How to remove carpet pad marks from a floor

One of the most common problems associated with using thinner, waffle-like carpet pads is that they can damage the flooring by marking their design on the floor. I have heard many people tell me that they needed to re-finish their floors due to damage to the floor caused by cheap carpet pad used under their carpet or rugs. Before calling a flooring company, there may be a solution that one can try at home to remove carpet pad marks from the floor.

I recently heard from a customer who had this marking problem on his floor. He used WD-40, the popular lubricant. What he said to do is cover the area marked with the WD-40 and then rub it with a cloth. Below I outlined the steps to try to remove carpet pad marks or stains from a hardwood or hard floor.

1. Saturate the stained area of ​​the floor with WD-40. Make sure to let the WD-40 sit and soak into the stain for a few minutes.

2. Use a cloth to begin rubbing the area. Depending on the strength of the carpet pad stain, you may have to scrub quite hard and for quite a long time. Check the cloth frequently to see if you need to change it.

3. Once it appears you have removed all of the stain or removed as much as it will come off, get a dry cloth and wipe the excess WD-40 off the floor.

4. As a final cleaning of your floor, clean it with Murphy’s Oil Soap, an excellent floor cleaner that will add both shine to your floor and a fresh scent to remove any residue or odor from the WD-40.

The customer who tried this and advised me on the process was very successful with this. There is no guarantee that all damaged floors will have the same result, but it doesn’t hurt to try this first before investing in a more expensive solution.

When the flooring is the way you want it and it’s time for a new mat, be sure to avoid any future damage by purchasing a solid felt or felt and rubber mat. The rubber does not leave marks on the floors and is safe for all hard floors. It’s the waffle-like rubber pads that can mark your floor because they are usually sprayed with an adhesive that transfers to the floor.

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