# Removing stains from linoleum.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 5, 2001, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-stains-from-linoleum/67704 "2001-06-05T17:55:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jadis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@Jadis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jadis)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-stains-from-linoleum/67704/1 "2001-06-05T17:55:01Z")
Last summer, my landlord put brand new linoleum in my kitchen. The linoleum is light grey. A few months after it was installed, I noticed when I moved one of my kitchen chairs that there were yellow stains under the chair where the rubber on the end of each leg had been sitting on the linoleum. Apparently there has been some sort of reaction between the rubber and the linoleum…I discovered that all 4 of the chairs and the table legs had done the same thing to some degree. The first chair I noticed it on is one that is rarely moved because it’s the chair closest to the wall…the chair I sit in frequently has apprently not been in one place long enough to cause the same stain (although there are slight markings under the commonly used chair, but nowhere near as bad as the stationary chair). I’m going to be moving out of my apartment soon, and I don’t want to lose part or all of my security deposit over these stains on the linoleum. Is there any product I can buy to treat this sort of thing? Standard floor cleaners, degreasers, etc. haven’t helped at all. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Jadis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@Jadis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jadis)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-stains-from-linoleum/67704/2 "2001-06-05T23:01:40Z")
No one has any advice for me? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-stains-from-linoleum/67704/3 "2001-06-05T23:10:27Z")
No advice, but I hope you get some. I have the same problem in our bathroom. For some unfathomable reason, the rubber/plastic feet on our bathroom scale have left yellow marks on the floor. Maybe I’ll do a search and see what I can come up with. My pessimistic guess is that this is just a problem with the cheap linoleum our landlords bought. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-stains-from-linoleum/67704/4 "2001-06-05T23:13:50Z")
[howtocleananything.com](http://howtocleananything.com) might have some info. Why not just scrub it? If it won’t come off, it could be moisture under that linoleum, in that case you can’t do a thing. Moisture that gets under it causes it to look like that too. I know, I have some. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-stains-from-linoleum/67704/5 "2001-06-05T23:14:15Z")
Hmmmm. Yep. This would suggest that we’re pretty much screwed: [http://www.floorspecs.com/flooring\_forums/general/thread.cfm?threadid=321&messages=8](http://www.floorspecs.com/flooring_forums/general/thread.cfm?threadid=321&messages=8). However, another site suggested trying 409 carpet cleaner, or diluted ammonia. ---
**Author:** ![Jadis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@Jadis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jadis)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-stains-from-linoleum/67704/6 "2001-06-05T23:15:33Z")
If there’s no way to remove the stains, let me add on this question for any landlords out there: If you had a tenant in my situation, would you hold back part of their security deposit over something like this? It’s not like I deliberately damaged property, and there doesn’t appear to be anything I can do about it. Plus, the next person who moves in will most likely put a table in the same spot I have mine, which means that the spots on the floor are unlikely to show very much. Am I worry about this too much? ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2001, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-stains-from-linoleum/67704/7 "2001-06-06T01:05:26Z")
Have you tried a light abrasive like Comet? If the stain is only in the sufrace layer, you might be able to rub it away. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2001, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-stains-from-linoleum/67704/8 "2001-06-07T02:02:37Z")
It’s not fair that you should have to pay for something you didn’t intentionally damage… but then again, it doesn’t seem fair that the landlord should have to pay to replace it again either. He didn’t damage it. On the other hand, I guess it really doesn’t need to be replaced - it’s stained, not unusable. I think you’ll have to seek professional advice on this one. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2001, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-stains-from-linoleum/67704/9 "2001-06-07T04:27:06Z")
It sounds like the stains should fall under “normal wear and tear” Did the landlord ever warn you that contact with rubber could damage the floor ? If not, is it reasonable to expect a tenant to test all surfaces for chemical compatibility with their furniture ? Is it possible that the landlord intentionally installed a floor that was easily damaged in order to increase the chances that he could keep your security deposit ? This seems like something you could have fun with in court.