Even if you try to protect your clothes when tackling craft projects, accidents can happen!
Before you know it, you’ve accidentally got PVA glue on your brand-new jumper or favourite pair of jeans. What a sticky situation to be in!
Unfortunately, washing your garments isn’t enough to remove this substance from your clothes.
But your items of clothing aren’t necessarily ruined! You can use several easy methods to get this sticky substance from your garments.
Keep reading for all there is to know on how to get PVA glue out of clothes and other hacks for stain-free clothing.
How Do You Remove Wet PVA Glue from Clothes?
When you accidentally get PVA glue on your clothes, it is essential to act fast. Wet glue is much easier to remove than glue that has dried and solidified in the fibres.
Therefore, your first step should be to take a dry cloth and try to remove as much of the mess as possible as quickly as you can!
Once you have removed most of the wet glue, follow these steps to ensure the remnants don’t cause damage to your favourite trousers, jumpers, and shirts:
- Place your glue-covered clothes in cold water and let them soak overnight
- In the morning, remove the water and gently massage liquid washing detergent into the stain
- Place your clothes in the washing machine and run a warm wash cycle (check the labels on your clothes first to avoid further damage)
- When the cycle ends, hang your clothes out to dry; the glue should have vanished!
How Do You Remove Dried PVA Glue from Fabric?
If you didn’t realise you’d made a mess until the PVA glue dried hard, don’t worry! You can use two methods to remove the glue stains that are just as effective.
These methods have the same idea: remove as much excess as possible, scrub the stain with detergent, and wash as usual.
The only difference between the two methods is how excess glue is removed. You can either scrape the dry glue away or use steam to soften the adhesive, as explained below:
1. Scraping and washing
If the PVA glue is partially dry, let it dry completely. Once it is completely solid, use a blunt knife to scrape off the top layers of glue gently. This helps remove the excess glue from the fibres, just like wiping away wet PVA glue does.
You can then follow the below steps:
- Wet a toothbrush and apply a little washing detergent to the brush
- In circular motions, scrub the stain on your clothes to help work the detergent into the fibres
- Soak your clothes in cold water for around 15 minutes
- Remove your clothes from the water and run a warm washing cycle (remember to check the temperature limits of your clothes to avoid shrinking)
- Hang your clothes out to dry, and the PVA glue should be removed
2. Steaming and washing
The second way to remove dried PVA glue from clothing is to steam the excess glue off. Boil a kettle and put on a pair of rubber gloves to protect your hands from the steam.
Once the kettle has boiled, hold the stain directly against the steam to help soften the glue. You can then gently pick the excess glue off using your fingers.
With the glue removed, it is now time to wash! Follow steps 1 to 5 in the section above to eliminate those stubborn PVA glue stains.
Hannah has a passion for cleaning. She worked her way around Australia by cleaning hostels in exchange for free accommodation and used her cleaning skills to bag a job as a chalet host for a luxury ski company in France.
