How To Clean Carpet Glue Off Terrazzo | 5 steps for a ‘bellissimo’ non-sticky terrazzo

Terrazo is a material made out of pieces of stone or marble. It’s often used for walls, floors, and countertops. 

Sometimes, however, people will hide their terrazzo under rugs or carpets. If they then remove that carpet, they’ll be stuck with sticky carpet glue residue left on their beautiful terrazzo. 

You can remove the carpet glue with a paint scraper and a bit of washing soda. Then, clean the floor as usual to get the last of the residue off the floor. 

Step 1: Scrub the Adhesive

Carpet glue is tough stuff. 

In fact, if you’re trying to loosen it off your floor you may start feeling that it’s tougher than the terrazzo! 

The good news is that even though it’s tough, you can get the worst of it up by chipping away at it with a paint scraper. 

The paint scraper should get the worst of the glue off your floor so that you can start working at the last stragglers.

The first step to getting carpet glue off your floor is to use a putty knife on the glue. The putty knife will help you get larger chunks of carpet glue off your floors. 

Be careful! If you work too hard with the paint scraper, you can wind up chipping away at your terrazzo floor, too. That can leave some pretty ugly chunks in your floor!

Pro Tip: Try rocking the blade back and forth underneath the adhesive. This helps lift the carpet glue without damaging the terrazzo beneath. 

Step 2: Whip Out the Washing Soda

With the worst of the carpet glue off your floor, you’re ready to start scrubbing at the floor! 

All you’ll need here is washing soda and a little bit of water. 

Start by sprinkling the washing soda on the carpet glue on your terrazzo. Then, spritz it with a little water from a spray bottle and start scrubbing. 

You should notice that after a minute or two, the glue is loosened and starts to flake off as you scrub. 

What Is Washing Soda?

Washing soda is a helpful substance that you can use to clean off pesky substances such as carpet glue. Washing soda softens water and can help loosen up carpet glue that’s stuck on your terrazzo floors. 

If you don’t have washing soda on hand you can make it yourself by cooking baking soda in the oven at 400ºF. 

After about half an hour, the baking soda should change composition so that you can use it instead of washing soda. 

Step 3: Try Industrial Adhesive Remover

If all else fails, you may need to break out an industrial adhesive remover. You can find these in most hardware stores in the same aisle as you’d find Goo-Gone.

I’ve mentioned this before, but before you start using harsh chemicals on your floor, you need to run a test. Even though terrazzo is tough stuff, you can still discolor or damage it. 

Just pour a small amount of the adhesive remover on your terrazzo (I recommend seeking out a corner of the room or a space that’s usually covered by furniture) to check for discoloration. 

Once you’ve determined that it’s okay to use your chosen adhesive remover, apply it to the carpet glue. 

Every adhesive remover is different, so you’ll need to follow the directions on the remover label before scrubbing off the last of the glue. 

Step 5: Use a Hard Floor Cleaner

Once you’ve got all the glue off, it’s not a bad idea to run a hard floor cleaner over the area. Make sure to sweep the area first and then follow the manufacturer’s instructions on your cleaner to get your floors sparkling clean.

Hard floor cleaners are a special type of steam cleaner that works on tough floors. They’re specially designed for use on wood, terrazzo, and other materials that might be delicate. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Remove Glue from Terrazzo?

If you’re dealing with regular glue on a terrazzo floor, you can usually melt the glue using boiling water. Then, scrub the glue until you’re able to get it off the floor. 

How Do You Remove Carpet Glue?

The easiest way to remove carpet glue is to take to it with a paint scraper. Then, pour hot water mixed with a bit of dish liquid on the hardened glue to help loosen up any remaining pieces. From there, you should be able to scrub the last of the glue off the floor with a scrubbing brush. 

Can You Use Goo Gone on Terrazzo Floor?

One of the reasons why people love terrazzo floors is that it’s very durable. As such, using Goo-Gone on the floor shouldn’t do it any harm. If the above method for getting carpet glue off your floor doesn’t work, you can always try scrubbing at it with Goo-Gone.