How To Remove Lots Of Different Glue From Clothes

Have you or your kids got into a sticky situation doing arts and crafts? If you have, and you don't know how to get glue out of clothes, then you've come to the right place!

Glue is a pretty stubborn stain and seemingly only gets on the most visible parts of school uniforms. Uniforms that kids often need the very next day – stain or not!

Read on to find out how to remove a range of glue stains that your little one might bring home from school.

Did anyone else 'paint' their hands with this, then take great joy in peeling it off as a kid? Surely it can't just be us!

This is the classic glue that we are all familiar with. Used in schools, it's inevitable that at least once in their school career, your child will come home with this on their clothes. 

The dull knife is used as a scraper so if you don't have one you can improvise with an old loyalty card, or any other thin but sturdy material.

As an alternative to washing up liquid, you can also use a little bit of laundry detergent. 

Here's how to get rid of PVA glue in 5 easy steps:

1. Pick or scrape off as much as possible when the glue is dry. Be delicate when doing this so that you don't damage the fabric.
   
   
2. If the glue is wet, get off as much as possible with a bit of cold water. Take care not to spread the glue further.
    
3. Apply a small amount of washing up liquid to the stain and then soak in a tub of cold water for 15 minutes.
    
4. Wash the garment on a cool cycle.
   
   
5. Repeat these steps if the stain persists.

Glitter glue is a craft-box staple. Most glitter glue is a combination of PVA, glitter, and dye. Despite looking pretty on paper, this combination can spell disaster for clothes.

The dye in the glue can lead to bright stains and embedded glitter which can be hard to remove. 

In the UK, you can find Oxygen-based bleach under the brand names of Vanish Oxi-Action or Astonish Oxy-Plus. Alternatively, you can find it under its chemical name of sodium percarbonate.

If you don't have a dull knife to hand, you can use a loyalty card or bank card to act as a makeshift glue scraper. 

Here are 6 quick-steps to get glitter glue off clothes:

1. When the glitter glue is dry, scrape or pick off as much as possible. Be gentle to avoid damaging the fibres in the fabric.
   
   
2. If the glue is wet, soak the item in cold water and remove the excess glitter glue. Try to avoid spreading it further.
   
   
3. Follow the instructions on your oxygen-based bleach to create a small amount of solution that is deep enough to submerge the entire garment.
    
4. Submerge the garment in the bleach solution and leave overnight, or at least 6-8 hours.
   
   
5. Repeat the soaking if the stain is still prominent.
   
   
6. Wash using cool cycle with a good laundry detergent to prevent setting the stain.

Super glue is powerful stuff. Although incredibly useful around the house to repair broken items, it always seems to find a way to stick to your skin, the table (or anywhere else you set it down for just a second!), and, of course, your clothing.

Before attempting to remove super glue from your clothing using this method, check what fabric your garment is made from.

If it is made from acetate, modacrylic or triacetate do not try this! You will end up with an irreparable hole in your clothing. 

Although acetone-based nail varnish remover can be harsh on your cuticles and nails, we need this power to get through the stain, so don't be tempted to swap it out for a remover with no acetone in it.

Like in the other tutorials, if you do not have a dull knife nearby, you can improvise a scraper from a loyalty card or bank card. 

Follow these 7 steps to get super glue off clothes:

1. Dip the cotton bud in the nail varnish remover.
    
2. Test a small amount of the remover on a discreet area of the clothing.
   For example, the inner collar or a seam. If there are no adverse reactions, continue.
   
   
3. Dab the wet cotton bud on the outermost edge of the stain and hold it in place for a minute.
   
   
4. Scrape away the glue loosened by the nail varnish remover.
    
5. Repeat these steps and work into the centre of the stain until removed.
   
   
6. Wash on a cool cycle with a powerful laundry detergent.
    
7. Inspect the stain to ensure it has been entirely removed. If not, repeat the steps until removed.

A hot glue gun is a must-have tool for any enthusiastic home crafter. Unfortunately, the quick-drying glue can sometimes land on your clothes and harden immediately.

Like for super glue, check the fabric your garment is made of before attempting this method of hot glue removal.

This technique is not suitable for garments made from acetate, modacrylic or triacetate.

Use these 6 steps to get hot glue off your clothes:

1. Apply the ice pack to the hot glue stain OR put the garment in the freezer overnight.
    
2. Pick off the frozen glue. Don't use too much force otherwise you risk damage to the fabric.
   
   
3. Dip the cotton bud in the nail varnish remover.
    
4. Starting from the outside of the stain, gently dab the cotton bud on the stain.
    
5. Replace the cotton bud and repeat these steps until the stain is removed.
    
6. Wash as normal.

In researching this guide, I found a neat tick using Vaseline to remove all glue stains.

I can't personally vouch that it works, though the YouTube comments seem supportive (and they rarely are!) and if all else fails, you could give it a go.