How do you get oil off wood floors

[watersnake]

My safflower oil that I use to jelq with has dripped on my unfinished wood floor. It looks horrendous. How do I get it off? I tried swiffering it but that didn't really help! I need help.

[youforme93]

If the floors are un-finished I would try acetone first. If that doesn't work then you will need to sand the affected spot.

[bballer123]

google

[Ultimatepeepee]

I worked on hardwood floors with my dad since I was around 13 years old, so I've had some experience with this type of situation. First of all, I don't know why the floor is unfinished. If it is in the process of being sanded and finished by a professional then it's no big deal, they'll simply sand it out in a few seconds with a Hummel sander, or edger. Hell, you can even grab a wood scraper, file and a small piece of fine grit sandpaper and take it out yourself, but depending on how much oil was spilled, it can soak in pretty deep.

Also, if you don't sand at least some of the surrounding area you'll see and feel a pretty noticeable dip. If the oil is too deep into the wood then the affected area will need to be torn out and replaced. A professional should be able to identify the type of hardwood you have installed based on color and grain, so it should match pretty well.

My suggestion. Have a professional appraise the situation. Most will do it for free, and draw up a contract. Oh, and have them sand and triple coat it with a durable polyurethane based finish. This is exactly why we finish floors, to protect them from spills and scratches. Otherwise in the meantime throw rugs work wonders when it comes to hiding stains.
Hope that helps!

One final note. Be careful what you do with chemicals on bare wood. You can dry out the natural oils present in the floor or even cause a more noticeable stain.