Patience and work will grind everything down, or how to wash brilliant green from linoleum at home
Two or three drops of brilliant green that fall on linoleum can ruin the floor covering forever. At first glance, it seems that the only way out of this situation is to completely replace the floor covering.
This is wrong. Provided you respond promptly to the appearance of green marks and use numerous methods for removing green marks, there is a chance to completely restore the original appearance of linoleum.
We’ll tell you in this article how and what you can use to clean a stain from brilliant green from linoleum.
Content
What to do first?
To remove a green stain from linoleum without leaving any residue, You need to remember two rules for preparing for cleaning:
- Cleaning begins as soon as the green stuff has spilled on the floor. Every minute you delay the beginning of the cleaning process reduces the chances of complete removal of contamination.
- A fresh trace of brilliant green is first blotted (with a cloth or paper napkin) and only then treated with a cleaning composition.
It is very important to blot rather than rub the stain (thereby increasing its area).
Only after the preparatory measures have been carried out can the main cleaning begin.
How can I remove a stain?
There are a sufficient number of ways to remove brilliant green stains from linoleum, but It’s still better to start cleaning with the most gentle and health-safe products.
Laundry soap
A fresh stain of brilliant green can be removed from linoleum using laundry soap (72%).
Algorithm of actions:
- grated soap (4 tbsp) is dissolved in 0.5 liters of very hot water;
- The stain is generously moistened with a still hot soapy solution and left for at least four hours;
- Afterwards the surface is washed off with warm water.
Lemon
A quarter of a fresh lemon will quickly remove a trace of brilliant green from linoleum.
Algorithm of actions:
- Grind a slice of one lemon (with seeds, if possible) in a blender to a paste.
- The resulting puree is carefully distributed over the brilliant green stain on the floor covering, covered with gauze and left for thirty minutes. Lemon fades the stain, returning the linoleum to its original appearance.
After using lemon, the floor must be washed with hot water and soap. This will help eliminate possible differences in the shade of the cleaned and previously unstained surface.
Hydrogen peroxide
A product that is in every home medicine cabinet - hydrogen peroxide (6%) will help quickly clean brilliant green stains from linoleum.
Algorithm of actions:
- I moisten a terry cloth generously with peroxide and apply it to the stain on the floor;
- after fifteen minutes, the green mark is wiped with the same napkin until it disappears completely.
If hydrogen peroxide is not available, chlorhexedine can be used as a replacement.
Table vinegar and potassium permanganate
To remove green stains from synthetic flooring, you can use a mixture of vinegar and potassium permanganate. Preparing the cleaning product is simple: just mix 150 ml of vinegar and a few crystals of potassium permanganate. After moistening a soft cloth in the resulting mixture, wipe the stain several times.
How to remove with medical alcohol?
A universal remedy for stains of any origin is medical alcohol.
It is enough to fold the gauze in several layers and moisten it thoroughly with alcohol. (no need to squeeze out excess) and wipe the stain. To avoid leaving streaks on the floor, it is better to start wiping the dirt from the edges, gradually moving towards the center.
As soon as the green mark begins to lighten, it is covered with a napkin moistened with alcohol and left alone for three hours. During this time, the brilliant green will dissolve and not a trace will remain of the stain.
Kerosene
Kerosene can remove traces of brilliant green on linoleum. It is enough to cover the stain with a napkin soaked generously in kerosene and leave for sixty minutes. Afterwards the floor is wiped with a sponge rubbed with soap.
White Spirit
The brilliant green that has already been absorbed into the floor covering is perfectly removed by white spirit.
Algorithm of actions:
- Cover the stain of brilliant green on the linoleum with a cloth soaked generously in solvent.
- After two hours, the green mark is sprinkled with baking soda and watered with vinegar (2 tbsp is enough)
- During the process of a chemical reaction (the stain is covered with a large amount of foam), particles of brilliant green are released from the thickness of the floor covering and all that remains is to remove the contamination with a damp hoe.
How to clean different types of coating?
In order not to completely spoil the linoleum, the method of removing brilliant green stains is selected based on the type of flooring material.
So, cheap linoleum without a pile or foam backing cannot be cleaned with products containing acetone, abrasive powders, or alcohol (a thin base simply will not withstand such compounds).
The best option for removing brilliant green from this type of flooring is baking soda and vinegar. It's simple: first cover the stain with baking soda and then pour vinegar over it..
During a chemical reaction, particles of brilliant green are released from the thickness of the synthetic coating. All that remains is to wipe the effervescent mixture along with the brilliant green with a damp sponge.
Linoleum with a foam base can be cleaned with products containing chlorine. As an option, a stain of brilliant green is treated with Whiteness.
Dense linoleum with a felt base is the most wear-resistant flooring option. It can be cleaned with any means, abrasive powders. For example, Nail polish remover will help quickly remove a dried stain of brilliant green..
It is enough to treat the trace of brilliant green with a cotton pad moistened with nail polish remover and leave it for twenty minutes (do not remove the cotton wool from the stain). After this treatment, the stain can be easily removed with a clean damp cloth or sponge.
How to restore the surface after cleaning?
Removing green stains from linoleum does not leave its mark on the appearance of the coating. Most often, the treated areas lose their gloss, abrasions appear, and a slight change in color is possible.
Restore the original appearance of linoleum The following tools will help:
- cow's milk diluted with water (ratio 1:1);
- boiled potatoes;
- a few drops of linseed oil or drying oil.
Rub any of the above products onto an area of linoleum previously cleared of brilliant green.
They not only restore the lost gloss of the floor covering, but also create an additional protective layer that extends the life of linoleum.
Before you begin restoring the original appearance of the floor covering, it must be washed over the entire area with warm water and liquid detergent. This will help level out the transition between the previously treated area of the floor and the intact linoleum.
What not to do and why?
Despite the fact that linoleum is a durable and wear-resistant material, There are several points that can spoil the appearance of the floor covering:
- Dry powders and abrasives. Coarse particles of such products scratch the top layer of linoleum (especially noticeable on plain glossy surfaces).
Scuffs very quickly become clogged with dust and dirt, causing the flooring to take on an unkempt appearance.
- Bleaching, chlorine-containing compounds. Prolonged contact with such products discolors linoleum (by destroying a stain of brilliant green, there is a risk of getting a whitish trace in return).
- Product with a high alkaline content.At the same time that alkali eats away complex old stains from the surface of linoleum, it changes the structure of the material, making it brittle and brittle (cracks and breaks appear at the site of removed contamination).
Cleaning linoleum from brilliant green stains rarely takes place without the use of aggressive chemical compounds. Therefore, you cannot clean without protecting your hands with rubber gloves (there are high risks of chemical burns and severe allergic reactions).
Adviсe
Did you know that:
- the alcohol particles contained in the brilliant green begin to spread when in contact with water (do not rub the stain on the linoleum with wet wipes or wet rags);
- acetone is not the best remedy for removing brilliant green stains, but if there is no way out, then blot the dirt on the floor with a cotton pad soaked in acetone, trying not to touch clean surfaces;
- so that after removing the brilliant green stain with alcohol there are no streaks left on the linoleum, the floor must be wiped with a sponge soaked in a soap solution.
You will find useful tips and recommendations for washing brilliant green from various surfaces. here.
Video on the topic of the article
The video will tell you how and how to remove brilliant green from linoleum:
Conclusion
Removing stubborn stains of brilliant green from linoleum is a complex process. But a little patience (the stain is not always cleaned the first time) and with the right product and floor covering it will regain its original appearance.