How To Clean Old Hardwood Floors That Have Been Under Carpet

For the former cover the adhesive with a cotton towel or rag mound some ice on top and let it sit for at least 15 minutes even if you have to hold it in place.

How to clean old hardwood floors that have been under carpet. To discover the type of finish on the floor place a drop of water on the floor and wait for it to dry. These strips were pretty cheap and took some manhandling to get the carpet to snag on the spikes. Once the strip is screwed down pull the carpet over the spikes and it should snag on them. When you mix it half and half with water then it lowers the acidity to a safe level for your hardwood floors. Vinegar works wonders on carpets hardwood floors and even tile.

Then you bend the edging over the carpet to hold it in place. Before you pull up the old carpet go over the entire carpet thoroughly with your vacuum to get rid of any dirt. Make sure nails staples and other debris are all off the floor. All you need to do is run the cleaner along your floors and either push a button or pull a lever to release the cleaning solution. It s quick efficient and much simpler than getting on your hands and knees to clean.

Chemicals can stain and damage your wood permanently. With much older floors you may find screws and nails that previous homeowners used to stop squeaks. Liquid and water can cause permanent warping damage. If there is a white spot on the floor when the water dries then the floor has been treated with wax. One safe method is to use vinegar and water drying the floor by towel as soon as you re done cleaning it.

You have to be careful when cleaning unfinished hardwood flooring. Dirt and dust can get in the way when it s time to sand your floors. White vinegar is on the top of everyone s list when it comes to cleaning hardwood floors. Remove carpet padding and all debris from the floor. Vacuum well and ensure that no dust wood splinters and other remnants are left on the floor.

The acidic properties of vinegar are what makes it a top pantry cleaning product. When wall to wall carpet became popular in the 60 s and 70 s many wood floors were covered up. Vacuum the area 1 2 times to get the most dirt out of the carpet so it doesn t transfer to a different room. Rather than risk damaging your wood floor with harsh chemicals or scraping tools use ice or peanut butter to remove the glue. Vacuum the old carpet.