How to Remove Glue from Clothes

Did you ever discover you have gotten glue stuck on your clothes while you were working on a great DIY project? Most of us have been there, and the problem is quite common. The sooner you begin the damage control, the easier it is to get rid of the adhesive, but sometimes you might have to be patient.

Although it is very tough to state a one-stop solution for every cloth in which you have glue stuck. Because every adhesive serves an array of purposes and they all have a different way of sticking up in fabrics, their removal differs from one another.

Removing Different Varients Of Glue From Clothes

Water Based Glue
Water-based glue is quite ordinary, and it is not the adhesion that creates a problem during its removal but the stain that remains. Water-based adhesives are low-density. Thus, they make a very thin layer, which makes it easier to peel off after the glue dries out completely.

You can also use regular detergent to get rid of it. Let it soak in cold detergent water before rinsing the stain off. It is easily removable, so do not apply much force in the cleaning process else you will damage the fabric.

Hot Glue Gun
Removing adhesive from the glue gun is not much difficult. Glue guns work best for hard materials, but when they stick to your clothes, they become a hard layer of glue that you could scrape off using something blunt.

You could also try rubbing the glue stain with acetone so that it comes off or detaches from the fabric. If it starts to soften, take a paper towel and accumulate the glue. And if there is some stain still left, you can wash it off.

Commercial Adhesives
These are the easiest ones to get rid of without much effort. Just let the glue sit in there for long enough to get hard, or else you can also put the cloth in the freezer to fasten the process. Once it hardens, you will be able to scrape it off.

What you should avoid doing is wetting the stain before it gets hardened. Doing so could induce the adhesive to get soaked up by the fabric, and you will make it much more problematic to get rid of the glue.

There’s a probability that some of the stains will remain, which you can remove by using a stain remover that you could buy from a store. Stain remover gets quite handy and works well with most stains. But before buying one, you can also try removing it with a heavy-duty detergent if you have that in the home.

Paper Glue
These are the ones that are most extensively in use. Paper glue is strong enough to work on paper but is too weak to work on other materials, which makes it easy to get rid of when it sticks to the clothes. Just wash the clothes with your regular detergent, or put a thick layer of detergent and scrub a little before rinsing it in cold water.

Glitter Glue
If the stain is fresh, then try washing it off under cold water, and there is a high chance that you will be able to get rid of most of it. Also, try washing it with regular detergent if it has not been long since the stain.

If cold water and detergent do not work, buy an oxy-bleach, then make a slurry out of it with water in equal proportion, then apply it to the stain and let it rest. Let the cloth soak for one-third of the day, then rinse it with water.

Super Glue
It is not a deficient presumption to make that this is the trickiest stain to remove among all of the others. Acetone works fine to weaken the glue, you can similarly use not-too-harsh sandpaper to scrub the stain but do not be harsh on the stain, or you may damage the fabric. You can remove the stain if anything remains by scrubbing it with a toothbrush then washing it with regular detergent and water.

Pro Tips While Dealing With Glue Stains

• Before you do anything with the stains, make sure to check the label and not be too harsh on the stains. If you have another piece of cloth of the same material, then pretest to avoid any damage to the fabric. If the label restricts the use of certain materials or procedures which were otherwise helpful for treating the stain, give your affected clothes for dry cleaning.

• Avoid using hot water as it softens the stain and lets it seep into the inner fabric material, making it harder to get rid of. Avoid using heat on the stain for the same reason. Use fold water or ice instead, as it hardens the glue and makes it apt for removal.

• If you do not get acetone in the nearby supermarket, you can also try using distilled vinegar which you might already know has mild bleaching abilities. You can use it to fight against adamant glue stains, and it will be as effective as acetone.