Yes, you can use paint thinner to remove wood stain from concrete. When paint thinner is applied to concrete, the chemicals in the compound seep into the surface of the cement, dissolving stains in the process. Usually, paint thinner is combined with oil-based paint to make it less viscous and easier to apply. The most common types of paint thinner agents used are mineral spirits, white spirits, turpentine, toluene, and xylene. Although the advertised purpose of these products is to dilute the paint, they’re great at removing stains caused by ink, glue, grease, or wax from concrete. It’s also great at removing stains from concrete, cement, brick, or stone.
You’ll need to pour your paint thinner directly onto the stain and sprinkle a little absorbent powder onto it. Baby powder or talcum powder works great if you haven’t got the professional kind. Let it sit for around a day and then thoroughly rinse the surface. If the stain has only faded but it is still visible, you can repeat the process again until the stain has vanished.
Removing every last bit of residual wood stain from a concrete surface isn’t always easy, especially if the color of the paint is dark and the concrete is light. The most corrosive acids to use in this case would be hydrochloric acid or muriatic acid. However, if you do opt for either of these paint thinners, be sure to wear adequate PPE and wear rubber gloves when handling the bottle. Wash and scrub the stain as you normally would using this solution and continue doing so until the stain has vanished. After cleaning, you may find a powdery residue on the surface, but this isn’t anything to worry about and can be easily removed by rinsing with clean water.