AN INK SPOT OF BOTHER
Stubborn stain from wet newspaper bag an unwelcome addition to pale-finished floor
Q My son threw the home-delivered Washington Post into the house when the bag was wet. Now our wood floor seems to be permanently stained with The Post’s logo. I tried Bona, Lestoil, vinegar and baking soda, Clorox wipes, and Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Nothing worked. Any advice?
A Ink doesn’t usually transfer from newspaper bags to floors, says Michael Heid, who, as administration and facilities manager for Washington Post, purchases the bags from vendor Continental Products. “This happens from time to time when the bag collects dew from the grass or sits in water for an extended period, but overall, it is rare.”
The vendor, which uses solvent-based ink on the bags, says warm water and detergent sometimes remove ink stains, Heid said. But the steps you’ve already taken make that unlikely to be enough. The vendor suggests you try rubbing alcohol. Mineral spirits (also known as paint thinner), and acetone, the solvent in traditional nail polish removers, would probably also work, but they are more hazardous to work with. Acetone in particular poses a risk of damaging some floor finishes.
The big caveat, however, is that you need to test first to make sure the solvent doesn’t affect the finish on your floor. Rubbing alcohol damages some furniture finishes. Acetone is a strong solvent — so strong that it’s even labelled as a paint stripper. Mineral spirits isn’t as aggressive, so it’s what Rusty Swindoll, the technical services manager for the National Wood Flooring Association, recommended trying, although he didn’t know the specific ink used on the bags. He worries rubbing alcohol evaporates so quickly that you might smear the ink across a larger area as you try to wipe it off.
To test your floor, find an out-ofthe-way area — a closet floor, for example. Rub a tiny area with the solvent. Because you have a whitewashed floor, use a coloured cloth to make sure you can see any finish that transfers to the cloth. It’s possible your floor has a paint-type finish to create the whitewashed look, topped by a clear finish to keep the white layer from wearing off. So if the cloth doesn’t whiten, shine a bright light at various angles to see if the solvent dulled the surface. Rubbing alcohol and mineral spirits don’t harm most cured floor finishes. Acetone usually won’t damage conversion varnish, two-part polyurethane, UV-cured finish or epoxy resin, so if your flooring has one of these as a topcoat, you might be OK with any of the solvents.
If it seems safe to proceed, switch to using a cotton swab rather than a cloth as a precision tool to apply the solvent and rub against the stain. If the solvent works against the ink on your floor, it should lift quickly. Change to a fresh swab as soon as the first one gets black from the ink.
Rubbing alcohol is typically 30 per cent water. Although the vapours in high concentrations can be flammable, there’s little risk when using it in small amounts. Mineral spirits and acetone are also flammable, with acetone posing the greatest risk. If vapours build up, a spark or a flame can set off an explosion. Have good ventilation, and limit release of fumes by keeping the container capped except when you are moistening a cotton swab. You can buy odourless mineral spirits. Acetone has a nasty smell, but this solvent is actually less hazardous than many other solvents.
Mineral spirits can leave an oily residue, but rubbing alcohol and acetone do not. Whatever you use, Swindoll said, it’s important to wipe the surface when you are finished to remove any residue. He recommends using a soft cloth moistened with a bit of water — not a soaking-wet rag.
The Washington Post