One of the most common issues related to using those thinner, waffle looking rug pads is that they can damage the floor by marking their design on the floor. I have heard many people tell me that they needed to have their floors re-finished because of the damage done to the floor by the inexpensive rug pad used under their rug, or rugs. Before actually calling a floor company, there may be a solution one can try at home to remove any rug pad marks from the floor.
I recently heard from a customer who had this problem of marks on her floor. She used WD-40, the popular lubricant. What she said to do is to cover the marked area with the WD-40 and then scrub it with a rag. I have outlined below the steps to take to try to remove any rug pad marks or stains from a hardwood or any hard floor.
1. Saturate the stained area of the floor with WD-40. Make sure to let the WD-40 sit and penetrate the stain for a few minutes.
2. Use a rag to start rubbing the area. Depending on the strength of the rug pad stain, you may have to rub quite hard and for quite some time. Check the rag frequently to see if you need to change it.
3. Once it seems that you removed all the stain or that you removed as much as will come out, get a dry rag and wipe any excess WD-40 from the floor.
4. As a final cleaning of your floor, wipe it down with Murphy’s Oil Soap, a great floor cleaner that will add as much shine to your floor as well as a fresh scent to remove any residue or odor of the WD-40.
The customer who tried this and advised me on the process had much success with this. There is no guarantee that every damaged floor will have the same result yet it doesn’t hurt to try this first before investing in a more expensive fix.
When the floor is as you want it and the time comes for a new rug pad, be sure to avoid any damage in the future by buying a solid felt or felt and rubber rug pad. Rubber does not mark floors and is safe for all hard floors. It is the rubber like waffle looking rug pads that can mark your floor because they are usually sprayed with an adhesive that transfers to the floor.