How To Clean Hardwood Floors After Pulling Up Carpet

Remove carpet padding and all debris from the floor.

How to clean hardwood floors after pulling up carpet. Use as little water as possible and wipe the floor with a clean rag afterward. Remove the carpet tacking strips which may be nailed or stapled to the hardwood floor. Pry up the carpet tack strips and or the wood strips along the edges that the carpet was nailed to. Use the pliers to pull up any staples that remain stuck in the floor. I saw a tip somewhere to use resolve the carpet cleaner but not to clean the carpet but get the padding residue up from a hardwood floor.

Vacuum well and ensure that no dust wood splinters and other remnants are left on the floor. Next put on gloves and a mask so that you don t get dizzy from the fumes and open up your windows for ventilation. Use your standard screwdriver to pry them from the floor. Dispose of tacking strips and any staples or nails that held the strips in place. Throw away the debris.

It takes some elbow grease but it worked. An even better option when it comes to getting your floors clean after removing carpet is to opt for a hardwood steam cleaner. Using this is easy as 1 2 3 just apply it on the stained area and wipe using a soft cloth. Pull up the carpet and carpet padding cutting it into manageable pieces and remove it from the room without scratching the floor. If you want to remove old carpet padding than make sure to apply this alcohol and give it a couple of minutes to burn the padding that is stuck on the floor than wipe using a soft cloth.

Your floor needs to be absolutely dry before a new finish can be applied. Use a staple remover or pliers to remove the staples from the wood. In either case if a trace of adhesive remains on the floor afterward mix some warm water and mild dish soap and wash the residue with a soft damp sponge. The padding was not glued down but fused with the floor anyway. Return to the corner of the room where you began and get down on all fours.

Chemicals can stain and damage your wood permanently. Not only will it help to loosen any extra dirt and grime but in the event that you also missed a little bit of adhesive the hot steam from the mop will help to loosen the material so it can be easily wiped away. Make sure nails staples and other debris are all off the floor. Mix 1 cup of vinegar per gallon of water and wash the floors with a mop. Sweep the areas of the floor from which you able to remove the loose larger pieces of carpet pad.