Do you know that it’s a common thing for kids to use glitter glue in their arts and craft projects? It’s not just the kids, however. Adults also love using this type of adhesive for many different reasons.
It’s a great feeling when you’re finishing up your latest project, and you have also added some extra sparkles. But that joy can quickly be taken away if you find glitter glue on your clothes!
The good news is that there are many ways to remove the glitter glue from your favorite shirt, skirt, or pants. Among them, you can use heated iron, non-chlorine bleach, acetone-based nail polish remover, and hot water with Oxi Clean to get glitter glue out of clothes.
In this article, you’ll find my top three tips on how to remove glitter glue from clothes without ruining them in the process! It’ll also help you to decide which one will work best for your needs.
Why Removing Glitter Glue Needs Special Methods?
Glitter glue is actually a mixture of glitters, colored dyes, and of course, glue. Here the, as usual, white glue or clear glue is used, and it’s not as thick as other adhesives.
The stain of this glitter glue is somewhat hard to remove as there is glitter and colored dyes in it. But not impossible!
How fast you can get rid of the stain will depend on the fabric, and the glue types-means it is already dried or still wet. And in terms of clothes, check it whether it is made of washable materials or not.
So, follow the techniques below to remove glitter glue from fabric so that you don’t face much trouble next time!
Ways to Remove Glitter Glue from Clothes
Working with glitter glue is so much fun. But when it gets stuck on your clothes, then it doesn’t remain fun anymore. That’s why I’m here today, to make your life a bit easier!
Below you’ll find three easy methods to get glitter glue off clothes without fading or doing any damage to the fabrics. So, what are you thinking? Let’s proceed to the methods.
Method 1: Using Iron Heat
Using iron for removing glue is really easy. Even this iron method is also used to remove crayons from clothes. But in this case, for using iron, you have to follow some steps below.
Step-1
First of all, check the nature of the glue. If you see that it’s thoroughly dried, then take a dull knife and make a quick scrub. It’ll help you to remove the upper layer of the craft glues.
But if you see that the glue is still wet, don’t rub as it can spread into other areas. Wet glues are a bit difficult to remove than dried ones. That’s why you may need to freeze that first to make it hard. And then scrape it in the same way as before.
Step-2
You have to find out the fabric type of your cloth at this stage, whether it is cotton, silk, linen, or others. Now heat set the iron according to the cloth type. For example – if your cloth is of cotton fabric, then set the heat trigger on cotton.
Since iron is a sensitive tool to use on clothes, it’s a must to check the fabric type and temperature. If the temperature is higher than necessary, then the fabric may burn away.
Step-3
Once the iron is heated properly, keep it aside safely. Then take a clean cloth and wet it with cold water. Now place the damp cloth over the glue stain.
After that, place the hot iron on the wet cloth and press lightly. Now take off the iron and repeat the process. The main reason for doing this process is to melt down the glue and remove it with the damp cloth.
After doing it 2-3 times, you’ll see that the glue is getting attached to the cloth. Every time change the cloth and place a clean one if necessary. But if you see that the cloth is soaking the glue and getting dirty, you must change it so that it doesn’t spread into other areas.
Step-4
If you see that a noticeable amount of stain has melted down and gone with the cloth, then it’s time to wash it.
In this case, you have to wash the clothes twice for better results. First, throw it into the washer and clean it with a heavy soil cycle for 10-12 minutes. This wash is needed to make the stain lighter and easy to remove.
After that, put some non-chlorine bleach into them and soak them for 1 hour. Non-chlorine bleach works as an adhesive remover. After soaking the clothes for 1 hour, rinse properly. Hopefully, all the stains will go out, and your dress will become new again.
Step-5 (Optional)
I’m mentioning this as optional because you may get glitter glue off clothes after going through the four steps mentioned above. In case if you find some sticky residue left behind, then rewash it.
Throw them in the washing machine again and wash them with a heavy soil laundry cycle for another 10 minutes. Hopefully, now you’ll be able to remove all the stains from your clothes.
Method 2: Nail Polish Remover
Nail polish remover is another excellent solution for removing stains from garments. But in this case, you must need an acetone-based nail polish remover. It also helps to vanish carpet stains.
Most importantly, it not only removes stains but also helps to clean the marker tips. Well, that’s another story. Now come to the point.
Some people say that this remover is not suitable for clothes because it’s too strong. But if you know how to use it, then there will be no problem at all.
That’s why first use it in a small area to check its reaction. If it goes well with the fabric, then use it on the main glue stain.
First of all, take a clean cloth and pour some remover on it. Don’t just start to apply it on glues. You have to place a paper towel over the stain and flip the cloth. Now dab the cloth on the stain from this reverse side. You can also use a cotton swab instead of a cloth.
Now let the remover sit there for at least 1-2 minutes and then attempt to remove it. The glue may come out on the paper towel. But if not, then repeat the process until the glue disappears entirely from your clothes.
Pro Tips: Instead of nail polish remover, you can also try using vinegar. The best thing about this remedy is that it costs nothing! Vinegar is one of the cheapest kitchen items that we have. It also helps to get crayons off walls.
You can try vinegar to remove glitter glue from clothing surfaces like leather seats in cars, furniture upholstery, etc. But please make sure that you are using distilled white vinegar only. Please don’t mix them with any other liquid/solution containing dangerous chemical ingredients such as ammonia.
So, soak the clothes with vinegar in the same way as nail polish remover. It will help to break the bond among materials used in the glue.
How to Removing Washable Glitter Glue
Among all the types, washable glitter glue is the easiest one to remove. These are not like other strong adhesive glue or super glues. These are made with water-based glue. That’s why you won’t face that much trouble while removing it.
Method 3: Hot Water Process
Before laundering any clothes, if you see the glue stain, you must remove it first. So, throw the clothes into the washing machine. And wash them with liquid laundry detergent with a heavy soil cycle for around 10 minutes.
Within these 10 minutes, make a solution of oxygen bleach. For this, you can use Oxi Clean. Follow the instruction on the label and make a solution.
Then take the clothes out from the washing machine and soak them in the solution for at least 1 hour. After that, repeat the laundry cycle and rewash the clothes. This wash cycle is done to remove any leftover stain residue. And then you’ll get back your favorite shirt as before.
Source: crayola.com
Warning ⚠️
While ironing, be careful about the temperature must. Choose the heat setting according to your fabric material.
For nail polish remover, choose an acetone-based remover. But you must check it on a small area first and then use it over the stain. Some remover may fade away the color of your dress. That’s why better to check it earlier.
Again, for using bleach, read the instruction and label of your clothing to make sure that the fabric is allowed to bleach or not.
Remember, all these methods are not suitable for each type of fabric. The first thing you should do is check your dress’s label and compare it to these methods. If it’s allowed, then try one by one!
FAQ
Q: Does vinegar break down glue?
Yes, vinegar can dissolve glue. Actually, vinegar is made of mainly two ingredients – acetic acid and water. Among them, acetic acid can break down the bond materials of adhesives. So, you can follow the pro tips mentioned above to remove glue from clothes using vinegar.
Q: What is the best adhesive remover?
There are so many brands out there that are producing high-quality adhesive removers. But if you want my opinion, then I would definitely recommend Goo Gone Adhesive Remover. You can try it on stickers, wax, markers, crayons, glue, tar, window decals, glitter, gum, labels, and so much more.
Q: Does glitter come off in the wash?
No, glitter will not just come off in the wash. You first need to remove it from your clothes and then wash them. For removing it from clothes, you can use the aerosol hairspray and then wash the clothes as usual.
But for carpets, the easiest way is to use masking tape. Wrap this sticky tape around your hand and then start to remove the glitters just by pressing on it.
Q: Does hairspray keep glitter on?
No, hairspray doesn’t keep the glitter on. Instead, it helps to remove glitter from fabrics. You have to spray an aerosol hairspray over the glitters and let it dry for some time until it becomes hard.
Then when you wash it as usual in the washing machine, all the glitters will go away.
Final Word
Though glitter glues are somewhat difficult to remove but till now you may have learned the ways to deal with it. Whether you made a mistake or your kids make a mess by attaching glue to the clothes, there is no pain at all.
Follow the methods mentioned above to remove glitter glue from clothes easily. Hopefully, you won’t face any difficulty and will become successful!