Katrina asked: I put down a rubber carpet holder material onto my slate floor so that my rugs would not slip. Now, I cannot get the “sticky” rubber off of my floor. How can I best clean this? The tile is uneven and I have had little luck scraping the floor.
Table of Contents:
Rubber mats provide excellent stability for rugs, but can become permanently attached to slate flooring. They are difficult to remove, but not impossible. Follow the steps below to remove the rubber bits from the floor.
You Will Need:
- Plastic scraper or putty knife
- Mineral spirits
- Soft cloths
Steps to Remove the Rubber:
- Begin by moistening a cloth with mineral spirits and moisten the rubber bits by blotting the surface.
- Allow it to set for a couple of minutes to allow the mineral spirits time to loosen the bond between the rubber and the slate.
- Next, use a plastic scraper to scrape away as much as possible.
- Use the soft cloth moistened with mineral spirits to gently rub away any remaining rubber.
- When all of the rubber is removed, clean as normal to remove any residue from the spirits.
Additional Tips and Ideas
- General cleaning guidelines for slate flooring are available at How to Clean Slate Floors
