My customer’s terrazzo floor has a yellow cast to it. How can I remove this?

First, you need to determine what is causing the yellow cast. If a carpet was at one time placed over the terrazzo, the jute or rubber backing may have bled color into the floor, turning it yellow. If the floor was waxed, the waxes will have yellowed over time. To remove the yellowing, try the following:

If the yellowing is due to old wax, strip the floor with a floor machine equipped with a stripping pad using a good-quality floor wax stripper. If you don’t have one, you can find them at most janitorial supply houses.

If the yellowing is the result of carpet-back bleeding, it will be more difficult to remove. There are several chemicals on the market that are designed for removing yellowing due to carpet backs. These products are usually solvent-based and can be very difficult to work with.