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How to Remove Indoor-Outdoor Carpet Glue

Melynda Sorrels

Once there is no longer a need for the indoor-outdoor carpet, there is no longer a need for the indoor-outdoor carpet glue. These adhesive remnants leave an unsightly reminder that carpet was once there and now isn't, and can mar the aesthetics of any area it occupies.

Remove Indoor-Outdoor Carpet Glue

Fortunately, there are several proven methods that can eliminate any trace of carpet glue, and it's easier than you think.

  1. Spray WD-40 over an area of carpet glue, and allow it to saturate for at least 5 minutes before scraping it away with a plastic scraper. If there is a lot of glue it is easiest to do this in sections.

  2. Place a ½-lb. piece of dry ice on a metal tray, and place it on an area of residual glue. You will need to leave it there only for about a minute, and the glue will freeze and become brittle, enabling you to use a scraper to chip away the adhesive easily. While you're scraping, set the tray on the next glue spot so it can freeze before you get to it. Keep scraping and moving the tray until all of the glue is gone.

  3. Stick a strip of duct tape directly on the glue, and press it down firmly. It may even help to walk on it. Pull the strip off the ground quickly, and the glue should come up too.

  4. Use a hair dryer or heat gun to warm the glue and make it pliable, and scrape it away with a scraper.

  5. Saturate the area with vinegar, and allow it soak for 15 to 20 minutes for a large area. Use a coarse bristle brush to scrape away the glue. This method is fine for cement but not for wood floors.

  6. Warning

    Do not handle dry ice without gloves. Ventilate well when using WD-40. Use caution when using a heat gun or hair dryer to heat glue. Do not use a heat gun on wood floors, as this may scorch them. Use a hair dryer on a low setting on wood floors, and make sweeping motions so as not to focus on one place too long.