How To Remove Tape Residue From Hardwood Floors?

If you have hardwood floors and have decided to add rugs or carpets to your house, you would certainly be using tape to fix them into place.

Or if your hardwood floors feature small cracks, gaps, or holes, it is possible that you would be using wood tape to cover it up.

In both scenarios, both types of tape can leave sticky residues which can be hard to clean and do not come off very easily.

To remove tape residue from hardwood floors, a highly effective method involves combining deep cleaning techniques with the use of WD-40. This straightforward approach yields exceptional results with minimal effort and time investment.

However, there are some important steps which must not be missed so make sure to read the entire article thoroughly.

What Is Tape Residue?

Tape Residue is the leftover adhesive on the hardwood floors left after the tape has been removed from the surface.

Wood tape is used in many situations on hardwood floors. One of the most common purposes of it is to hold the area rug in its place and prevent it from slipping and bunching up.

Moreover, it is also used for carpets and other types of smaller rugs and mats to help keep them in place and prevent them from sliding across the hardwood floors.

Another use of wood tape is to cover small holes, cracks, or gaps in hardwood boards, as the wood tape is colored and can match the appearance of the floors.

However, all types of tape can leave a sticky residue on the hardwood floors, which becomes necessary to remove as it can cause serious damage to the floors if left on the surface.

Tape residue is a nuisance to remove and can be a pretty hectic task when it comes to it.

Why Is Tape Residue So Bad?

Tape residue can cause many risks, such as spoiling the wood grain, destroying the surface finish, and much more.

Look at the headings below if you also wonder what bad tape residue does.

It Spoils The Hardwood Grain

The first adverse effect of the tape residue on your hardwood floors is that it can ruin the wood’s grain and make it uneven.

The adhesive solution which allows the tape to stick can clog and disfigure the wood’s grain.

While this might not appear as a major risk, it can destroy the wood’s appearance and make it look dirty and unattractive.

The adhesive can cause the wood’s color to darken, while the residue can act as build-up on the surface of the wood, making it look dirtier than ever.

Besides, it also increases dangers in promoting the growth of bacteria in such situations.

This can lead to molds and mildews, making your wooden boards weak and hollow from within.

Over time, these molds and mildew can cause infestations on the surface of the wood and make the boards hollow from the inside leading to the replacement of the hardwood planks.

It Discolors Wood Floor

Adding to the damage to the wood floor, another damage caused by the tape residue is the discoloration of hardwood floors.

The buildup of the residue layer mixed with the dirt and grime can cause the hardwood floors to lose color. Here’s how to fix discolored hardwood floors.

They can cause the wood to darken and lose its original shine. In many cases, the texture and pattern of the tape get imprinted on the hardwood floors, which becomes difficult to remove despite using various cleaning and polishing methods.

Moreover, many people ignore this imprinting if it is the wood tape, as the pattern is usually similar to the wood itself.

However, this can get worse over time as the adhesive will start to darken and then dry up, making the pattern go away and leaving a dirt-like appearance on the surface of your wooden flooring.

It Emits VOCs

If you are not much concerned about the health of the hardwood floors, you must surely be concerned about your health and that of your family.

The adhesives used in the tapes emit VOCs which are VolatileOrganic Compounds.

Not only can this cause stains and discoloration on the floors, as mentioned earlier, but it can also release dangerous gasses harmful to one’s health.

VOCs harm you and your kids and can cause serious health issues to your pets. While this may not be exhibited initially, they can give off smells afterward, usually consisting of VOCs and other toxins that can be extremely hazardous to your health.

If you leave them unattended, there is a high chance that the tape residue will keep giving off the VOCs in the atmosphere.

This can result in unbreathable air in the atmosphere, which might make it difficult for you to breathe in your own house and may pose health risks.

How To Remove Tape Residue From Hardwood Floors?

The best way to remove tape residue from hardwood floors is to clean the floors deep. However, you must ensure that you only use products specifically made for wooden surfaces.

For instance, cleaning agents have to be specifically made for hardwood, and it is better to check if they are suitable for finished or unfinished surfaces so you don’t end up damaging your floors in an attempt to remove the tape residue from them.

Below is a complete detailed process of removing tape residue from hardwood floors.

Materials Required

Before you can start the process, there are some items that you must gather beforehand so you don’t have to scavenge for them during the cleaning and removal process.

Here is a list of the items you will need:

• WD-40
• Bucket of Water
• Plastic Scraper/spatula
• Scrubbing brush
• Mop
• Clean cloths
• Wood Cleaning detergent

Remove Furniture

The first step before attempting to remove the residue from the surface is to clear the floors of any furniture. Make sure the furniture doesn’t slide on the floors to avoid scratches. It is necessary to remove all the furniture, such as sofas, tables, chairs, etc., to have a clear space to work on.

Sometimes, the tape used under rugs and other items can be covered with the furniture added later.

This can hide the tape underneath, and you might cross it after a long time when it has already damaged the floors enough.

Therefore, it is recommended to clear the area so you can observe better where all the tape residue is present.

It is also preferred that no one steps on the floor until the cleaning process has been completed.

This is necessary to carry out the smooth execution of the process and limit any unwanted disturbances.

Besides, you won’t have to worry about not damaging any unwanted items if the floor is clear and the cleaning process becomes way simpler.

Vacuum/Dry Mop

Once you have cleared the floors of any traffic and furniture, it is time to remove any dry dirt and dust from the hardwood floors.

This can be done using either a vacuum or a dry mop. Both of these methods are highly effective and useful, and you can use any one at your convenience.

Make sure to vacuum or mop the floors 2-3 times so you can collect as much dust and debris as possible so this won’t cause problems later on during the next steps of the process.

Running the vacuum or mop 2-3 times on the floors is recommended to ensure proper cleaning.

Deep Clean The Floors

Now that all the dry dust has been cleaned, you must move towards cleaning the surface and removing any buildup layer present.

You can either use commercial cleaning agents or homemade deep cleaning solutions.

However, you must be careful not to make the floor too wet as it can damage the surface of the wood.

You need to be extra careful if your floor was recently sealed, which is one of the first times you are cleaning the floors.

In that case, you can’t go for any wetness other than dampness and won’t be able to use cleaning agents or homemade cleaning solutions safely.

You can use various cleaners according to your wood type and grain but also keep in mind if your wood is porous or non-porous.

Some suitable options are Bona, Lysol, and Pine-Sol cleaners which can easily restore the original look of your hardwood floors and remove the tape residue from the surface.

This is because the water and other harsh ingredients of cleaning agents will destroy the wood fibers, resulting in severe damage to the surface of your hardwood floor.

This would weaken the floors as moisture can get inside the wood through the pores and cause the wood to chip or swell up.

Hence, you will end up damaging the wood rather than removing the tape residue from the surface of your hardwood floors.

Use The WD-40 & Scrape Off The Residue

Deep cleaning your floors will remove most unwanted substances from the surface and loosen up the tape residue a bit.

However, it would still not make the residue come off due to its adhesive nature. Therefore, the best solution in this situation is to use WD-40 to loosen up all the residue so it can be removed easily without damaging the surface of the hardwood floors.

WD-4 is very easy to use and requires no specific procedures. All you need to do is spray the solution on the residue and ensure it covers it completely.

However, concentrate the amount of solution on places where the residue is stuck on the surface of the hardwood floors.

Once this has been done, you must allow the solution to sit on the surface for some time. WD-40 requires time to react with the substances on the floor and loosen them up before you can start removing them.

Although the time might vary according to the product, you must let the solution sit on the surface for at least 5 minutes.

After the time has passed, you will see that the residue will loosen up and shift from its place. This is when you know that you should start scraping it now.

Use your scraper or spatula and gently remove the tape residue from the surface. A metal scraper could also be used in such a situation, but it poses the risk of damaging the finish or scratching the surface of the wood.

Hence, it is best to use a spatula which is a much softer approach.

When all of the tape residue has been removed, collect it and clean the floors with a damp cloth to ensure that the floors are spotless once again.

Conclusion

If your hardwood floors are also taped and you have removed them recently just to realize there is a sticky residue on the surface, rest assured as we got you covered.

The detailed guide above will help you remove the tape residue from your hardwood floors so you can use it to clean the floors and make them new right away!