Can You Use Acetone on Vinyl Floor?

Vinyl flooring is a durable, cost-effective, and aesthetic floor option for homeowners. Vinyl flooring is super easy to install but causes a mess during installation. It happens due to adhesives used to stick vinyl planks to the subfloor. The leftover glue from the installation process can damage the vinyl floor and may ruin its appearance as well. Now the question arises can you use acetone on vinyl floors? Using acetone on vinyl floors isn’t recommended, but you can use it to remove the glue with extreme care.

This guide describes the harmful effects of acetone on vinyl floors. Besides this, it also covers how to use acetone safely to remove adhesives and glue from your vinyl floors.

Is Acetone Safe on Vinyl Floor?

Acetone has the potential to damage vinyl flooring as it has harsh chemicals inside it. Acetone is a colorless liquid that is made from benzene and propylene. It is a strong chemical that can damage the vinyl floor. Acetone is an effective vinyl solvent used to remove vinyl floors. This flammable and highly volatile liquid is not recommended to use over vinyl flooring because of its strong chemical formula.

Acetone is used over many surfaces to remove different stains and is primarily used to remove nail polish stains. For delicate surfaces, acetone is not a perfect stain remover because it will damage the floor surface along with removing stains from it.

Related Guide: can you use bleach to clean vinyl floor? 

Is Acetone Good for Removing Glue from Vinyl Floor?

The glue-down vinyl floor installation requires a lot of adhesive. Unlike click lock vinyl floor, which can be installed without glue, you need a good quantity of adhesives for glue-down vinyl planks. So, it’s pretty obvious that you will find glue stains on your vinyl floor after installation. These stains look inappropriate on your vinyl floor and decrease its durability. Thus, you need to remove glue spots and stains from your vinyl floor, and acetone is the best choice for this purpose indeed.

Acetone’s strong chemical formula works best against adhesives. The chemicals in acetone will react with adhesive particles and dissolve them. But you have to apply acetone with extreme care on your vinyl floor; otherwise, it will melt down the plastic vinyl surface. Acetone is a highly volatile compound, and it vaporizes quickly from the surfaces. So, limited use of acetone on the vinyl surface may cause less damage along with removing glue quickly. You can also use hydrogen peroxide to clean vinyl floors.

How to Use Acetone to Remove Glue from Vinyl Floor?

Removing adhesives like glue from your vinyl floor with acetone is risky. If you follow the right procedure, you will be able to remove glue from the floor with less damage. Please follow the steps mentioned below to use acetone on vinyl floors safely.

Step 1: Preparation

Before removing glue from your vinyl floor, prepare yourself and the working area. Wear gloves, face masks, and goggles before using acetone as it can cause skin allergies in sensitive people. You will also require proper ventilation. Ensure that the room where you have to work with acetone has good ventilation. You can use a box fan to ensure help ventilate.

Step 2: Scrapping

Take a flat razor scraper and remove the large clumps of adhesive from the vinyl floor. Please hole the razor at a low angle to the surface to avoid scratches. Gently scrape the clump of adhesive from the edges without damaging the floor.

Step 3: Scrubbing with Acetone

Take acetone in a small plastic container and dip an old toothbrush into this container. Start scrubbing the floor area having glue with this toothbrush. Continue scrubbing until you remove the entire adhesive from the floor. You can also soak a rag into the acetone and use it to scrub the residues of the glue from the surface.

Step 4: Finishing

Take a clean old cloth and soak it with clean water. Use this cloth to wipe out the remaining residues. Ensure you have enough ventilation in your workspace, and your floor dries immediately. You can use a box fan for this purpose.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can you use nail polish remover on vinyl?

You can surely use nail polish remover on vinyl to remove glue and stains from it. Always use a nail polish remover that does not have acetone in it. Amyl acetate is the chemical mainly found in nail polish remover. If you have to use nail polish remover with acetone on vinyl, try to pick the one with less vinyl concentration.

2. Does acetone damage the vinyl?

Acetone is a highly volatile strong chemical that isn’t suitable to use over sensitive surfaces. It will damage the vinyl floor and makes it dull. You should better avoid using acetone on vinyl surfaces.

3. Can acetone remove floor adhesive?

Yes, acetone can remove floor adhesives as it’s a powerful solvent that dissolves adhesives and glues quickly. But you have to be careful because it can damage sensitive floor surfaces. Use only a small quantity of acetone to remove adhesives from the floor.