How to Get Carpet Glue Off of a Hardwood Floor

Remove carpet glue from hardwood floors.

People often want to change the look of a room of their house because they are tired of its appearance or just bought a new house and dislike the previous owner's decorating taste. An easy way to change the appearance of a room is to remove carpeting from the floor and expose the hardwood underneath. When you remove carpeting, you often find hardened carpet glue, which can be difficult to remove, stuck to the surface of the hardwood floor.

Things You'll Need

• Gloves
• Warm water
• Paint scraper
• Mineral spirits
• Paint thinner
• Acetone
• Rags
• Coarse-grade sandpaper
• Hair dryer
• Vinegar
• Detergent

Instructions

1. Open the windows to ventilate the room. Put on protective gloves. Begin with Step 2 and continue down the steps if the glue continues to stick stubbornly to the hardwood floor.

2. Pour a bucket of warm water on the floor. Try to scrape the glue off the floor using a paint scraper. Take care not to scratch the floor in the process.

3. Rub mineral spirits, paint thinner or acetone over the carpet glue. Once the glue softens, use the paint scraper to scrape it off.

4. Sand the glue into dust with coarse-grade sandpaper. Sweep up the dust and throw it away.

5. Heat the remaining glue with a portable hair dryer. Wipe away the heat-softened glue with a rag.

6. Mix a solution of equal parts vinegar and warm water. Rub the solution onto the glue, and wipe away the softened areas.

7. Scrub the leftover glue with a mixture of 1 part detergent to 5 parts warm water. Wipe away any glue that comes off.

8. Wash the now-glue-free area with water. Dry the hardwood floor thoroughly.

Tips & Warnings

• Position yourself on kneepads while you work on the floor so you won't hurt your knees.

References

• Hammer Zone: Removing Old Carpet Adhesive