Asked on Feb 02, 2015

A rug gripper adhered to a concrete floor, how do we remove it?

Tami Clark
by Tami Clark
It's on stained concrete, it was a runner in a bathroom.
Rug gripper stuck to floor
  11 answers
  • If you have a stiff putty knife you can use that to help remove, Also they make scrapers for removing tiles that can be rented or purchased. I would before going to that extreme that you soak it well with a strong detergent in super hot water for a short period to see if that will loosen the rubber backing on the gripper. Then use the putty knife to help loosen it.
  • Michael Ann Michael Ann on Feb 02, 2015
    Well this is a chemical reaction between the sealer that was put on your concrete and the backing of a rug or gripper. The only thing that I can tell you that has worked for me is a xylene it can be purchased at a paint store or lowes/hdepot, this really is a job for a professional but you can do it yourself. It is going to make that part of the floor different but I dont know any other way , you can pour a small amount on the area and use a puddy knife or scraper on it then it will be gummy, work in small section and open every window in the area. Once you have scrapped it all off and it is dry, you will have to sand it with a random orbital sander or sandpaper to smooth out the scraping or the product that you left. Kemiko has a nice sealer that you can use to put the shine or matt finish back on the floor.You can find this product usually at a store that has concrete stain. This has worked for me, it may not work for you but I would give it a shot. Good luck
  • If your going to decide to use this chemical, please be sure there are no pilot lights and the area is well vented. Xylene is explosive in vapor form and very unhealthy to breath.
  • Karen Karen on Feb 02, 2015
    I had large pieces of a rug gripper stuck to the hardwood floor in my kitchen. I took the advice of one Hometalker and saturated the areas in WD-40 and let it sit for 30 minutes or so. The pieces came up fairly easily after that...I then used regular floor cleaner to clean up the WD-40.
    • Mag9155169 Mag9155169 on Apr 15, 2018

      I keep reading on Pinterest how many wonderful uses for WD-40. Thanks for sharing.

  • Beth hagan Beth hagan on Feb 02, 2015
    try goo be gone,
  • Lola Lola on Feb 04, 2015
    Scraper, use metal and plastic scraper, then either use a heat gun or blow dryer, leftover residue can be removed by using lemon oil or goo be gone.
  • The 2 Seasons The 2 Seasons on Feb 04, 2015
    I would try putting an old rag on top of it and then use a steam iron. Put the iron on the rag (which is there to protect the iron). As it heats, the adhesive might melt and/or softern and be easier to remove or scrape/
  • Justfixit Justfixit on Feb 06, 2015
    If steam doesn't work, i would make a paste with tsp and water and let it sit for about 10 minutes. TSP seams to clean anything and everything. You find it in the hardware store.
  • Louise Louise on Feb 07, 2015
    Happened to me too. I just scraped what I could off then there was a slight stained pattern even after the thing was off. Sprayed that with Wd40 let it set, then washed it off. Be sure to rinse and remop the slick that the Wd40 leaves on the floor. Can't even see where it was ever at.
  • Patti Nicholas Patti Nicholas on Feb 08, 2015
    I have run into this problem at several clients homes on different floor types, the best way I have found to remove all of the residue is to scrape what you can using either a very stiff plastic (on delicate floors) or a putty knife as recommended by Woodbridge Environmental above. The only difference is I don't use a detergent to then clean the floor, I use a castile soap (Dr Bronner's liquid is my preferred brand). For very tough spots, and you will have a few, make a paste with the soap and baking soda then scrub first with a stiff,dry sponge then rinse with a clean wet sponge and dry with a cotton cloth If you have trouble getting all the baking soda off rinse with white vinegar to neutralize and remove..
  • Wil33893256 Wil33893256 on Aug 04, 2018

    We just had to remove lots of this residue from under three rugs in our rental, which has textured stained concrete floors. We tried acetone, mineral spirits, Simple Green, and finally landed on Goo Gone. Use the goo and adhesive remover variety, and avoid the latex paint remover variety since it will turn the concrete sealer milky. Spray the Goo Gone over the area and wait a few minutes before scrubbing with rough steel wool. Mop up the Goo Gone with straight Simple Green. Once the floor is dry, you might see some faint residue that turned translucent when wet. Just reapply and scrub lightly. We had great results using the above method.

    • Bridgewater Bridgewater on Feb 09, 2021

      I have the same problem and bought some goo gone. What is the adhesive remover variety that you mentioned? I would appreciate your help!