Ask Mrs. Clean: House Cleaning, Stain Removal and Organizing Tips

[afrank]

Hi. I'm house-sitting for a friend who is overseas.
The house cleaner came the other day and wiped down a wood surface in the kitchen with a type of oil for cleaning and protecting wood. Then she placed a plastic bag (the supermarket type) on top of the wood surface, apparently while it was still wet.
Later, when I removed the plastic bag - it left an imprint on the wood. The ink from the supermarket logo that was printed on the bag somehow transferred onto the wood.
It doesn't seem to rub off easily just using some paper towel or cloth. I haven't tried using any detergents because I don't know much about how to deal with wood.
Can someone please give me some tips as to how I might remove these stains?
Although it wasn't my fault, I feel bad about leaving it that way for my friend when she returns.
Thanks

[mrscleannw]

Hello afrank,

Welcome to the forum.

The first thing you want to do is call the cleaning company back and take a picture of the surface that is stained. If the plastic bag was left behind by the cleaner and the stain happened as a result of that, it is the responsibility of the cleaning company. They should be willing to come out and fix the problem at no charge to your friend.

If they cannot fix the stain, the next step is for them to call a professional to come out and fix the surface. If a professional is required, it may take a light sanding then stained and polished again.

Let us know what the outcome is.

Mrs. Clean

[afrank]

Hi Mrs Clean. I'll speak to my friend (the owner of the home) about it when she gets back. So, from what I understand - there's no simple DIY treatment, right? Only a professional.... :(

[mrscleannw]

Hello again afrank,

There are some DIY treatments you can try but the best method is to contact the cleaning company as soon as possible so they are responsible for the damage and the cost.

Most importantly if you can't remove the stain yourself then there is no recourse and the owner will be responsible for the cost of repair.

Although you really should contact the cleaning company before too long, you can try the manufacturer, you can check and see if they have an approved cleaning method for this type of stain or if you know the type of oil that the cleaner used you can try to reapply and lightly rub on the transferred stain to see if that takes out the stain.

Mrs. Clean