No matter what you have at home which is made from plastic. All of them are attached with different kinds of stickers. Once you peel off these stickers, it leaves glue gunk. So you have to learn how to remove glue from plastic to look fresh and reuse it.
Apply a few acetone drops/rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad and gently rub it on the glued surface to dissolve the glue. Then get off the softened glue with a damp paper towel.
It’s a snapshot of the entire process. In this guide, I’ll talk about some effective homemade solutions that save your bucks and suggest some chemical glue cleaner. So read the guide and get glue residue-free plastic products.
There are multiple methods to remove super glue from plastic. Some methods require food ingredients, and some methods require chemical agents. However, depending on the methods, super glue removal process, working time, and required things will be different.
First, I’ll share some homemade remedies and then commercial cleaners to get off the super glue from plastic. So you can follow any method that you find convenient and easy.
You have mild dishwashing soap, vinegar, baking soda, and cooking oil in your kitchen, don’t you? So why not try these things to remove super glue from plastic instead of their regular work.
Thinking, how? Let’s see
Most dishwashing detergents have an active cleaning ingredient named Triclosan. It works great for killing bacteria and fungus. Triclosan is also effective in removing super glue from plastic, but it takes more time.
- Make soapy water with 2-3 teaspoons of mild detergent and soak the glued area of the plastic for 5-6 hours. Within this time, the glue will be softened.
- Now, scrub the soft glue with a sponge to remove the glue and rinse it with clean water.
- Finally, wipe it with a dry cloth.
White vinegar and baking soda combination make a strong cleaner that is incredibly effective in removing glue from plastic. You can also use olive oil or coconut oil as a vinegar alternative. Because when you mix baking soda with oil, that makes a paste that is great for removing any stubborn dirt from any surfaces.
- Pour 1 teaspoon of baking soda and vinegar into a cup and string them to make a paste, like pancake batter.
- Apply the paste over the super glued surface of the plastic with a cotton pad.
- After 15 minutes, scrub the area with a sponge or your fingers to loosen the glue.
- Now, rinse the plastic with clean water and wipe it with a dry cloth.
Are you too busy with small kids and don’t have time to follow ordinary homemade solutions? Nothing to worry about!
Some commercial glue removing liquid can instantly remove adhesive residue from plastic surfaces.
Acetone-based nail polish remover, rubbing alcohol, Goo Gone, Goof Off, and paint thinner, are some of these glue removers that you can purchase from your nearest shopping mall or online. If you love to buy them online, my affiliate link will take you to Amazon, from where you can collect the glue remover.
So, once you have got your preferred glue remover, it’s time to know about the process of how to use them to get glue residue-free plastic items. As all of these glue-removing formulas using process is the same, that’s why I’ll share a simple step-by-step guide to use them efficiently.
The Things You Need
- A few drops of nail polish remover/ rubbing alcohol/Goo Gone/Goof Off/paint thinner (or according to the glue residue)
- Soapy water
- Microfiber cloth
Process
- Moisten a microfiber cloth into the remover and rub it on the plastic glued surface for 30-60 seconds. The chemical agent of the formula will reduce the glue strength within this time.
- Now, wipe another cloth on the surface to remove the glue.
- For more glue guns, you can repeat the process.
- Rinse the plastic with soapy water to clean the glue’s white film.
- Again rinse with clean water and wipe dry cloth.
Tips:
To avoid plastic scratching, never rub it forcefully and use multiple glue removers at a time
Plastic lances, water bottles, window frames, kids’ toys, and shipping bags are everyday plastic items that you use. All of these things have attached labels on them. But as time passes, the labels become dirty. So you have to peel them off.
However, once you peel the label off, glue residue will be visible on the surface that looks sticky. Moreover, this sticky glue residue will attract oil grease, making it more sticky. Now I’ll show you some simple tactics to remove the glue residue depending on the plastic items.
Usually, I wear plastic lens eyeglasses to protect my eyes from air, dust, and debris. Once I was working with super glue for crafting projects. Unintentionally I kept my glasses on the workstation and glued my fabric. But alas! Suddenly one drop of super glue fell on the plastic lenses.
I removed the super glue from the plastic lenses with toothpaste. The toothbrush’s cleaning agent, Sodium lauryl sulfate, works excellent for glue removal. Let’s see how I did that.
The Things You Need
Process
- First, apply ½ teaspoon of toothpaste to the affected area and rub it with your finger for 1-2 minutes.
- Then rinse the lenses with clean water and dry them with cotton pads.
To get a visualization of the process, check this short video.
Almost all kinds of plastic bottles and containers have stupid glue skid marks after removing their label. However, you can easily clean the glue skid marks from the bottles within a few minutes and with less elbow grease. Here I’ll describe a simple way to let you know how to remove labels from plastic bottles for recycling.
The things you need
- Razorblade
- A few drops of Goo Gone
- Cotton pad
- Clean water
- Soft microfiber cloth
Process
- First, gently pry away the stickers and their adhesive residue with a razor blade from the bottle as much as possible.
- Now, soak the cotton pad with Goo Gone and scrub the glued area for 30-60 seconds.
- Rinse the bottle with clean water and wipe it with a soft clean microfiber cloth.
- Finally, keep it resting in an airy place to air dry it.
Do you frequently purchase your required things online? If so, then you must receive your ordered items with good packaging. You’ll find different shipping labels attached to the bag, where the product’s name, amount, shipping address, etc. are written. To reuse these plastic bags, you have to get off these labels without damaging the bags.
Do you frequently purchase your required things online? If so, then you must receive your ordered items with good packaging. You’ll find different shipping labels attached to the bag, where the product’s name, amount, shipping address, etc. are written. To reuse these plastic bags, you have to get off these labels without damaging the bags.
Do you frequently purchase your required things online? If so, then you must receive your ordered items with good packaging. You’ll find different shipping labels attached on the bag, where the product’s name, amount, shipping address, etc. are written. To reuse these plastic bags, you have to get off these labels without damaging the bags.
The Things You Need
Process
- Run the air dryer and hold it over the shipping labels for 15-30 seconds. The hot air will loosen the glue strength.
- Keep your air dryer aside and peel away the label from the shipping bag.
Kids’ hard toys like cars, airplanes, guns, etc., are mostly known as models. Removing super glue from the models isn’t tricky if you know how to do:
The Things You Need
- A few drops of acetone
- Cotton pad
- Soft microfiber cloth
Process
- Moisten the cotton pad with acetone and swab it on the glued surface for 40-60 seconds.
- Now, remove the soft glue with another cotton pad.
- Finally, wipe the model with a soft cloth to clean the glue haze.
UPVC tape is used to bond window frames or attach labels to them. After peeling away the tape, it leaves a glue stickiness. Unless you remove the glue, it doesn’t look pleasant.
The Things You Need
- Mr Clean Magic Eraser
- Microfiber cloth
- Paper towel
Process
- Now wipe the window frame with the pad for 45-60 seconds. The chemical agent of the pad will loosen the glue from the surface.
- Again wipe the frame with a damp cloth to remove the soft glue gunk.
- Finally, wipe it with a dry paper towel.
Almost all of us use phone back covers or cases as a preventive step to enhance the phone’s lifespan. Plastic phone cases are economical, easy to use, and clean. So that if you mistakenly glued your plastic phone case, don’t worry. Here’s the simple process for how to get super glue off plastic phone case.
The Things You Need
- A rag
- A few drops of rubbing alcohol
- A microfiber cloth
Process
- Moisten the rag with rubbing alcohol and rest on the glued phone case for 15-20 minutes.
- After that, scrub the soft glue with the rag and remove them.
- Finally, clean the case with another damp rag and wipe it with a dry microfiber cloth.
Most kids’ toys have plastic windshields, and if that comes into contact with super glue, it leaves a haze on it. So that the kids can’t see clearly through the windshield. However, removing super glue haze from plastic is very simple.
The Things You Need
- A cotton bar
- ½ teaspoon of petroleum jelly
- Putty knife
- Clean rag
Process
- Soak the cotton bar into the petroleum jelly and rub it for 1-2 minutes on the super glue haze.
- Now, scrap the soft glue with a safety putty knife.
- Wipe the windshield with a damp rag and a dry rag.
If you remove super glue depending on its brand and type, that will be more effective. Because all brands and types of glue require unique removal treatment.
Gorilla glue is prominent in bonding almost all kinds of things, including glass, fabric, plastic, etc. Once it bonds anything, it’ll last years after years. However, removing Gorilla glue is not that complicated if you remove it before drying.
The Things You Need
- A few drops of acetone
- Abrasive sponge
- Razor knife
- Clean rag
Process
- Soak the sponge with acetone and rub the plastic’s glued surface for dissolving.
- Pry away the dissolved Gorilla glue with the razor knife until all the glue comes off.
- Now, clean the glue residue with the damp rag
Krazy glue is really crazy to bond any materials. So most crafters and DIY homemakers keep it in their toolbox to create new crafting or instantly bond any broken things. The crazy glue using and removing procedure is very simple. Let’s see how to remove Krazy glue from plastic.
The Things You Need
- An old toothbrush
- A few drops of Goof Off
- Clean rag
Process
- Soak the toothbrush bristle with Goof Off and rub the glue with the wet toothbrush until the glue is dissolved and comes with the toothbrush.
- Now, wipe it with the damp, clean rag to remove the glued loose debris.
Using a hot glue gun makes your work easier and faster than regular glue. But, if you can’t deal with the hot glue gun carefully, it’ll make your working space messy. Now, I’ll show you how to remove dried hot glue from plastic with little effort and time.
The Things You Need
- A few drops of rubbing alcohol
- Dull butter knife
- Abrasive sponge
- Clean rag
Process
- Apply rubbing alcohol on the plastic hot glued surface and rub the area with the sponge for 45-60 seconds. Rubbing alcohol and your little elbow grease will dissolve the dried hot glue.
- Now, scrap away the hot glue chunk with the butter knife and clean the space with a damp rag.
As epoxy glue is non-toxic and food-safe, it is used to make and repair plastic cooking utensils. But, if a white film is visible after curing, that is unpleasant to see. So, it’s essential to remove the epoxy glue from plastic.
The Things You Need
- A few drops of acetone
- Soft sponge
- Butter knife
Process
- Saturate the sponge with acetone, rub it on the plastic in a circular motion, and then keep it on the surface for 5 minutes to soften the glue.
- Then, after removing the sponge, pry away the glue with the butter knife.
- Finally, wipe the space with a clean damp rag.
PVA glue is well-known as a non-toxic glue that offers incredible bonding on fabrics and most surfaces. As it is a water-soluble glue, removing it from plastic isn’t too tricky.
The Things You Need
- Warm water
- Mild detergent
- A large size soup bowl
- Abrasive rag
Processing
- Fill half of the soup bowl with warm water and dilute mild detergent to make the water soapy.
- Soak the plastic glued surface in soapy water for 30 minutes.
- Now, rub the space with the rag to clean soft glue.
You must notice sticky and gummy surfaces after peeling off any stickers from the plastic products. Isn’t it irritating to touch? Absolutely. Here’s how to remove sticky labels from plastic without scratching.
The Things You Need
- Nail filer
- A few drops of Rubbing Alcohol
- Soft cloth
Process
- Try to peel off sticker and sticker residue from the plastic surface as much as possible with the nail filer. It’ll make your cleaning process shorter.
- Soak the cloth with rubbing alcohol and rub it on the sticky tape residue for 40-60 seconds.
- Finally, wipe it with a damp cloth to remove the alcoholic odor and loosen glue debris.
Polycarbonate is known as clear plastic that is used in manufacturing companies. It is stronger and more expensive than polystyrene and acrylic plastic. So, you have to be mindful while removing glue from it.
The Things You Need
- A few drops of acetone
- Clean rags
Process
- Moisten a rag with acetone and gently scrub it on the clear plastic’s glued surface for 20-30 seconds to saturate the glue.
- Now, take another piece of rag and wipe it thoroughly to clean the soft glue gunk.
This is the end of my detailed comprehensive guide on how to remove glue from plastic. I have discussed multiple solutions here, so you can quickly go with any methods that you find easy to follow, depending on your plastic items and glue types.
Once you try any method, don’t forget to share your experience with me by leaving a comment. Your comment will inspire me to share more DIY home improvement skills.