I just got an email from Texas, apparently she accidentally ended up getting some oil-based stain on the bathroom floor tile – wanted some advice. What would you do? Here’s what I suggested:

Okay. Stain on tile. Is the tile sealed or unsealed? Does it have a glazed finish or is it more porous? The reason I ask is that we want to take the approach of doing the least amount of harm possible to try and remedy the situation, and believe it or not, but an unglazed tile might actually fare better in this situation.

I am guessing that good old soap and water did nothing. So, the next step is to try a product called Krud Kutter. This is my favorite miracle product. You might see some de-glossing of the finish – that is always the risk, but this stuff can work wonders. I use it for a myriad of cleaning tasks – and its non-toxic.

If that doesn’t work, your next option is to try paint thinner. Again, we are starting from least harmful steps first. A nylon scrub pad and the paint thinner might be just the ticket.
If THAT doesn’t work, you could try lacquer thinner, but you will definitely be affecting the tile itself. So I would avoid this if possible.

Finally, keep the lights low and don’t look too close!

If I hear what happened, I’ll let you know.