How to Get Super Glue Off Your Skin

By eHow Health Editor

Rate: (177 Ratings)

While Super Glue is ideal for fixing things, it's downright scary when the glue bonds to your skin. Most fast-bonding glues, including nail glue and plastic-bonding glue, contain cyanoacrylate and require careful handling, but if you do get in a bind, here's how you can extract yourself from the sticky situation.

Flag Article

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Nail-polish remover
Soap
Acetone-based nail-polish remover
Warm water
Shallow bowl

Step1

Do not attempt to tear or force apart the glue. This could rip your skin.

Step2

Apply acetone-based nail-polish remover to the area. The acetone breaks down the bond.

Step3

If there's a lot of glue on your skin, soak the skin in nail-polish remover to dissolve the bond.

Step4

Clean the area with soap and water after removing the glue.

Step5

If you don't have nail-polish remover, soak the affected skin in warm, soapy water.

Step6

Slowly roll the skin to work the bond apart as the warm water soaks through. Continue doing this until the skin is free of glue.

Tips & Warnings

If you get Super Glue in your eye or mouth, keep the eye or mouth open while you rinse it with water for 15 minutes. Seek medical attention immediately.

Comments

alldeepblue said

Flag This Comment

on 8/1/2008 i got superglue all over my hand and fingers at work. i didn't have acetone with me, so i used a petroleum-based lip balm and a nail file. it worked perfectly and my hand was all cleaned up in under 3 minutes! added bonus - my hand doesn't smell like chemicals anymore, either.

babydollxo13 said

Flag This Comment

on 7/30/2008 actually just today, I was working on a project for school, and I got my pointer finger and thumb stuck together. So I did the nailpolish and it got them unstuck but the glue was still there. So I rubbed my fingers on a pumiss stone under warm water and it completely came off!