How to Remove Glue Stains from Clothes

Dip a cotton swab into some acetone (nail polish remover). Test the acetone on a small, inconspicuous piece of the fabric to ensure that it won’t damage or discolor it. If the fabric is undamaged, use a clean rag or soft white cloth to circle the area containing the nail glue since acetone can cause the glue to spread. Once the glue has been loosened, you should be able to remove it with a pair of tweezers.

If acetone will not work on your fabric, start by soaking it in some soapy cold water. After about 30 minutes, remove the garment and put it on a clean, flat surface, scrubbing gently at the glue with a toothbrush.

Launder the garment as you usually would with your favorite Tide Detergent. As with most glues, the key is to act quickly before the glue hardens. You can also try rubbing alcohol or even WD-40, but always remember to test with a cotton swab in an inconspicuous spot to ensure your fabric won’t be damaged.

Check your glitter glue for its contents. Some glitter glues are child-safe and washable while others use cyanoacrylate adhesive, a key ingredient in super glues. For cyanoacrylate glitter glue removal, see “How to Remove Super Glue” section.

Dampen a soft white cloth and heat your iron to its “cotton” setting. Placing the damp cloth over the stain, heat with your iron to dampen and loosen the glitter glue stain. Use the damp cloth to wipe glue away and repeat the process with a new clean cloth if necessary.

With your washer set to a heavy soil cycle, dose with Tide Detergent. Start the washer and let it run for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Pause your machine in its cycle, adding non-chlorine bleach to the tub. Continue to allow the garment to soak in the machine for an hour, then rinse. Repeat this process as necessary, then dry according to the fabric care label.

Place the garment in your freezer for a few hours. Once the garment is removed, use a table knife or other rigid edge to scrape off any excess hot glue.

Apply isopropyl alcohol to a cotton swab. Dab the alcohol-soaked cotton on an inconspicuous portion of fabric to ensure it won’t be damaged or discolored. Dab the cotton ball on any remaining glue spots to saturate the area.

With rubber gloves, gently rub glue spots back and forth. This will loosen or dissolve most of the remaining glue so it can be wiped away with a paper towel. You can use a sewing needle to pick at any other troublesome spots.

Wash the fabric as you normally would using your favorite Tide Detergent.

If the rubber cement is dry, scrape off as much of the glue as you can using a dull knife. If you are not dealing with a delicate fabric, you can also use a solvent such as rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover to loosen the glue on the garment.

After the excess glue is removed, pretreat the stain with Tide Liquid Detergent. You can pour it directly onto the stain and let it sit for 20 minutes.

Just like with super glue and general glue stain removal, continue washing as usual with Tide Detergent.

Allow the glue to dry, then carefully scrape off any excess.

Test for colorfastness first: Apply the solvent to an inconspicuous area of the garment with a cotton swab, and let it sit for 1 to 3 minutes before applying a paper towel to the area. If no color comes off on the towel, the garment is colorfast, and you can continue to pretreat.

Apply rubbing alcohol to a cotton cloth and gently rub the stain. Rub the stain from the outside in to avoid spreading it and continue until the super glue is removed.

After the excess super glue is removed, pour Tide Liquid Detergent directly onto the stain, making sure you completely cover it. Let it sit for 20 minutes to loosen the remaining stain.

Continue washing as usual with Tide, following the steps described above.

Using a dull knife or stiff edge, scrape off as much excess school glue as possible. Be careful not to spread the stain. If the glue has already hardened, soak the clothing in warm water for 30 minutes to soften before scraping.

Pretreat the stain with Tide Rescue Laundry Stain Remover. You can spray directly onto the stain and let it soak for 20 minutes.

Launder your fabric in the hottest water its treatment label will allow. If the garment allows, you can also use a chlorine bleach or Tide Plus Bleach Alternative Detergent to boost the cleaning power.

Remove the garment after the cycle completes. If the stain persists, repeat steps 2 and 3 until it is gone. Drying the garment before the stain is removed could cause it to set.

Allow the adhesive to dry before trying anything. If you try to wipe a wet commercial adhesive, you could drive it deeper into fibers.

Using a dull knife or scraper, remove any dried excess from the fabric. You can try dampening the area with a clean cloth to loosen as well.

Freeze the garment for one hour. Remaining glue should be frozen solid, making it easier to break away from the fabric with your scraper.

Treat with Tide Rescue Laundry Stain Remover. Spray onto the stain and let it soak for 30 minutes.

Wash garment according to its instructions using Tide Detergent. If the stain persists, repeat washing before drying.

Remove excess glue with a dull knife or edged tool. If the glue is wet, you can sop up excess with a cloth or paper towel.

Dip a sponge or soft white cloth in warm, soapy water. Scrub the affected area gently, which should dissolve and break down the glue.

If soapy water isn’t doing the trick, try a little rubbing alcohol. You’ll want to test the sponge/cloth with rubbing alcohol on an inconspicuous area of your garment to ensure there’s no discoloration or damage to the fibers.

Pretreat any remaining glue with Tide Stain Remover and wash as you normally would. According to the garment’s care label, machine wash with your favorite Tide Detergent. If stain remains, repeat this step before drying to avoid setting the stain.

If the glue is still drying, scrape off as much of it as you can using a dull knife. Removing any excess that hasn’t already soaked into the fibers will make your job easier in the end.

Once dried, treat the glue stain using the steps above based on the type of glue. After you’ve taken those steps, pretreat the stain using Tide Stain Remover, then wash according to the garment’s care label.

Machine wash as usual with Tide Detergent. Consult your garment’s care label and wash accordingly. If the stain persists, wash again until removed to avoid setting the stain.