How to Remove Super Glue from Clothes

Super glue is cured plastic (cyanoacrylate)

Super glue is cyanoacrylate – an adhesive that cures in seconds when it meets moisture, including the humidity in the air and in the fabric. On a garment it seeps down between the fibres and hardens into a stiff, brittle plastic patch. That is why washing does not help: you have to either dissolve the plastic chemically or make it brittle enough to break off. One warning: a larger blob of super glue curing on cotton or wool can react strongly, get hot and, in the worst case, scorch the fabric – so do not add extra glue, and keep a cool head.

Don't tear – loosen the glue gently

If the glue has stuck two layers of fabric together, or fabric to skin, do not tear them apart – you can take the fibres or the skin with it. Soak the area in warm soapy water for a few minutes so the glue softens, and roll or ease the layers gently apart. A thin, fresh film of glue often lets go after a good soak in warm water with a little dish soap.

The acetone route: dissolve the glue

Acetone dissolves cyanoacrylate and is the best chemical route on tough fabrics like cotton and denim. But acetone is not kind to every fibre, so test a hidden spot first.

1. Spot-test: put a little acetone in an inner seam and check the fabric does not melt or lose colour. Never on acetate, triacetate or modacrylic – they melt.
2. Lay the garment glue-side down on white paper towel, and moisten a cotton ball with acetone.
3. Dab the glue from the back so it softens, and gently scrape at the edge as it loosens.
4. Change the paper towel and cotton often, and repeat until the glue is gone.
5. Rinse and wash the garment as the care label allows. Do not tumble dry until all the glue is out.

The freeze route: for a thick blob

If it is a thick, cured blob rather than a thin film, freezing is often easiest – and needs no solvent at all. The cold makes the plastic brittle so it snaps instead of smearing around.

1. Put the garment in a bag and into the freezer for about an hour, or hold an ice pack against the glue until it is frozen through.
2. Bend and twist the fabric so the frozen blob cracks apart.
3. Pick and scrape the pieces off gently with a blunt knife or your nail – do not pull at the fabric itself.
4. If a thin residue remains, take it with the acetone route afterwards (after a spot-test), then wash the garment.

Send the garment to us

If the garment is delicate, dyed or made of a fabric that cannot take acetone, or the glue is somewhere you would rather not risk, you can send it to us. We assess the fabric and clean according to the garment and its care label – anywhere in Norway. You describe the stain when you order, and you see the price before you order.

Frequently asked questions