Did you know that you can stain your hardwood floors using certain household products?

It’s a great way to limit your exposure to VOCs by staining the floor with an all-natural solution, instead of harsh chemicals.

Here’s how you can easily stain a floor using white vinegar and steel wool to achieve a gray-aged look:

You can give your white oak floors an aged look by staining them with iron acetate. Iron acetate is easily created by soaking steel wool in white vinegar.

Let the vinegar and steel wool sit overnight to three days. (You can also use nuts and bolts instead of steel wool.) Strain the mixture several times. Apply the stain to the floor using rags or a brush.

Because this is a reactive mixture, the effect is dependent on the amount and types of extractives in the wood that you apply it to, but it should result in a gray-aged look.

A floor stained with iron acetate should be finished with dewaxed shellac, oil-modified urethane, or conversion varnish.

This homemade floor stain works best on white oak floors. Before using the stain, remove previous coats of finish by sanding the floors. The results will vary, and depend on the amount of extractives in the wood, as well as the presence of previous stains.

Always test out your stain in an inconspicuous area of the room and monitor the results before applying it to the entire floor.

For any questions, speak with our wood flooring experts at (800) 787-1786 or info@cityfloorsupply.com.