Jeanne asked: How do I remove stains on vinyl flooring? The island in our kitchen has rubber wheels that have caused yellow stains that penetrated the vinyl flooring. Are there any remedies for removing the stains?
When
rubber comes in contact with vinyl, it creates a chemical reaction which causes the discoloration. While many say the yellowing cannot be reversed, there are some methods that have been successful for some. Though linoleum is different from vinyl, when it comes to removing the yellowing, the methods remain the same. See our guide How to Remove Yellow Stains from Linoleum Flooring for easy methods that may remove the stains from your vinyl flooring. If those methods don’t work, the stains are likely permanent.
Everyone has some stupid remedy for removing tile stains. None work. Everybody is a genius.
I totally agree with Wayne, NOTHING removes the yellow stains from your linoleum. Things I have tried at one time or another have been: baking soda, 100-percent bleach from the bottle, Yellow Out for clothes, Gum Out, lighter fluid, and Krud Cutter. NO, not all at the same time. Did NOT remove any yellowing and did not hurt the floor. Worthless! The only answer is either to use throw rugs or get a new floor and make sure it’s a darker one.
I live in a rental unit with a vinyl floor in our kitchen area. We have an island with a black plastic caster. Every where the casters have been for several weeks, they leave a yellow stain. Ugg. I have tried many cleaning products to lift the stain, but to no avail. I thought maybe it might be from something the manufacturing process left behind in the casters.
After trying everything everyone else suggested, even resorting to trying to lightly sand the floor to no avail, I have found the answer… Bear in mind I have a very light-coloured marble look vinyl and a nice yellow circle was left from a rubber plunger. This will probably not work on darker vinyls. I sprayed a hair product on mine, specifically the Schwarzkofp S1 lightening spray; after two days, the stain was almost gone. Weird I know…
I used Cascade dishwaher soap, just a little at a time.
Professional strength Goof Off will remove it. The stain is within the vinyl floor’s shiny polyurethane coating. Goof Off will remove the coating and the yellow. The proof will be when using white paper toweling, it will turn yellow. Goof Off is a volotile chemical, highly evaporative. Turn on exhaust fans, open windows, use protection for hands and breathing. Once done and no more yellow comes on fresh white toweling…once dry, apply up to 3 coats of liquid floor wax.
And if the wax is already removed and its the tiles themselves that are yellowing?
Open windows; good advice, but be careful when using volatile materials and turning on a vent fan … if the motor is not sealed against volatile fumes, like the old one I have, you’re sending explosive materials into a sparking motor. And, don’t use gasoline to clean your floors. Yup, someone did that a few years ago and burnt their house down. Not sure on all the specifics, but it happened.
Our kitchen flooring is mostly a white vinyl (Mannington Gold) with small flowers on it in the corners of the pattern (every twelve inches). The area that has become discolored is where the warm air blows on it from the HVAC vent that comes out under a cabinet in the corner of the kitchen. The area exactly correlates to the area of the vent. I’ve tried about everything and am to the point that I figure it’s hopeless and will end up buying a long carpet runner that goes all the way to that corner. But a woman can hope… Does anyone have a solution (besides the runner)?
I have a white kitchen with white linoleum on it. The complete floor has turned yellow. Is there anything that can reverse it back to the origional white or is it the glue under the lilonleum that is coming up through?
Maralyn,
All-over yellowing is probably from oxidation of the linseed oil that linoleum is treated with. Try the methods in the guide How to Remove Yellow Stains from Flooring.
Nothing removes these yellow stains so don’t waste your time or money. Get new flooring. One that won’t show the yellow. It’s the only way.