Q: One visitor asked, "I've recently had my carpeted stairs redone with oak hardwood to match the old hardwood at the base of the stairs. They removed the carpet and to my surprise the carpet left glue/carpet residue on the old hardwood. The old hardwood was poly finished. What can be done to remove this glue/carpet/mess residue? Any chemicals capable of not damaging the poly finish of the old hardwood and at the same time remove the glue?"

A: It sounds to me like you need to have your stairs sanded and finished. I will add at this point that I have never met a floor/wood re finisher who was also a chemist. Your safest bet is to have them sanded to bare wood and finished from scratch, in my opinion.