How to Remove Wax From a Urethane Floor
Choosing a urethane finish for your floor will help you protect your hardwood flooring while also providing your floors with deep, gorgeous color. Many homeowners choose to apply a wax coating over their urethane floors. Wax helps urethane-treated floors maintain their color in high traffic areas. It also helps protect the floor from scratches, stains and spills. If you plan to refinish your floor, it is important that you remove the existing wax from your urethane finished floor before you begin. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Remove all furniture. Move all of your furniture out of the room.
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Sweep the floor. Sweep and mop the floor to get rid of all residual dust and dirt before you begin. Allow the floor the dry.
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3
Find the right wax stripper for your floor. Purchase a wax stripping product specifically designed for application on hardwood floors. If you are unsure about the varieties of wax stripper that are safe for use on a floor with a urethane finish, call your local flooring specialist for a recommendation. You may also use mineral spirits to strip wax.
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Check the instructions on the bottle of wax stripper to find out whether or not the chemical must be diluted before you apply it. Failure to properly dilute your wax stripper before applying it could damage your urethane finish.
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Apply the wax stripper to the floor. Apply the wax stripper evenly using a mop or damp cloth.
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Allow the wax stripper to sit on the floor for the amount of time specified by the manufacturer.
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Rinse the floor. Fill a bucket with warm water. Use a wet washcloth to wipe away the wax stripper, rinsing the cloth out in the bucket periodically. The wax coating on your floor should come away on the cloth.
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Wipe up standing water. Allow the floor to dry. If you notice areas of standing water, wipe these up immediately with a dry cloth or sponge as standing water could discolor your urethane finish.
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Use steel wool to scrub away excess wax. Examine your floor once it is dry for any residual wax residue. Scrub away residual wax with a wet steel wool scrubbing pad without worrying about damaging the urethane on the floor.
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Tips & Warnings
Not all brands of wax stripper require rinsing.
Wax stripping products may have a potent odor. Open the windows before you begin to provide the home with adequate ventilation while you strip the wax.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit texture of a natural wood image by Sergey Galushko from Fotolia.com big brown armchair isolated on white background image by Vasiliy Koval from Fotolia.com scopa image by domyre from Fotolia.com brown bottle image by Jim Mills from Fotolia.com floor cleaning #3 image by stassad from Fotolia.com bucket close up image by Aleksandr Ugorenkov from Fotolia.com hand with sponge image by sparkia from Fotolia.com cleaning pillow image by Tomo Jesenicnik from Fotolia.com
