Super glue is amazing – – we have several tubes in our home at all times. My husband uses super glue about as much as he does duct tape – the two products a “handy” man should always have in his toolbox. Unfortunately, the qualities that make super glue a great product (strong hold, instant bonding, etc.) are the same qualities that make super glue stains difficult to remove from fabrics. It was inevitable with the amount of super glue that my husband uses that he would get super glue on his clothing (at least we are past trying to remove super glue from his skin). My first attempts at removing super glue from fabrics failed miserably until I found a few suggestions online that worked for us.
My husband always tries this technique first to remove super glue from fabrics that he found on HowToGetRidOfStuff.com. Using an old rag, immediately clean any glue that is still wet on the garment. Soak the stained fabric in warm, soapy water while rubbing to remove as much of the hardened glue as possible. If super glue remains on the garment, use a sponge dipped in acetone nail polish remover (must contain acetone) to dab at the glue until it disappears. (WARNING: Test a small, unnoticeable spot on the garment to ensure the acetone will not damage the clothing.) Using an old toothbrush, gently scrub the stain will cause the adhesive to flake off. When the super glue is completely removed, wash garment according to the manufacturer’s instructions. However, after laundering check the garment to make sure the stain is complete gone before placing the clothing in a dryer. If the super glue stain or adhesive remains, allow the garment to air-dry and repeat the treatment or try an alternative technique to remove the super glue stain.
My daughter was working on a class project and somehow (unknown to me even to this day) glued part of her outfit to the project board. I was not thrilled about my husband’s way of removing super glue and headed to the local hardware store. I was thrilled to find there is superglue solvents specifically designed to remove adhesive from clothing. I thought this would be perfect and quickly purchased a tube and headed home. I learned the hard way that these superglue solvents can be quiet strong, and, while they remove the adhesive, the solvent can damage some types of fabric. If you choose this way to remove a super glue stain from clothing, test a small patch first or the result may be throwing the item away instead of saving it.
We have used sandpaper on denim and other tough fabrics with success. You must be careful with this technique to remove super glue from your clothing as the sand paper can damage fabric. Use the finest grit sandpaper that you can find at your local hardware store or discount store and gently use circular motions directly on the super glue. Keep a soft cloth handy to wipe off the glue as the sandpaper removes the adhesive. Wash with laundry detergent as directed.
Sources:
HowToGetRidOfStuff.com
HowToCleanStuff.net
LifeSpy.com
