer thinner only comes in metal cans with metal caps. Mineral Spirits can come in plastic bottles. Draw your own conclusions.
if it stained the wood you have no finish to protect it, I bet its dark and absorbed in wood maybe deeper than a cleaner will clean. paint thinner , laquer thinner, gasolene, maybe. Is a gas stove with lit pilot nearby, remember fumes ignite not liqued.
if it stained the wood you have no finish to protect it, I bet its dark and absorbed in wood maybe deeper than a cleaner will clean. paint thinner , laquer thinner, gasolene, maybe. Is a gas stove with lit pilot nearby, remember fumes ignite not liqued.
I never understood why people put hardwood floors in the kitchen/dining areas...I know it looks pretty in the magazines but the problems in real life make it seem pretty stupid...IMHO....
Chlorinated organic compounds are the most powerful of grease attacking solvents. Unfortunately, most of the hairiest ones are now off the market, i.e., trichloroethylene, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, many of the Freons. However, methylene chloride is a major constituent of some paint strippers, and should go after a grease spill very effectively. Obviously the finish will be removed as well, but since refinishing the damage is needed anyway, this should be the best way to prepare the area. Follow the directions on the product label and use the suggested safety precautions. Methylene chloride will not affect the wood at all and should effectively get all the grease in an application or two depending on severity. Alkaline compounds will react with the fatty acids in grease (that's how soap is made) but since they are usually an aqueous mixture the wood will be damaged. Of course that leaves out common bleach, Detergent based wood cleaners, as you found out, are not very effective. There are a wide array of organic solvents in paint departments and stores that will go after some of the grease in varying degrees. They may be suitable for preliminary cleanup before aggressive prefinishing treatment is begun. HTH
Joe
Most solvents will dissolve the finish at least some. You've already had good advice on most of them. I would use either naptha or denatured alcohol. Denatured alcohol is just close-to-pure ethyl alcohol with some methyl (usually) alcohol added to make it undrinkable. The alcohol will only lift shellac, and I'm sure that's _not_ on your floor.
You need 5-7 coats of poly for any life, refinishers usualy do the minimum.I have pergo but it shows dirt and I drop a pan and its chipped. But right wood in a kitchen is a risk, did you ever see carpet in a kitchen I have!
Should get it out, Ive redone alot of wood that only sanding restores color, the floor is stained.
This is a bedroom. I was watching TV while eating off my dinner tray, and it spilled.
Thanks, Joe - that is very helpful, as well as being a good addition to my tiny data bank
If I get the grease off, along with what's left of the finish, then I'm faced with refinishing the area, which I know zip about. The last time wood floors were refinished was about 45 or more years ago, after a fire. I have NO clue what was used and how to match it.
Also, to avoid weird spotty appearance, I would have to remove finish in a defined area, including OK portions, rather than just as the grease sprayed out in a random pattern, as sprays do.
Sigh!
What if I just waxed it heavily and prayed a lot? (Nobody listens to me Up There.)
Amiga
If it's in a your bedroom just put a nice throw rug over it and be done with it...The way you made it sound it was in an area where all would see....ie kitchen/dining area.....I hate when folks ask questions without giving all the info....
On 2/16/2009 9:46 AM snipped-for-privacy@nospam.com spake thus:
You do *not* want to use paint stripper (methylene chloride, as suggested above)--trust me. Couple reasons: first of all, methylene chloride is nasty stuff: carcinogenic, among other things. But more importantly, you don't want to remove the finish: you just want to get the grease out.
The best things to use are 1) mineral solvents (like naphtha as I suggested, mineral spirits or paint *thinner*, all basically the same stuff), or 2) denatured alcohol. I think the mineral spirits will do a better job of dissolving grease than alcohol will.
If some of the finish is gone, it's not that hard to refinish some small patches, using varnish of various types (polyurethane, alkyd, etc.). That's a separate issue. Probably some threads here that deal with that problem, or you can find books that show you how to do it. No need to strip, sand and refinish the whole damn floor.
We've had that conversation before. MC is as harmless as paint. It just looks and smells bad, much like my ex-wife. Come to think on it, she wasn't exactly harmless...
Not the same stuff: Naptha is carcinogenic, paint thinner is not. Denatured alcohol is carcinogenic. In fact, the grease he's trying to remove may be more cancer-causing than anything mentioned so far.
True. Further, the worst that can happen is he has to buy a rug.
On 2/16/2009 12:21 PM HeyBub spake thus:
Bullshit. Sez you.
Nope. Only if it contains benzene.
Again, bullshit. Show me a MSDS that says that for methanol.
I had a similar problem on a coffee table. I used Goof Off and then went over it with some wipe on poly. It took several applications of the Goof Off to get it out.
Jimmie
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