How to remove alcohol stains from wood. Alcohol stains aren’t purely alcohol. They’re a mix of alcohol and dyes, syrups and juices sugars, or other elements from the environment.
This can cause more lasting effects than pure alcohol because it produces color on its own that can become embedded in the wood.
Because the color derives from combusting an additional item, it cannot be washed out with straight alcohol. Minimize contact between your furniture and alcoholic drinks by wiping up spills rapidly and thoroughly, even if they seem like they’re already dry.
Make sure your furniture is properly protected with a clear finish and you should never have to worry about this.
How to remove alcohol stains from wood
Many alcoholic drinks have a larger footprint than others; gin and vodka are relatively easy to clean up, while red wine can be particularly troublesome.
When it comes to cocktails that use wine, they’re not so much the alcohol you have to worry about but the actual juice from the grape.
This juice acts as a dye of sorts and sinks deeper into the wood pores if left too long before being washed away. You may have to bleach the wood in order to get out some stains.
Any fresh liquid should be blotted up
Blot up any fresh liquid (with a towel or rag) rather than wiping it up with a cloth. You’ll only force the dye deeper into the surface of the finish or the wood grain if you wipe.
Clean the affected area
Use a solution of dish soap per gallon of warm water. Dish soap cuts through sugars and other flavoring ingredients in alcoholic drinks, as well as removing many that have penetrated into the fabric fibers of clothing.
In addition, it will also remove some dye stains from dyes that weren’t applied with a heavy hand.
You should rub the spot
By rubbing the spot with wax or linseed oil, any alcohol residue will be removed. If the stain is old and you think it has left behind some abrasive action, try mixing wax or linseed oil with rottenstone and rubbing it into the grain.
Sand away the damaged finish
Stains caused by alcohol or dye may be removed by sanding the finish and applying stain with 120-grit sandpaper. Alternatively, you can try chlorinating the stained area with bleach to see if that helps.
Bleach the discolored area
If you’re getting a stain such as mildew out of white fabric, place an equal part of bleach and water into a spray bottle. Shake it well, spray it onto the discolored area and let it stand untouched for at least twelve hours.
If you see that the rust has disappeared in the morning, do not wash it in your washing machine with bleach as this will fade the fabric’s color.
Wash it instead with warm running water without using any detergent to completely remove all traces of bleach from the fabric.
Applying 120-grit sandpaper
Sanding may seem like an easy task when it’s just the small things you have to take care of around your home, but sanding can get pretty complicated depending on what exactly needs to be done.
For example, if you have a wood stain that is too deep on a piece of furniture, it tends to get much more difficult and strenuous as you try to remove its top layers without damaging the wood beneath.
If this sounds like something that you’ve encountered before, your best bet for making things easier is by going out and purchasing some correct-sized 120-grit sandpaper and using a pull scraper tool in order to remove the areas of wood that need to be replaced with fresh ones from your sanding.
Replacing the finish with a brush
Make sure you let each coat of stain dry thoroughly before the next one. Sand it using 220-grit sandpaper between each coat to ensure that your floor will be worthy of store-bought sturdiness when you’re finished.
Related Guides