There are commercial products that can help you remove glue from laminate flooring, but there are also highly effective home solutions that can help you achieve the same with items such as:
- Hot water and liquid dish soap
- Vinegar
- Rubbing alcohol
- Acetone
- Razor blade or sandpaper (with a cautionary note)
Some of the above-mentioned solutions are gentle. These are the safest methods to use on laminate floors as these would prevent unwanted damage.
But, depending on the size and type of the glue stain, a gentle solution may not be enough to remove it. In this case, don’t worry.
You can implement a stronger method for effectiveness. You need to be careful and patient in the process.
See my guide on the best glues for hardwood floors for additional info.
Hot Water And Liquid Dish Soap
This method is the gentlest option to remove glue from laminate floors. But it only works if the glue stain is still wet.
If you have n unwanted glue spill or glue drip on your laminate floor, act right immediately after the adhesive dries and bonds.
You will need:
- Hot water
- Liquid dish soap
- Clean cloth
Here is what you need to do:
- Dip the clean cloth in warm to hot water with liquid dish soap in it
- Carefully (but quickly) wipe down the glue to remove it from your laminate flooring
- Repeat the above step until all residue is removed
If the glue is already in the process of drying or has fully dried by the time you notice it, try one of the following methods.
Vinegar
White distillate vinegar is still a gentle solution for laminate flooring. You can use vinegar on its own or mix it with water.
You will need:
- Mixing bowl
- Vinegar
- Warm water
- Cotton ball
- Clean rug
- Soapy warm water
- Clean, soft cloth
Follow these steps:
- Mix ½ cup of vinegar with 4 cups of water
- Soak a cotton ball or a clean rag in the mix
- Place it over the glue, fully covering and saturating it with the vinegar and water mix
- Let it sit for a few minutes
- Use the rag with the solution on it to scrub off the glue
- Repeat the above steps if necessary (as many times as necessary)
- Once all glue residue is removed, clean the surface with warm water using a clean cloth.
If the vinegar and water mixture isn’t strong enough, you can use just vinegar (without mixing it with water) and follow the same application steps. Or, you can move on to one of the following solutions.
Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is stronger and more effective in removing glue from laminate flooring.
For this method, you will need:
- Rubbing alcohol
- Clean cloths
- Clean, warm water
The steps are as easy and simple as:
- Soak a clean cloth or rag in rubbing alcohol
- Place it over the glue stain
- Cover it fully and apply pressure to it for a few minutes
- Keep the cloth saturated in rubbing alcohol and re-apply it to the glue until it softens
- Use the well-soaked rag to scrub off the glue
- Once there is glue on the rag (or cloth), replace it with a clean one to avoid smearing the glue
- When you get a clean cloth, saturate it in rubbing alcohol before scrubbing the glue with it
- Repeat these steps until all the glue stain is removed
Acetone
Acetone is one of the strongest solutions for removing glue from laminate flooring.
To implement this method, you will need:
- Acetone (or acetone-based nail polish)
- Cotton balls
- Cotton swab
- Clean cloth
- Warm water
- Liquid dish soap
Follow these steps:
- If the glue stain is very small, use a cotton ball (if larger, use a clean cloth or a rag)
- Saturate the cotton ball with acetone
- Place it over the glue stain and let it soak through (be careful not to get acetone on the laminate floor without glue stain on it)
- Use a cotton swab or a clean cloth to rub away the glue
- Repeat these steps until all glue residue is removed
- Dampen a clean cloth in warm water and liquid soap to clean the surface
You need to be more careful when using acetone to get the glue off your laminate floor, as it can leave streaks or cause some damage to it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a razor blade or sandpaper to remove glue from laminate flooring?
A single-razor blade or sandpaper is often used in removing glue from various surfaces, especially if the glue stain is bigger.
These two methods could technically be used to remove glue from laminate flooring, but they aren’t recommended.
Sandpaper and razor blade can scrape or damage laminate. If you are willing to take this risk, or won’t mind a little scraping or damage on your laminate flooring, then you could technically use these methods as well.
Don’t use the razor blade or sandpaper to get all of the glue off the laminate. If you do, practice caution. Get close enough to remove most of the glue but not too close to scraping the floor’s surface. Then, continue with one of the above-mentioned methods to remove the rest of the glue.
What is the best home solution for removing glue from laminate flooring?
Acetone is the strongest solution. But, you need to be careful not to over-use acetone on laminate as this could potentially damage the floor or cause discoloration.
Can I spray the solution directly onto the laminate floor?
We don’t recommend spraying any of the above solutions directly onto the floor. Doing so could cause discoloration in your laminate if it gets overly saturated with the solution.
Instead, add the solution onto a clean cloth or cotton ball and apply it to the glue. Try to only get the solution onto the glue and not spread it over the laminate.
How to remove dried glue from a laminate floor?
You may use fine sandpaper to remove most of the glue stain.
Once you get close to the surface of the laminate, put the sandpaper aside and use the vinegar, rubbing alcohol, or acetone solution to remove the rest of the glue.
How to remove gorilla glue from laminate flooring?
Gorilla glue is a very strong and fast-bonding adhesive. The most effective solution is the acetone method.
How to remove hot glue from laminate flooring?
To remove hot glue from laminate flooring, use the rubbing alcohol or the acetone method.
How to remove nail glue from laminate flooring?
If you accidentally got nail glue on your laminate floors, you can try either of the following methods:
- Vinegar
- Acetone
- Rubbing alcohol
Conclusion
Home items, such as hot water and liquid soap, vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and acetone can help remove glue from laminate flooring.
Laminate can be sensitive to some of these methods, so use them gently and carefully. Start with the gentlest approach and move your way up from there.
When working with adhesive removing solutions, you should protect your hands by using gloves.
This will keep your hands safe from dryness or other skin unpleasantries that could potentially be caused by some commercial solutions or home items (such as acetone).
