How to Remove Pumpkin Stains from Hardwood

Whether a pumpkin pie spilled on the floor or your jack-o’-lantern rotted and left a stain, you can use the solutions below to restore your hardwood floor or table.

• Toothpaste
• A lint-free cloth
• Turpentine
• Steel wool
• An enzyme-digestant cleaner, such as Nature’s Miracle Hard Floor Cleaner
• Lemon oil

1. Moisten a lint-free cloth and place some non-gel toothpaste on the cloth. Rub the toothpaste over the pumpkin stain in circles until the stain is removed.¹
2. Select an enzyme-digestant cleaner² that is safe for hardwood or water-safe surfaces, such as Nature’s Miracle Hard Floor Cleaner. Follow the instructions on the bottle of your selected cleaner.
3. Dip a fine grade of steel wool into some turpentine. Test the turpentine and steel wool on a small, inconspicuous area and if the wood is not damaged, use the turpentine and steel wool to remove the pumpkin stain.¹
4. After cleaning, use lemon oil to buff and polish the area.¹

• Place a plastic tablecloth or several paper plates under your Halloween pumpkin to prevent stains.¹
• Pumpkin stains can be removed from hands by rubbing with a piece of potato.³ Consider trying this solution on the floor as well.

1. How The Queen Cleans Everything by Linda Cobb
2. Field Guide To Stains by Virginia M. Friedman, Melissa Wagner and Nancy Armstrong
3. Extraordinary Uses For Ordinary Things by Reader’s Digest