How to Remove Wood Glue From Clothes

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Things You'll Need

  • Liquid soap

  • Water

  • Vinegar

  • Olive oil or other cooking oil

  • Lemon

  • Nail polish remover

  • Iron

  • Cloth

  • Dull knife

  • Scrub brush

Image Credit: Gabriel De Linden/iStock/GettyImages

Wood glue is composed of a chemical formula that forms a strong bonding agent capable of binding to and holding two pieces of wood together. If you have inadvertently wiped excess wood glue onto your clothes, do not despair—there are ways to remove wood glue from your clothes before it sets in. Use water-soluble wood glues because they are easier to remove from clothes.

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Soap

Use Liquid Soap

Apply full-strength liquid soap to the wood glue stain on your clothes while the glue is still wet.

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Rub the Spot

Agitate the fabric by rubbing the spot with the fabric folded until it looks like the wood glue has blended into the soap.

Rinse and Repeat to Remove Wood Glue

Rinse with warm water and repeat steps 1 and 2 to wash away the wood glue.

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Vinegar

Soak With Vinegar

Image Credit: © Santiago Urquijo/Moment/GettyImages

Saturate the spot of wood glue with a few drops of full-strength vinegar if the soap doesn't get it out. Saturate the spot with vinegar especially if the wood glue has dried.

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Let It Set

Allow the vinegar sit on the stain for a few seconds.

Take an Edge to It

Scrape or scrub the stain with a flat edge such as a dull knife or a scrub brush until the glue loosens from the clothes.

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Wash With One-to-One

Wood Magazine recommends that you wash the spot area with diluted vinegar—one part vinegar to one part water—to remove any residue and then wash it again by hand with soap and water.

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Apply Heat

Cover With a Cloth

Heat the wood glue stain with an iron if soap and vinegar don't work. Lay a thin piece of cotton fabric over the spot, and turn the iron to its highest setting. Turn the iron's steam setting to the highest point as well.

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Check the Stain

Have a bowl of hot water and soap, a scrub brush and a clean rag handy. Heat the glue spot with the iron for five seconds. Quickly lift the cloth to check the stain.

Scrape and Heat

Scrape away some of the glue if the glue is soft. Heat the area again for another five seconds. Again scrape the glue spot to remove more glue.

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Heat, Soap and Scrub

Heat the area one more time, and then apply soap to the area and scrub it into the fabric while the area is still warm.

Wash and Rinse

Wash the spot with hot water and rinse.

Dissolve It With Oil

Combine Juice and Oil

Add one part lemon juice to two parts olive oil or another cooking oil.

Let It Soak

Let the oil and lemon soak into the stain to dissolve the wood glue spot.

Rub and Scrub

Rub the fabric together to loosen the spot. Scrub it with a scrub brush as well.

Apply More Soap

Rub undiluted soap onto the oil-soaked wood glue spot to further break down the wood glue as well as the oil.

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Rinse and Then Launder

Rinse in very warm water and then add more soap and hand-wash the spot area. Rinse again and hang dry to see if the spot is completely gone before putting it with the regular laundry.

Nail Polish Remover

Treat With Acetone

Apply a small amount of nail polish remover to the stain if all the other methods do not work, advises Craft Art.

Break Up the Spot

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Scrape the glue with a dull knife to break up the glue spot.

Blot and Wash

Blot the nail polish remover away with a clean dry cloth, and then wash the area with soap and water.

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