Removal of carpet pad that is sticking to hardwood floors

gently and slowly with a little bit of dampness

I agree with Pung61. I recently had to deal with this. I sadly had some stuck in with staples & it was badly urine stained due to a dog who died of kidney failure. The floor was a wreck! Getting the remainder of the padding out was a complete nightmare. Using a scraper & pliers was the only way I could do it & a whole lot of patience. I didn't care about gouging my floor, since I knew I would be sanding it down ALOT due to the damage. But your mileage may vary- so tread lightly.

My sister did this in a fixer-upper that she wanted to flip. It took her 2 weeks of after work and weekend hours just to remove the carpet padding. The above comments are so true. Take your time and go slow. Do not add any moisture at all. Or you will have an even bigger mess on your hands. My sister eventually got the job done and the hardwood floor underneath was stunning when completed. She flipped that house but I don't think she will flip another any time soon. Best of luck to you.

Use a metal paint scraper, carefully. I had a mess with foam padding that had been attached to a shag like carpet in a bedroom. The carpet pulled up, leaving padding behind, especially where it had gotten wet. It took a long time. The wood floor underneath was in pretty good condition. But it was for my "office" I had a room size piece of carpet cut and bound - leopard print!

Pull all staples and nails first, then you can go 2 routes 1) a long-handled scraper and mineral spirits, or 2) rent a floor buffer with a special disk for removing glue and carpet residue from the floor.

If you are going to do it the hard way with just a short scraper, tip: borrow a skateboard to sit on.