How To Remove PVC Glue From Clothes

By  Faith Chandler

Things Needed

  • Metal scraper

  • Pre-wash stain remover

  • Iron

  • Paper towels or absorbent cotton cloth

  • WD-40

Tip

Purple PVC primer may be removed before the stain sets with a quick application of PVC clear cleaner.

Warning

Wear old work clothing when using PVC glue to prevent stains on nice garments. Fabric may wear away or fade as a result of cleaning efforts to remove PVC glue.

Plumbing piperazerbird/iStock/Getty Images

PVC glue or "cement" is a strong adhesive that works well at its intended purpose — adhering PVC pipes together. Usually, the PVC glue is applied in combination with a deep-purple PVC primer. It becomes a real problem when the intensely colored glue winds up on an item of clothing. This cement is meant to be permanent, so it is difficult to remove. With some effort and a few crafty techniques, though, you can remove most, if not all, of the glue stain.

Metal spatula isolated on a white background Modify260/iStock/Getty Images

Step 1

Place the stained item of clothing in the freezer. This will freeze and harden the glue. After about an hour, remove the item from the freezer. Scrape away the stiff pieces of glue with the metal scraper.

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Step 2

Heat treat the remaining glue to melt it away from the fabric. Warm the iron up to an appropriate setting for the particular type of fabric. Cover the glue stain with folded paper towels or absorbent cotton. Press on the paper towels with the hot iron. This melts the glue, transferring it to the towels. Repeat with fresh paper towels until remaining glue is gone.

Step 3

Spray the glue stain with WD-40. Set the clothing aside and allow the WD-40 to sit for one hour. Rub the glue stain with a soft cloth and rinse in clean water.

Step 4

Apply pre-wash stain remover to the glue stain. Let the remover work for a few minutes. Put the item through the regular washing machine cycle.

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