Hard Wood Floor Cleaning ·Mar 02, 2023

How to Remove Glue from a Wooden Floor

Is that blob of glue leftover from your DIY sitting on your beautiful wood floor and giving you nightmares? Or worse still, have you removed a floor covering to reveal maple wood floorboards, covered by a layer of old, dried adhesive? We have the best tips and tricks for how to remove glue from a wooden floor.

Commercial glue-removing products are available, but they are usually hazardous to work with. If you’d prefer to avoid that, try these safer ways to remove that glue and get your wood floors looking great again.

What this article covers:

How to Remove Glue from Hardwood Floors Naturally
How to Remove Dried Glue from a Wood Floor
How to Remove Super Glue from a Hardwood Floor
What to Do when You Have a Larger Glue Stain

How To Remove Glue From Hardwood Floors Naturally

Two of the most stressful wood floor situations are how to remove glue from a wood floor and how to remove stains from hardwood floors.

Usually, a fresh blob of wet glue can easily be wiped away with a cloth soaked in warm water and mild dish soap. It may sound too simple, but it’s the best way to remove most spills and stains. And because of dish soap’s grease-cutting action, this can be just as effective at cleaning grease off wood floors.

But if the glue is starting to get tacky, it may be a bit more resistant. Fortunately, there’s a natural way to clean glue from hardwood floors. So take a look at this easy and natural home hack for cleaning sticky stuff off hardwood floors.

This hack involves soaking the blob of glue with vinegar to break it down. You’ll need:

An old cloth
White vinegar

Here’s what to do:

Soak the cloth in vinegar, and apply it to the blob of glue, pressing into it.
Leave it for 5 minutes, then lift the fabric away. The glue should be lifted away with it.
Use another damp cloth soaked in warm water to wipe away any residue.

How To Remove Dried Glue From A Wood Floor

While it may seem that removing dried glue is even harder than how to remove dark stains from wood floors, it’s not that difficult. This glue removal hack uses the applied heat method, which will help dissolve and lift most types of dried glue, too.

how to remove glue from hardwood flooring

But be patient, you may have to spend more than a few minutes loosening up the glue. Of course, some glues are a bit trickier, for example, super glue. But despite its claims, superglue is not necessarily a permanent bond.

You’ll need:

A heat source like a hairdryer
A blunt, flat-edged scraping tool

Once you’ve gathered your supplies, just follow these steps:

Simply apply heat to the area, taking care not to go too near to the surface. You don’t want to burn yourself on hot glue.
Once the glue has got warm and gooey, use the scraping tool to gently scrape away the glue.
Don’t dig at the wood surface. Use the tool horizontally to lift and scrape away the mess.
If any sticky residue remains, wipe it away with a cloth soaked in warm water.

How To Remove Super Glue From A Hardwood Floor

Super glue is a common problem in household mishaps. And because it dries in seconds, you may worry there’s nothing you can do about it. But the next time your DIY, crafting, or repair job goes awry, don’t despair. Just use the following remedy to remove the super glue spill from your wood floor.

how to remove glue from hardwood floor

Sometimes all you need to do, especially if the super glue spill is minor, is to scrape it away with the blunt, flat-edged scraping tool we mentioned earlier. Dried super glue can usually be scraped away easily. But when it’s a large spill you may need a stronger solution to the problem. You’ll need:

Acetone-based nail polish remover
An old cloth

Then, do the following:

Soak the cloth with the acetone and dab at the glue spill, lifting it away with repeated wipes.
Once you’ve removed the excess, use a clean cloth soaked in warm water to clean the area of acetone.

It’s a more powerful glue removal method. And it’s also the perfect trick to get nail polish out of a hardwood floor. But don’t pour the acetone straight onto your hardwood floor.

Also, note that you should only do this in a well-ventilated area. Breathing in nail polish remover can be hazardous to your health, and the smell can be pretty overpowering. Open all the windows and wear a mask if possible.

What To Do When You Have A Larger Glue Stain

Your problem may be on a larger scale, like when you need to clean the subfloor after removing the carpet. If your entire wooden floor is covered in old, dried glue (the adhesive backing from carpet tiles or vinyl flooring) then your best option is usually to sand the floor down.

how to remove glue from hardwood floors

Sanding down your wooden floor will remove that stubborn and unsightly layer of old adhesive. If there are also water stains on your hardwood floors, this can help. As any other surface damage will be rectified at the same time.

After sanding, your best bet is to use a stain product to camouflage any imperfections that remain. Then seal the wood floor with a good finish. This will protect it against further damage, and also offer a layer of protection against water spills.

That’s good news because It’s also far easier to get dried glue off than water out of a wooden floor.

How To Keep Your Wood Floors Looking Good After Removing Glue

The best way to maintain the beauty of any floor is with regular cleaning. But scrubbing and polishing wood floors is a tough chore, right? No, not when you have the right equipment.

With an orbital floor scrubber, you can keep all your floors clean and looking beautiful. It’s suitable for wood, linoleum, tile, stone, and most types of carpets.

Get your USA-made Orbot Vibe floor cleaning machine today. It’s a versatile piece of equipment that will take care of all your floor cleaning and maintenance needs. Scrubbing, stripping, and polishing floors are all handled with ease.

Conclusion

Glue on your wood floor may fill your heart with dread, but it doesn’t have to. There are several ways to remove glue from a wooden floor, leaving no trace behind.

With the right tips and expert tools, you can keep your wood floors and carpets or rugs looking great. Our range of innovative floor care products and equipment will make home maintenance a breeze.

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