How To Get Old Wax Off Hardwood Floors

Over time the layers of wax start to build up turn yellow with age and can make the floor look dirty even after you just cleaned it.

How to get old wax off hardwood floors.

Even freshly washed and waxed floors. Before stripping the wax buildup remove furniture from the floors you re cleaning sweep up any loose debris and mop to remove dirt. Jill nystul august 18 2019 in today s post i want to share a floor cleaning tip with you that i used to remove a mysterious hazy buildup from my hardwood floors. To clean old hardwood floors start by using a plastic spatula or dull putty knife to scrape off any dried paint gum or other hardened materials.

Sweep away loose dirt dust and other debris and mop the floor with warm water to remove any grime or. Waxed floors such as linoleum or vinyl can flake or become yellow due to age or too many layers of wax. Using an ice cube to harden the wax drippings is one way to remove wax from hardwood floors with minimal scraping required. Floors that have a polyurethane finish do not need to be waxed.

Take care to dry any remaining water as standing water can easily damage the surface of hardwood floors. Try working in sections with a mop and going over it with a dry microfiber cloth on a dry mop. A small application of cleaner on a microfiber mop is all that s needed to clean your floors. Next sprinkle a few drops of water onto a worn area of the floor to test the soundness of the finish.

While waxes vary most contain an emulsion of paraffin or carnauba an extract from brazilian palm trees in a solvent when you apply the wax the solvent evaporates and only the wax coating remains. When the whole floor is stripped of wax to remove wax buildup give it a final cleaning by mopping the surface of the wood with hot water. If waxing a floor that doesn t need it the wax will react negatively with the finish and create a cloudy look. When cleaning hardwood floors less is more.

How to remove old wax from floors without chemicals. Simply hold the ice cube in place on the wax for 30 seconds even if the wax has already cooled. Removing old wax from wood floors is time consuming but it is not an impossible task. Find out what causes hazy residue on hardwood floors and learn how to get rid of it.