Getting rid of glue spills doesn’t have to be a tough job – find out how to remove glue from plastic, glass, and wood here!
Super glue whether it is in a tube, stick, or on the back of the labels is extremely useful – and sometimes essential – household product, especially for DIY and crafts. However, super glue can leave a sticky residue and appears to be unsightly when it dries in the unwanted places, and no one wants that. Thankfully, removing glue doesn’t have to be tough. From taking off the jar labels to shifting stubborn hardened glue splatters, these tips to removing glue from plastic, glass, and wood will equip you with everything you need to know about how to remove super glue from your everyday household surfaces.
Using oil or moisturizer to remove tricky glue stains is very quick and easy, but remembers to always clean up any residue with a commercial cleaning product appropriate for your surface – Cif has a lot of options. Remaining grease and oil can easily spot clothing or (if applied to the floor) cause accidents.
How to Remove Super Glue from Plastic
Removing glue from plastic is the case of finding a product with the power to break down the glue’s bond, while also being mild enough to ensure that the colour of the plastic isn’t bleached or the surface damaged.
Before you start, test any product you plan to use on an inconspicuous area – it’s worth checking that both the glue and the surface you’re cleaning will respond well to your treatment.
1) How to remove glue from plastic gently
Begin by using something mild, like moisturizer or vegetable oil. Soak a cloth and dab it generously on the glue patch, allowing the moisturizer or oil to soak in, and then wipe the surface firmly with a clean paper towel or cloth.
2) How to remove glue from plastic if you need a quick fix
Make-up wipes may be sufficient to break down the weaker solvents and remove glue residue at the same time. Just swab the glue mark gently in a circular motion.
3) Removing super glue from plastics
Soak the glue with vinegar and rinse clean, or if the glue is hard rather than tacky, use a thin scraper – such as a blunt knife, spatula, or old debit card – to lift the glue from beneath without scratching the surface.
How to Remove Glue from Glass
Knowing how to remove adhesive from glass effectively becomes handy when you want to reuse jars or if you’re cleaning glue the spillages on your mirrors, windows, and glassware.
1) How to remove sticker glue from glass jars and wine bottles
Soak them in warm water mixed with a 1teaspoon of Vim then scrub with a scouring pad or scrape them with an old card taking care not to scratch the surface. If you find your jars have particularly stubborn sticky spots then wipe the tacky areas generously with oil or petroleum jelly. If the label just doesn't seem to budge then you can try wiping it with acetone or alcohol-based nail varnish remover, however, remember to follow the safety instructions and use them in a well-ventilated area. Test any of these cleaning solutions on a discrete spot first if you’re worried about damaging or discolouring the surface.
2) To remove hardened glue from glass surfaces
Whether its superglue dripped on the mirror or a messy splash of industrial glue around the seal of the windows, a scraper is the weapon of choice. Again, oil, petroleum jelly, nail varnish remover, or vinegar could be used to soften the glue’s bond, and even greasy products like mayonnaise and margarine have been known to ease glue from the glass with the help of a scraper. However, if you have a really tough patch of glue on glass then often the most simple and effective way to remove it is to soak the area with the hottest temperature of water possible, and then (whilst being careful of your own safety and wearing rubber gloves) scrape the glue away from the glass surface.
How to Remove Glue from Wood
If you want to know how to remove glue from wood, it’s likely that you’ve got a glue patch on your varnished wooden furniture or flooring. Luckily, you can remove glue from almost any surface without damaging the finish. Just use the correct techniques and take care in testing on a discrete area first.
When you want to remove glue from the untreated wood, you can simply sand it away carefully. However, sanding isn’t an option for many wooden surfaces in the household. For most treated wood it should be safe to leave petroleum jelly to soak into the glue patch overnight to loosen the bond, before cleaning it off and polishing the wood as normal.
Use Heat to Remove Glue Without Chemicals
If you’re worried about damaging a surface to use any products at all, heat may be the key to removing the glue. Depending on the heat resistance of the surface, you can either heat the glue directly with a hair dryer whilst working away from the glue patch with a scraper, use boiling water, or leave the glue-stained surface out in the hot sun, before scraping the sticky patch away while it’s hot and pliable.
So there you have it! No matter where you have a stubborn glue stain, there is a way to remove it without causing any harm.