How to Remove Glue Stains

When working on art projects or helping kids with art projects, these projects can often include the use of glue. This can lead to glue on hands, tables, the intended project, and of course, clothes. What do you do when your child comes home with more glue on his or her clothes than on the beautiful artwork that is presented to you? Purex® shares how to remove glue stains from clothing and fabrics.

If your children are younger, there is a good chance that the glue they used was a washable school glue. If the glue has completely dried, soak the stain in water overnight. This should help to soften and loosen the glue stain, making it easier to remove.

Wash the clothing item as you would normally do, making sure to check the care label of the garment before washing. A detergent option for younger children’s clothing, especially if you’re concerned about sensitive skin or hypoallergenic, would be Purex® Free & Clear detergent. It's a great detergent for sensitive skin at an affordable price.

Before placing the clothing or fabric in the dryer, examine the glue stain and make sure it has been removed. If there are still remnants of the stain, repeat the process of soaking the item and then washing with Purex® detergent. Placing the item in the dryer before the stain is completely removed can set the glue stain and make it nearly impossible to remove.

If the adhesive is a stronger type, such as rubber cement or a spray adhesive, a solvent can often help to loosen the glue stain. As always, test the solvent on the inside hem of your item to make sure it does not cause any discoloration. For rubber cement, you can use rubber cement thinner or mineral spirits to soften the stain. Mineral spirits will also help with a spray adhesive. Wet a cloth with the solvent and gently wet the stain with it. Leave the cloth with solvent on the stain for a few hours to allow the stain to soften completely.

Then launder the item as you normally do. If you are more of a fragrance lover when it comes to your laundry detergent, a couple of options for scented detergent are Purex® Mountain Breeze detergent or Purex® Natural Elements Linens and Lilies detergent. As before, inspect the glue stain before placing the clothing or fabric in the dryer to make sure it was completely removed. If it was not, repeat the process.

Happy stain fighting! For other stains involving kid's crafts, view how to remove ink and crayon stains and how to remove marker stains.

Purex® offers an array of great products, all at an affordable price. Discover Purex® liquid laundry detergents, Pacs, and Purex® Crystals. Purex® products will keep your clothes smelling fresh in a variety of scents while keeping them looking brand new.

We understand that life gets messy and want to make laundry as easy as possible for you. With quality & value continuing to be at the core of our product development, we continue to create highly effective laundry detergent & supplies. We tested some of the toughest stains to keep your clothing looking brand new. View our Stain Lab for our best recommendations to get life's toughest stains out of your clothing.