Q&A for How to Strip Wax Buildup From Floors

To remove wax buildup from vinyl flooring, you do have a few options. You can use a solution such as 2 gallons of hot water, 2 cups of ammonia, and 1 cup of dishwashing detergent (or laundry detergent). Let the solution sit on the floor for a few minutes before you begin scrubbing the floor with your mop or a scrub brush. Alternatively, you can scrub the floor with club soda and a scrub brush or you can apply a store-bought floor polish stripper. Regardless of the method you choose, be sure to rinse the floor with warm water and completely dry the floor.

First, figure out what type of flooring you have, as every type of flooring has a different method for wax removal. You can either purchase a floor wax removal solution for your particular floor type or you can make a homemade version. For example, from tile or vinyl, you can use hot water, ammonia, and dish soap. For linoleum, you can use cream of tartar and vinegar, and for wood, it is recommended to use mineral spirits.

For most laminate floors, you can mix 2 cups of vinegar with 1 gallon of warm water. You can either hand wipe the floors using a cloth with the vinegar solution or you can use a cloth mop head. It is important to rinse the cloth often and not to scrub back and forth, work the cloth only in one direction. If there are large sections of built-up wax, you can use a plastic windshield wiper to scrape the wax off the floors.

For linoleum floors, scrub the floors with a solution made from 1 gallon of white vinegar with 1 cup of cream of tartar. Saturate the floor with the solution and let it sit for about 5 minutes before you hand scrub the wax off of the floor.

You can try to use a chemical polish stripper made for the type of stone floor you have. Follow the directions above on stripping wax from stone tiles.

You can try to scrape the wax off the concrete floor using a putty knife. Then cover the remaining wax stain with an old cloth rag, and iron over the cloth and wax on a medium setting. This will melt the wax, and it will be absorbed by the rag. If there is still some remaining wax, try to wipe it up with a rag dipped in vinegar. Apply some concrete polish to the floors afterward to help them shine.

You can use a combination of ½ cup (120 mL) of ammonia with 2 gallons (7.57 L) of warm water to mop wax from a tile floor. You could also mop with a solution of ¾ cup (180 mL) of ammonia with 1 cup (240 mL) of laundry detergent and 1 gallon (3.785 L) of warm water. Let either solution sit to dissolve the wax and use clear water to rinse your floor if you use the combination with laundry detergent.

Whenever you use combinations of cleaning solutions, keep your room well ventilated. If you're concerned you can also wear rubber gloves when you clean.

Use a hard foam mop and a solution of ½ cup (120 mL) of ammonia with 2 gallons (7.57 L) of hot water to strip the wax from your epoxy. Keep mopping it, or even scrubbing with a scrub brush, until the wax is removed.

Look for a brand which has a 25 percent solids factor and any brand that advertises its product as suitable for institutions. You may need to research the company websites.

Buy a commercial grade wax stripping agent and use it as directed. Scrub the floor aggressively with a stiff nylon brush (do not use metal bristles), though a rotary scrubber with a course pad would be much easier. Rinse floor thoroughly with fresh water and use a shop vac to suck up excess water and wax residue. This is a very labor intense endeavor and may have to be repeated multiple times to remove all the wax, so you may wish to hire a professional.

Strip the existing wax layer using a sanding tool and fine grit paper. Clean the floor with your choice of cleaner, then re-apply the wax floor finish. Your floors will look stunning when you're done.

No. Since the wax quickly sets with the chemicals, hot water will not do anything to your floor.

They are generally similar, so any type of wax and cleaning methods are the same.