How To Get Glue Out Of Carpets And Clothes

Getting spilled glue off a solid surface can be tricky enough—but trying to get glue out of fabric or carpet is another matter entirely! But accidents happen (as do yucky carpet stains,) and there’s no use in crying over spilled glue. ;-) The purpose of today’s post is to arm you with everything you need to know to remove glue of all kinds from clothing, fabric, and carpet!

Even if you don’t have a glue spill to clean up right now, you may want to bookmark this post to keep it handy. You never know when you might need it! :-) (Saving a post is easy if you’re an OGT Plus member; just click the little heart bookmark in the menu bar to save it to your Favorites!)

Looking for information on removing adhesive residue left behind by stickers and price tags? I have plenty of tips for that at the link below!

Related: 10 Common Products That Will Remove Stubborn Stickers Easily

How To Remove Glue From Fabric & Carpet

How To Remove School Glue & Washable Craft Glues

Difficulty: Easy

1. Allow the glue to dry completely, then use a butter knife to scrape away as much of the hardened glue as possible.
2. Saturate the remaining glue with cold water and allow to soak for 30 minutes.
3. Rinse according to material type:
   • Clothing: Rinse the fabric thoroughly under cold running water, then wash as usual.
   • Carpet: Use a sponge soaked in cold water to blot the area until the remaining glue is gone.

How To Remove Hot Glue

Difficulty: Moderate

For Clothing Items:

1. Place the item in your freezer overnight. Once the glue is nice and brittle, use a butter knife to scrape off as much of it as you can.
2. Pour a bit of acetone-based nail polish remover onto a cotton ball or swab, and use it to dissolve the remaining glue.
3. Launder the item as usual.

For Carpet:

1. Fill a ziplock bag with ice, seal it, and place it over the glue. Let it sit until the glue becomes brittle, then use a butter knife to scrape as much of it off the carpet as you can.
2. If there is still some hot glue residue left behind, pour a small amount of acetone-based nail polish remover onto a clean towel. Use it to dab the area to dissolve and remove the remaining glue residue.

How To Remove Super Glue & Nail Glue

Difficulty: Hard

1. Allow the glue to dry completely.
2. Soak the area with cold water for about an hour, either by soaking the whole item or placing a wet sponge over the area.
3. Pour a bit of acetone-based nail polish remover onto a cotton ball or swab, and dab the remaining glue residue to start removing it. Work from the outside in, using a new cotton ball or swab as necessary.

4. Once the area is saturated with polish remover, use a butter knife to scrape as much of the glue off as you can. Scrub the area with a stiff scrub brush to loosen up more glue, then return to scraping. Alternate scraping and scrubbing until you’ve removed as much of the glue as you can.

5. Finish cleaning according to material type:
   • Clothing: Apply a small amount of laundry detergent directly to the stain and let it sit for 20 minutes. Wash the item as usual, then check the stain and repeat if necessary. (Don’t dry the item until you’re satisfied that the glue is gone, as the heat from the dryer will make any remaining glue impossible to remove.)
   • Carpet: Add 1 teaspoon of dish soap and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to 1 cup of warm water. Dip a clean cloth in the solution and dab the remaining stain. Rinse with a clean cloth dampened with cold water. Repeat if necessary.

Note: Removing super glue or nail glue from fabric is difficult and time-consuming! You may be able to use these methods to salvage your carpet or an irreplaceable clothing item, but it may not worth all the effort if it’s an item you can live without!

What kind of glue do you use most frequently at home?