How To Get Christmas Tree Sap Off of a Wood Floor

Nothing adds to the festive mood more than a Christmas tree. While you can use an artificial tree, it will not have the aroma of a freshly cut tree. Equally, artificial Christmas trees are not as beautiful, and they are not sustainable.

Unfortunately, you may have to deal with tree sap when you use a live tree. All trees commonly used as Christmas trees, including spruce, pine, and fir, secrete sap and resin. When left alone, the sap can ruin your wood floors and is also a health risk to your pets.

You must remove tree sap from the floor immediately after you see them. However, using the wrong cleaning supplies can ruin your wood floors. Luckily there are readily available items, such as oil soap and cooking oil, that can remove the sap safely and effectively.

This article discusses ways to remove sap from wood floors. We’ll also share tips on preventing tree sap from dropping on your floor. We also answer some common questions about removing sap from wood floors in the FAQ section of the article.

4 Ways To Remove Christmas Tree Sap From Wood Floors

Trees in the pine family produce sap for self-defense against insects and pests and for transporting food throughout the tree. Even when you use a tree skirt, tree sap might still find its way through the fabric onto your floor. Cleaning the sap from solid wood or engineered wood floors can be challenging because you can not use just any cleaning agent since you risk damaging the floor.

It is best to remove sap from such floors using gentle methods such as:

1. Using Oil Soap

Here’s how to remove Christmas tree sap from your wood floor using oil soap.

• Pour several drops of oil soap used for hardwood cleaning.
• Leave it on the floor for about 10-15 minutes.
• Wipe off the soap using a cloth or paper towel.
• Scrub off the sap using a soft-bristled cleansing brush.
• Wipe the floor surface using a sponge or damp microfiber cloth until the sap residue and the oil soap is gone.

2. Try Cooking Oil or Vegetable Shortening

If you don’t have oil soap, cooking oil might be a viable solution.

Follow these steps to use cooking oil to remove tree sap from your wood floor.

• Spill several drops of cooking oil (olive or coconut oil) on the spot with sap.
• Allow it to sit on for at least 10 minutes. The oil will loosen the sap making it easier to remove it.
• Use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe the oil.
• Scrub off the sap using a non-scratch sponge or a soft-bristled brush.
• Use your wood floor cleaner to wipe down the surface to prevent it from being a trip hazard because of the slippery nature of oil.

3. Using Ice

Placing ice on sap will cause it to harden, making it easy to remove.

Here are the steps to remove sap from your wood floors using ice.

• Place an ice cube or several on the spot with the sap.
• Leave it on the floor’s surface for about 10-15 minutes
• After 15 minutes, the sap will have dried. Pick it up using your fingernail, a plastic knife, or a razor blade. Whichever item you use, place it almost parallel to the floor to avoid scraping or scratching the floor.
• Afterward, use a wood floor cleaner to remove any sap residue.

4. Use Acetone or Rubbing Alcohol

Depending on the finish type on your wood floors, you can use a small amount of acetone to remove tree sap. Acetone is popularly sold as a nail polish remover and is a powerful solvent. Sometimes, it can remove the wood finish and thus ruin your floor.

It is best to patch-test the acetone on an inconspicuous part of your floor. Put a small amount of nail polish remover on a cotton swab and dab it on an inconspicuous surface on the floor. Most polyurethane finishes can withstand small amounts of acetone, but be careful not to overuse it as you may eventually ruin your wood floors.

A gentler alternative to acetone is rubbing alcohol. However, it may also cause damage to wood floors that have delicate finishes.

To use acetone and rubbing alcohol to remove Christmas tree sap, follow these steps:

• Dampen a cotton bud with acetone or rubbing alcohol.
• Dap at the sap, dap from the outer rim of the sap, working toward the middle avoiding the surrounding floor surface.
• Slightly damp microfiber cloth and use it to remove the sap until it fully disappears.
• Use a wood floor cleaner to remove any residual solvent and sap.

How To Avoid Having Christmas Tree Sap on Your Floor

Having tree sap on your floor is unsightly and can create a bigger mess when pets or humans step on it, spreading it to other parts of your home. Here’s what you can do to avoid having a gooey mess in your home and enjoy having a Christmas tree.

1. Use a Tree Skirt

A Christmas tree skirt is a basket or fabric that you can use to cover the base of your Christmas tree. It adds to the overall appeal of the tree but also serves as protection for your floor. The tree skirt will collect the Christmas tree needles and sap that may fall from the tree.

While the sap can sometimes penetrate the material of the tree skirt, the amount that gets to the floor will be reduced significantly.

2. Use a Tree Stand

Using a tree stand is vital for protecting the floor from the sap that the tree will secrete at the base where it was cut. Additionally, it will provide a water reservoir to keep the Christmas tree looking good for a longer period. Trim the tree’s base a second time if the sap has dried up, and use warm water to wash off sap from the tree’s base before putting the tree into the stand to ensure that the sap doesn’t harden, making the tree not absorb water.

3. Go Artificial

You can opt for an artificial Christmas tree If tree sap bothers you a lot. However, it is essential to note that they are not environmentally friendly.

4. Prepare the Tree Properly

Pine family trees secrete sap due to damage, pests, pruning, or infections. The sap is vital in fighting off foreign substances on the tree, such as pests and fungi. It also helps the tree heal on the part that has been damaged or pruned while preventing further infection.

Therefore, buying a healthy Christmas tree free of pests is vital. You can also use a leaf blower to dislodge insects from the tree and spray the tree with insecticidal soap or diluted neem oil before taking the tree inside the house. If, by chance, the tree has broken some branches during transportation, consider pruning the broken twigs and branches and then applying a pruning sealant on the freshly cut surface.

Doing the latter before setting up the Christmas tree will reduce the chances of it dripping sap onto the floor.

Conclusion

When you use a real Christmas tree, prepare to deal with the sap that pine family trees secrete. You can avoid having sap on your floor by preparing the tree properly before setting it up, using a tree skirt, putting the tree in a stand, or using an artificial tree instead of a real one. If you still get sap on your wood floor after doing the latter, it is best that you deal with the spots of sap immediately after you notice them.

You can remove the sap using oil soap, cooking oil, ice, or acetone. However, before using acetone, you must do a patch test to avoid damaging your floor’s finish. With these items and a little patience, you’ll remove the sap from the floor and enjoy the beauty of your Christmas tree.