Floor cleaning question?

Several questions must first be answered: 1) What kind of finish on the wood floor; 2) What kind of paint to be removed; 3) What is the margin of satisfaction, or the tolerance level (how picky are the office owners; 4) What is the budget, because this is probably outside the terms of your "cleaning" contract; 5) Who assumes liability if things don't go as planned and are you willing and capable of assuming that liability if the owner doesn't (get it in writing); 6) Do you have the experience to fix it and not make it worse? If you can't answer all of these to your satisfaction, let them get somebody else to "scrap it off".

If you take the job, use a solvent or cleaner that will soften the paint without dissolving the floor finish (a butoxyethynol cleaner will likely work...I use Butcher's "Speedball" or Waxie's "Traffic Lane" to remove paint from mouldings and floors). Make a trial in a small, hidden area to determine optimal exposure (it will dissolve floor finish, too). Work small areas to limit exposure of floor finish and remove/rinse paint remover thoroughly. Repair floor finish as necessary.

You can clean them with Zep Orange Cleaner and Degreaser and a microfiber cloth but make sure you get something in writing that if it takes part of the finish off that you are not responsible! The office owner needs to go after the person who got the paint on the wood floors! Just let them know that and get it in writing to protect yourself.Also If you are going to do this job then you can put something in writing about not being responsible for damage due to paint removal and have them sign it.Take before and after pictures to protect yourself.

Read your contract. I hope you can find a clause that will allow you to tell them to get someone else to take the paint off, because that's going to be a finicky job, and as you said, you could ruin the finish on the floor.

Try using a little bit of turpentine on a cloth in a not-too-noticeable area and see if that works. If the wooden floor is polished, it will probably take the varnish off too but if not, it should just lift the paint.