Tafadzwa said, “I had a tenant who used red floor polish on my parquet tiles. How do i remove it? anyone with a solution please help.”
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Whether your floor polish is a mistake that needs to be removed or you just want to repolish the floors, the steps below can help you to remove the unwanted polish. There are many types of floors that can be polished, such as wood, tile, or stone. The steps below should be safe for most types of floors, however, it is always best to test a cleaning solution in a small, hidden area first.
Removing the Polish
You Will Need:
- A bucket
- Water
- Ammonia
- Bar Keepers Friend
- A mop
- A scrub brush
- A cloth
Steps to Remove the Polish:
- Get a bucket and fill it with about half a gallon of water.¹
- Add a cup of ammonia to the bucket, as well as a quarter of a cup of an all purpose powdered cleaner, such as Bar Keepers Friend.¹
- Mop a small section of the floor with the mixture.¹
- Let the mixture sit on the floor for about 3 minutes, then scrub the area with a stiff-bristled scrub brush.¹ For thicker polish areas , such as corners,² or freshly polished areas, use a credit card or spoon to scrape off the polish.³
- Soak up the solution and removed polish with a sponge mop or cloth.¹
- Wet sponge mop or cloth with water, then use it to mop the area clean.¹
- Repeat the process on the next section of the floor.¹
- Pat the floor dry with a towel.¹
Additional Tips and Advice
- When removing old floor polish, be aware that it will be thicker in corners as it does not get as worn away there, so you may need to repeat the cleaning process in corners twice.²
- If your floor polish is wax-based, a commercial wax remover would also work well to remove it.⁴
- Do not let wood floors stay wet for very long as the water can cause warping or cracking.
- Always wear gloves and ventilate the area well when working with ammonia. For more ammonia safety information, see Wikipedia.
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Sources
- The Complete Household Handbook by Good Housekeeping
- How to Clean Practically Anything by Consumer Reports
- Stain Removal by Stephanie Zia
- 10,001 Hints & Tips for the Home by Reader’s Digest
I am moving in to a new house and the floor is tile, but the previous owner used red floor polish…the red polish is killing my eyes; please tell me how to remove it.
Thank you…
Marvella,
The steps in the article should work to remove the polish, or if the polish is wax-based you can use a commercial wax remover instead. There are commercial polish removers you can use instead as well if preferred, such as Trewax Heavy Duty Floor Stripper, but be sure any product you choose is safe for your specific type of flooring. Good luck!