Yes, you can lighten the color of hardwood floors but it will require a lot of work. First you’ll need to sand your floors to remove marks and the darker stain on the wood. Then you have to remove the dust from your floors and apply a lighter stain to the surface. Lightening your hardwood floor can give it a fresh new look and brighten up a room. It’s also an effective method to remove black water stains from hardwood floors.