The methods on how to remove wax from wood floors that we will offer you in this article have been tested many times and are guaranteed to help you.
Many people suffer greatly when they get heavy soiling from wax on their wood floors. We are no exception. But in the end, we have found many interesting options that will make your life easier and help you with this difficult task.
The Challenges with Wax on Wood Floors
Wax is always difficult to remove from hardwood floors. When it hardens, the situation seems hopeless.
Sometimes it may even seem like you are successfully removing the wax, but then you notice that you are damaging the wood floor in the process.
We suggest methods that will not harm the coating, as well as advice on what solvents or other materials to use in the process.
Preparation
First, check to see if there is debris or dirt near the waxed area. If so, remove them. Do this with a vacuum cleaner or broom and then clean thoroughly with warm water and a mop. You can also buy a special vacuum cleaner for hardwood floors.
We are all used to the fact that most often cleaning is nothing complicated, and to some extent, it can be automated. But the removal of wax is a separate case. You need more than one or two hours if a large area of the floor is dirty.
We also advise you to put pillows under your knees or buy knee pads. Wear clothes that you do not regret contaminating during work.
Also remember that our task is to remove the wax from the hardwood floors, and not to cause them irreparable damage. The wax must be fully cured. Always wait for it to cool before removing it.
If you want to speed up this process, take some ice cubes and put them on the waxed areas for half a minute. The ice cubes will help the wax solidify and reduce the time spent removing it. If the wax has just dripped, you will need about two minutes to cool down.
After that, be sure to discard the ice cubes, you won’t need them anymore. Thoroughly wipe off the water they left behind.
Choosing the right method depends on what kind of hardwood floors you have and how much wax has accumulated on them. We recommend starting with something simple. Here is how to get wax off hardwood floor.
Do not worry if the first time you get nothing, repeat until you get results. If there is no result, move on to another method.
Removing Wax from Wood Floors
The Water & Spirits Method
What you should have on hand:
- A pair of soft rags or, better yet, a mop
- Mineral spirits
- Warm water
Step 1: Wipe the floor
You need to thoroughly get rid of excess dust and debris to facilitate the next steps.
Step 2: Apply a small amount of spirit
Pour mineral spirits over the waxy dirt, and then lightly press the liquid onto the wax buildup with a clean rag.
Step 3: Clean the Floor
Use a mop or rag to remove all unnecessary wax from the wood floor.
Step 4: Repeat until successful
If after the procedure, the wax remains, just do it all over again until you are successful.
Use a Hairdryer
If you are still trying to remove wax from a wood floor, try using a regular hair dryer. Under prolonged exposure to heat, the wax begins to melt quickly. You should also have some rags nearby.
Step 1: Turn on the hair dryer
Plug the hair dryer into an outlet and point it at the wax stain about three inches above the surface. Be careful that the hair dryer is always over the wax. Move the hair dryer over the entire stain area so that the wax melts evenly.
Step 2: Soft Wipes
Press the clean cloth over the wax and scrub in the direction of the wood grain. Also, blot occasionally to pick it up thoroughly. A little care should be taken, as you always have a chance of smearing the wax heavily on a clean surface.
Step 3: Turn on the hair dryer again
If you notice that the wax hasn’t spread out well, heat it up again properly with a hair dryer.
Hot Iron and Paper Trick
If you don’t have a hair dryer, but you have an iron, you can use that too. To start, you will need to cut pieces to the size of the dirt from a paper grocery bag.
Next, everything is simple enough.
Place the paper on top of the wax, then run the iron over the top of the paper on the lightest setting, applying light pressure. When the wax begins to melt, it will bond with the paper. Since paper bags are made of porous materials, the wax will easily soak into the pieces of paper.
After the procedure, you can enjoy a clean wood floor. Keep in mind that you don’t want to heat the paper or wood for too long. Just move the iron more often, and that will be enough to complete the entire procedure successfully.
How To Get Wax Off Wood Floor By Scrapping
This method won’t make you use different chemical solutions and if you do it right, it won’t even leave damage on your hardwood floors.
Remove the wax from the hardwood floor’s surface with a scraper or credit card.
Don’t try to chisel it hard and don’t press down hard on the tool. You want the squeegee to hold as flat as possible and apply as much pressure as you need to remove the wax. If you push hard, the wax will of course come off faster, but damage to your floor is inevitable.
When all the wax droplets are removed from the hardwood floors, pick up the crumbs with your hand or a rag, then wash the hardwood floors.
If wax particles remain and it’s quite problematic to scrape them off with a squeegee, a damp rag with a solution of white vinegar will help.
Pour white vinegar into a container and dilute it with water at a ratio of one to two, then soak a rag in it. Squeeze it out and wipe the floor surface.
If the droplets are very small and barely visible, and it is quite difficult to wipe them off, apply furniture wax to the hardwood floors. It sounds strange, but in this case, adding wax can really help. Furniture wax can properly clean up a small stain so that it becomes more visible and more accessible to scrub away.
Use a fresh rag to remove any residue and traces from your work. Then wait until the floor is completely dry.
How To Remove Wax From Wooden Floors With Solvents
Now we will tell you about some advanced ways to remove floor wax that can help you with hardwood floors. But since no one canceled the possibility of risk, you must be well versed in this matter.
Let us first talk about the general composition of the wax, which determines which chemicals will be more effective for wax removal and which on the contrary can be harmful.
Although there are many formulas for floor wax production, many wax products contain a solvent and an emulsion of carnauba or paraffin, which is derived from the palm tree.
When you wax your hardwood floors, the solvent disappears, leaving only a waxy coating. Now, knowing this, you can apply the solvent again to wipe off the floor wax.
If you take the previous method with a squeegee, you have almost no chance of leaving behind scratches and with the right solvent, you won’t damage the floor finish.
Choose The wax remover
There are many substances that can help soften carnauba wax or paraffin wax. But you have to choose the right one to get the desired effect without damaging the hardwood floors.
Mineral spirits will be an excellent choice, especially since they are easy to find and buy. They work well and are effective against wax stains. Mineral spirits are part of any wax product and give it a unique smell.
Of course, you can use acetone, which also dissolves wax effectively. But they easily damage the hardwood floors, so we drop this option from the list of available ones.
Hot water is also often used to get rid of different types of dirt on hardwood floors. It can destroy the wax, especially if you mix it with other cleaning agents.
But more often than not, either is not recommended by both experts or wood flooring manufacturers.
The mixture with hot water requires the utmost care when working. If hot water is left on the wood floor for a long time, it will cause irreparable damage to the wood. It can get into small cracks and the wood will swell and the floor will become unpleasantly uneven.
There are many commercial wax removers that do a pretty good job. But you need to read the directions on the label carefully to find the right one. Many products are not designed for wood, keep that in mind when buying a cleaning solvent.
Finding the right solvent is often a challenge. If you have a small amount of wax on your floor, it’s not worth your time at all, as the products are usually very expensive.
Mineral spirits are the best option, although it has their disadvantages. It is sold in any hardware store and you will be able to find the right one, although it will take some time.
How To Removal Wax With Mineral Spirits
Take a spray bottle and fill it with mineral spirits. If you don’t have one, an ordinary ketchup bottle will do.
Choose unscented mineral spirits. Before working, open all the windows so that the room can be ventilated. If you are allergic to the product, take care to buy a respirator in advance.
Apply mineral spirits to the floor. Make sure that cracks with a lot of wax content get a good dose of mineral spirits.
Before the floor is dry, go over it with a dry cloth. The mineral spirits should have softened the wax by now.
The wax should stick to the rag. If the rag has taken on a yellowish tint, pick up a new one.
If the solvent dries before the end of your job, simply spray a new portion. Don’t let the rag get too dirty, prepare a few in advance so you can change them in a timely manner. When the rag stays clean after wiping, you are on target.
Steel wool can be used to remove stale wax stains.
Use it only in a no-go situation, as it requires care and can easily damage the floor.
Continue working until you are completely rid of the wax residue on the floor. Then tackle the new area.
After the work, wipe the hardwood floor with a new soft cloth, it must be dry. Do not leave the liquid on the floor for a long time, so as not to cause irreparable damage.
If you are going to apply finishing products, the floor must be completely dry after removing the wax.
Bonus Tip: How to Remove Wax from Carpet
Removing wax from the surface of the carpet is not so difficult if you remember the properties of this substance. The procedure of cleaning the stain can be done in several ways.
The first method in the removal of wax and wax stains is freezing. For this purpose, ice is usually used, which is recommended to be placed in an airtight bag beforehand, so as not to wet the surface of the carpet and not to complicate the task.
Ice should be left for just a few minutes. As a result of freezing the wax from the candle will become hard and brittle and it will be possible to remove it from the surface of the carpet with a blunt knife or other similar objects.
Then the spot should be thoroughly vacuumed in order to remove small particles of wax as much as possible.
The second method will be the opposite of the first. The wax absorbed in the stain should be heated by placing a paper towel on the spot in advance.
For this purpose, iron is used, which should not be too hot, so as not to damage the coating. This applies to wool carpets as well as synthetic or silk carpets.
Heating will melt the hardened wax, which will be absorbed into the cloth (it will have to be changed several times in the process until it remains completely clean).
The third way is to treat the place of the wax stain with alcohol. It is used only if a greasy residue has been left on the carpet, and alcohol will help to remove it.
It is enough to soak a napkin in it and carefully wipe the place of contamination.
If we are talking about a carpet with a long pile, it is necessary to rub it very delicately.
Tips On Protecting Hardwood Floors From Wax Problems
How To Keep Candle Wax Way
While the wax is not the most problematic thing to remove from your floor, you should warn yourself against it, especially if you work with wax frequently.
By taking precautions, you won’t have to wonder how to remove candle wax from your floor.
Keep the candles in a glass
Highly long and very thin candles are often a major source of problems. They easily lose their wax, even though we like to use them to light a room.
Candles in glass are simple and easy to handle, though, and create a nice atmosphere in the home.
Protect the floor from drips
Put a saucer or something under the candle to bring more protection for the floor and not have to worry about removing the wax later.
Don’t blow out candles too much.
If you are not careful when blowing out your candles the wax will easily spill all over the room, so caution is advised.
A snuffbox comes in handy for blowing out candles.
Restrict motion
Hardwood floors don’t require extra strengthening to prevent normal use. But deterioration does happen, and imposing some limitations can cut down on the time when you might need to learn how to get acrylic wax out of hardwood floors.
As wonderful as they are, kids are one of the leading reasons for wood flooring damage. For instance, foot pedals can become caught in their little toys on wheels and later graze your floors. For the same reason, keep your footwear outdoors.
Lay footrests and mats
You can still get some use out of running boards and placemats even if you don’t have children or family pets. Put them in sensitive, strategic areas such as entryways, bedrooms, vestibules, lounges, and kitchens to protect your hardwood floors.
Video: How to Remove Wax From Wood Floors
In this video, learn a homemade recipe for how to remove wax from wood floors with help from the president of a home design company.
Conclusion
No matter what the reason you need to figure out how to remove wax from hardwood floors, it shouldn’t take up much of your free time. Don’t give in to panic when wax drips from your lovely candles or it’s time to replace the flooring. Follow the proper rules, and you can always keep your floor fresh without damaging it.
