ᐅ Strange stains on hardwood flooring – what causes them?

Hello everyone!

The stains shown by the OP really do look like marks caused by some kind of liquids.

I have a similar problem and have been wondering for several months what causes the "stains" on my hardwood floor. More precisely, I know the cause itself but not the exact reason or clear explanation behind it.

The stains—stripes on the hardwood floor in my pictures—come from the wheels of the drawers. The stripes are exactly where the wheel tracks are. However, it has nothing to do with abrasion or anything similar. The wheels are made of solid rubber, but the weight of the drawers is relatively high.

The hardwood floor (oak) is factory oiled.
Could it be that the weight is somehow "pressing out" the oil or something similar?
I can’t come up with a reasonable explanation or a way to prevent the stripes.

Wheels that always run over the same spot on wood leave marks. This cannot be avoided. (different wheel materials more or less)

If the "streaks" are indeed related to the path frequently traveled by the rollers, the following procedure might be worth considering.
You should have on hand:
a) a soft hand brush
b) two lint-free wool or linen cloths
c) denatured alcohol or ethanol
d) an oil/wax mixture suitable for the surface protection of parquet floors.
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Procedure (not suitable for "smoked" wood surfaces):
Place one of the wool cloths on a plate and thoroughly moisten it with denatured alcohol or ethanol.
Dip the hand brush lightly onto the ethanol-soaked wool cloth so that a small amount of solvent adheres to the bristles. (The idea is to transfer only a minimal yet sufficient amount of solvent onto the parquet surface.)
Using gentle circular motions, work the hand brush over the streak(s) and immediately clean the treated area with the second (dry) wool cloth.
Repeat the process if necessary.
Finally, reapply oil to the cleaned surface, allow it to absorb, and after one day, buff it with a fresh wool cloth.
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Background:
The streaks are most likely dirt deposits of some kind.
Cleaning requires a mild solvent and gentle mechanical action (using the hand brush).
While I cannot guarantee success, I believe this is a promising approach!
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This will be my last post in this group, as I will be leaving Germany permanently next week.
It has been a pleasure over the years to "shed some light" on the path for one or another forum member with my expertise in floor technology and to contribute to solutions, or at least to further insights.
Best wishes to all forum participants:
KlaRa

@KlaRa
Oh, you’ll be leaving soon? That’s really a shame for the forum!
Still, it sounds like everything is going well in what reads like an adventure here. 🙂

@KlaRa

It's a pity, your posts were always very professional and well explained.

By the way, except for a few spots, there is internet access almost everywhere in the world, often even better than in Germany.

Goodbye @KlaRa 🙁

But you do realize that you don’t have to live in Germany to answer questions here, right? 😉