One of the most common problems associated with using those thinner, waffle-like rug pads is that they can damage the floor by marking their pattern into the floor. I’ve heard many people tell me that they needed to refinish their floors because of the damage done to the floor by cheap rug pad being used under their rug(s). Before you call a flooring company, there may be a solution you can try at home to remove marks from your floor mat.
I recently heard from a client who had this marking problem on his floor. He used WD-40, the popular lubricant. What he said to do is cover the marked area with the WD-40 and then rub it with a rag. I have outlined below the steps to take when trying to remove carpet pad marks or stains from a hardwood or any hard floor.
1. Saturate the stained area of the floor with WD-40. Be sure to let the WD-40 sit and soak into the stain for a few minutes.
2. Use a rag to begin rubbing the area. Depending on the strength of the carpet stain, you may have to scrub quite hard and for quite some time. Check the rag frequently to see if you need to change it.
3. Once it appears that you have removed all of the stain or that you have removed all of the stain that is likely to come out, take a dry rag and wipe any excess WD-40 from the floor.
4. As a final clean on your floor, wipe it down with Murphy’s Oil Soap, an excellent floor cleaner that will add both a shine to your floor and a fresh scent to remove any WD-40 residue or odor.
The customer who tried this and advised me on the process had a lot of success 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 your floor is the way you want it and it’s time to lay down a new mat, be sure to avoid any future damage by purchasing a solid felt mat or a felt and rubber mat. The rubber does not mark floors and is safe for all hard floors. It’s the waffle-like rubber pads that can mark your floor because they’re usually sprayed with an adhesive that transfers to the floor.
