Having residue sticking around after a hard day’s work cleaning your floor can be a kind of pain. More worrisome is when it wouldn’t just go away with a slight thumbing. You may have to apply a different and a little time-consuming process to fix it.
If you’ve ever found yourself in this situation or facing one currently – don’t worry because help is coming. In this article, you will learn how to get rid of sticky residue on laminate flooring.
How To Get Sticky Residue Off Laminate Floors
1. Use Your Laminate Floor Cleaner
You probably have a homemade laminate floor cleaner. If so, that is one “powerful agent” to use for this process. So, let’s get right into what to do with it:
- Start by sweeping the surface where the residue is stuck on the laminate flooring. If you can, extend the sweeping to the length and breadth of the room to be sure the residue is not somewhere else.
- Mix the laminate floor cleaner with lukewarm water. The cleaner is usually distilled/diluted white vinegar. So, make sure it is properly mixed.
- You could use either a white towel or any other cleaner cloth. Using a mop is also a good idea.
- Dip the cloth, towel or mop into the mixture and use the same to wipe the surfaces of the floor.
- With the mopping done, use a clean towel to wipe the surface.
Pro Tips:
To avoid the residues from lurking around after the recleaning process above, here’s what to do:
- Make sure to get rid of dust, and any kind of debris before cleaning.
- Do not dip the cloth, towel, or mop into the mixture and apply immediately on the laminate floor. Instead, wriggle excessive water out before cleaning. This helps to reduce the chances of extra sticky residue building up in the presence, due to the presence of excessive moisture.
2. How to Remove “Special Residue” from Your Laminate Floor
The earlier process we detailed is more of a general approach to getting rid of residue on your laminate floor. However, if you are dealing with specific kinds of residues, the process could be a bit different.
a. How to Remove Glue on Laminate Floor
Glue and any kind of adhesive can drop to your floor without your taking notice. And when you realize it, the sticking must have been done.
The approach depends on how “tough” the glue and or adhesive is. If it has been there for a while, expect that being “gentle” with it wouldn’t work.
So, let’s start with the easy part…
- Get a spray bottle. Inside it, you would make the “gentle mixture” for removing the residue.
- Pour four (4) cups of lukewarm water into the bottle.
- Pour ¼ cup of (white) vinegar into the same bottle.
- Mix properly until they are mixed.
- Spray the solution all around the residue and give it a few minutes to soak.
- Use clean, cotton cloths to wipe the solution. If the process worked, the residue would come off with the solution.
- But if the residue remains, you want to reapply the solution and wait a while. Keep repeating until you get rid of the entire residue.
If the earlier process didn’t work and the residue is still there, it is a sign that you need to “up your game.”
So, here you go…
- What you need are rubbing alcohol and a clean, cotton cloth.
- Apply the alcohol to the cloth and make sure it is properly soaked.
- Take the cotton cloth and dab it directly on the surface where the residue is. Run a circular motion around the surface and wipe off.
- Repeat the process as much as possible.
b. How to Remove Carpet Glue
This is a different kind of glue and can be removed with ice. Always wear a pair of heavy-duty gloves when removing the melted glue residue.
Here’s how to go about it:
- Get a metal tray.
- Add some dry ice to it.
- Place the metal tray containing the ice over the surface where the residue is.
- Wait for a couple of minutes. Within this time, the ice in the tray must have frozen the glue.
- Use a sharp object, such as a razor blade or the tip of a knife to chip off the adhesive residue.
Side Note: the completion of the above process doesn’t necessarily mean that it is over. Due to the duration the adhesive glue has been on the floor and the fact that it was “melted away” – there will still be some residue on the spot. So, use a mixture of diluted white vinegar and a paper towel to remove that.
c. How to Remove Nail Polish Residue on Laminate Floors
If you found red, white, blue, or black nail polish on the laminate floor, here is what to do to remove it:
- You would need an acetone-based nail polish remover.
- Make a few drops of the remover on a clean cloth.
- Make a gentle rubbing of the surface where the residue is.
- Continually check if the residue is sticking to the cloth. That is a sign that it is coming off.
- Use a clean, paper towel to wipe off the remnants of the stain.
FAQs:
1. Why is My Laminate Floor Sticky?
Your laminate floor becomes “sticky” when you use “foamy water” to clean the surface or when dirty/contaminated water is used to clean it.
2. What is the Best Way to Remove Residue from Laminate Floors?
The options range from applying a solution of white vinegar and water, using an acetone-based nail power remover, applying dry ice, or using a homemade laminate floor cleaner.
3. How Long Does It Take to Remove Sticky Residue?
The duration could range from a few seconds to some minutes. It all depends on how long the residue has been there and if you got the mixture rightly. If the residue has been there for some time, you would need additional applications of the solutions and some extra minutes.
Conclusion
Laminate flooring is a hard surface, but that doesn’t often keep it free from some residues. If you find any of such on the surface, do well to apply any of the methods in this article to remove the stains.
