• Use a homemade or commercial cleaner to remove wax from your wood or other flooring.Modern asian inspired hallway with bamboo floors image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
  
  Wood and floor wax helps protect your flooring from scratches, spills, dust and dirt buildup. The substance is removable and, over time, adding multiple layers of wax can build up and appear yellow on your vinyl flooring or as a dirty film on your wood flooring. When refinishing your floors to remove stains and buildup, you want to completely remove any wax from the floor's surface. Failure to remove the wood and floor wax properly can lead to spots of old wax remaining and eventually damaging your floor's surface.
  
  

Supplies

• Before attempting to remove wood and floor wax, gather or purchase the following supplies: work gloves, sponge mop with a scrubber on its side, clean towels or rags, plastic sheeting or a drop cloth, a plastic or metal bucket---three-gallon size or larger, two gallons of odorless mineral spirits and extra fine steel wool, if removing wax from wood flooring. If removing wax from vinyl flooring, also gather two gallons of hot water, two cups of ammonia and one cup of powered dishwasher soap that doesn't contain bleach.
  
  

Floor Preparation

• Move any furnishings and area rugs from the room containing the floor you want to remove the wax from to another area or room. If you can't move a certain piece of furniture, place a piece of plastic sheeting or a drop cloth around the furniture's legs or bottom area.
  
  

Wax Removal: Wood Flooring

• Pour two gallons of odorless mineral spirits in a bucket, dip the sponge mop in the chemical, wring out the sponge mop and scrub the floor rigorously. Pay special attention to corners and areas where a dirty film is present indicating wax buildup. Wet a piece of extra fine steel wool with warm water from a sink. Scrub an area of your wood floor with the piece of steel wool. If the area appears light gray, wax buildup is still present. Repeat the scrubbing process until the floor is free of any film (wax buildup). Dry your wood flooring with clean towels or rags before applying a new wax coat.
  
  

Wax Removal: Vinyl Flooring

• Mix two gallons of hot water, two cups of ammonia and one cup of powered dishwasher soap in the bucket Dip the sponge mop in the mixture and immediately place the mixture on the floor. Do not wring out the sponge mop. Scrub the floor rigorously with the mop and pay special attention to corners and areas where yellow stains are present indicating wax buildup. Repeat the flooding process until the floor is free of any yellow stains and is wax-free.
  
  

Drying and Rinsing: Vinyl Flooring

• Dry your vinyl flooring with clean towels or rags. Dump any remaining soap mixture in a sink and fill the bucket with warm water. Thoroughly rinse out your sponge mop with warm water from a sink to remove any soap mixture residue. Dip the clean mop in the bucket of warm water, wring out excess water and rinse the floor with warm water from the bucket. Repeat the rinsing process until the floor is completely clean. Let the flooring air dry or dry with a large towel before applying a new wax coat.
  
  

Linoleum Tile Flooring

• To remove wax from linoleum tile flooring, mix one gallon of white vinegar and one cup of cream of tarter in a large plastic or metal bucket. Apply the mixture to the flooring using a scrub brush. Scrub the linoleum thoroughly then rinse the floor with warm water. Dry the vinyl flooring with clean towels or rags.
  
  

Use a Commercial Wax Removal Chemical

• When using a commercial wax removal chemical, follow the directions and recommendations on the product's packaging. If using the chemical on a wood floor, make sure the product specifically states "For Wood Flooring." Do not guess or assume the product will work on your wood floor. Also, work in a well-ventilated area when using a commercial wax removal chemical. The chemicals have a strong odor.