- 1). Take proper safety precautions. Open all the doors and windows in the room. Turn on a fan to increase ventilation. Put on safety glasses and a mask, as well as gloves.
- 2). Apply the adhesive remover. Paint the adhesive remover over the glue with a paint brush. Allow it to set as per manufacturer directions. If you have a problem with chemical adhesive removers, try a no-odor mineral spirit brand instead. It may not work as well, but it is less harmful.
- 3). Begin scraping the adhesive off. Use a plastic putty knife, not a drywall or straight knife, as these will scratch the floor. Start with a gently scraping motion, and if necessary apply a little more elbow grease. However, take care not to scrape too hard.
- 4). Remove the adhesive gunk. Once you begin scraping, you will have a gunky substance on your putty knife and near where you have been scraping. Use your putty knife to pick this up and place it in a small garbage can. Move the can around the floor with you as you go.
- 5). Clean the floor. Once all the adhesive has been removed, let the floor dry and then apply a wood soap to the floor with a sponge mop to thoroughly clean it. You are now ready to begin refinishing the floor.