How To Get Gorilla Glue Out Of Clothes (Finally!)

Gorilla Glue is a great DIY tool to have as it creates a strong bond that resists pretty much anything, even when it gets on your clothes (mistakenly).

It’s not impossible to take Gorilla Glue off your clothes, but there are better ways to do it. From acetone to scraping, you can save your clothes from the clutches of glue!

What To Do If It Gets On Your Clothes

So, you were trying to attempt a hack from the internet. We’ve all been there, but some Glue fell on your clothes. And not just any glue, it’s Gorilla Glue! *Panic ensues*

Now what?!

Don’t toss the garment out, it can be saved!

Wait!

Check your clothing’s label first to ensure that the methods we’re going to use will not damage the fabric.

Test your fabric before putting any chemicals on it, such as acetone. Use cotton wool and soak it with the chemical you’re planning on using. Test it on a hidden part of the fabric for 5 minutes. Carefully check for damage or discoloration.

Now, are we all good? Let’s get that Gorilla Glue off your clothes then!

Allow the glue to dry completely. If you wipe it while it’s wet, you can cause the glue to go deeper into the fabric. When it’s dry, gently rub or peel the glue. Do this slowly, so you don’t risk damaging the fabric.

You can use acetone or nail polish with acetone to loosen the glue. Apply a bit on the stained area and gently rub with a toothbrush. Try different directions with a light jabbing movement to flake the glue away.
Be patient! Keep rubbing the stain gently – no matter what happens, do press to hard as if there’s no tomorrow! Gorilla Glue has a lot of layers to it, so it’s going to take a while to get all these layers off.
After you get most of the glue out from your clothes, it’s time to wash! Put your machine on the warmest setting (again, don’t forget to check the fabric’s label before doing so). Whether you use laundry pods or sheets, either of them can also help in removing the glue.

Remember this: You must only wash your clothes after you get most of the glue off. If you wash it straight after spilling it, the glued parts can stick to other areas of the fabric, which can ruin the entire garment.

What Makes Gorilla Glue So Sticky?

Gorilla Glue is not your regular glue, like the white paste or roll-on glue we used to love back when we were in school. Its crazy formulation makes it stick to anything, from wood, stone, glass to paper and glass. This glue is not going to wash off easily when it’s applied.

It’s like super-super glue!

Furniture makers first used Gorilla Glue to attach teak wood, but they soon realized that the glue was a gift from hardware heaven. The glue sticks so firmly because it expands three times as much as the amount applied. That’s a lot, so you can imagine the challenge when it gets on where it’s not supposed to be!

Gorilla Glue is serious business and should not be used as a substitute for just anything. Especially if you need hair glue. DO NOT ever consider it!

But if you do get the glue on your skin by mistake, read on to see how to get it off without injuring yourself.

How To Get Gorilla Glue Off Your Skin Without Saying Ouch!

Before using Gorilla Glue, you should always put on a pair of gloves. But if the glue got on your skin, these methods can help:

Wash the area with soap. Nothing like some good old soap! It can help to loosen some of the glue from the skin.
Lemon juice! Place some drops of lemon juice directly on the glue, or cut a fresh lemon/lime and rub it on the skin. Do this for five minutes. If you happen to have any injury or cuts in the same area, be extra careful because it will sting (A LOT!).

Use a 100% acetone-based nail polish remover. Use a cotton ball soaked with this and apply it to the glued area. If the area is bigger, pour some remover into a bowl and soak the skin for 10 minutes. Wash with warm and soapy water.
Exfoliation. Use your pumice stone and rub it gently but with enough pressure so that the glue will flake off. Make sure not to rip your skin!
Rub with sugar or salt. This is a great scrub for wearing away the glue. Mix some sugar, salt, and a little water. Rub it in with your fingers.

Warm oil. Baby oil, olive oil, coconut oil (my favorite!), or sunflower oil can be heated just enough (not too hot that it burns you) to dissolve the glue.
You can also wait for it to fall off naturally in a couple of days. Your skin is an amazing work of art and will eventually heal itself as time passes. If the glued area is not too large or painful, just wait for it to flake off on its own. Watch for cracking and breaking of the skin, and always keep your skin moisturized.

Since glue will dry your skin out, and the many methods you’re going to try are going to dry it out further, it’s important to never skip the moisturization part of your skincare routine.

Our first instinct will tell us to pull and tug at our skin when glue gets on it. I cannot stress enough why you shouldn’t do that! Gorilla Glue is an extremely strong and special kind of glue that can cause damage to your skin before breaking away.

If a large amount of glue fell on your skin and you felt pain instead of just a little bit of sting, you should pop into the doctor’s office stat.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you remove dried Gorilla Glue?

Since it’s dry, it will become a little easier to remove.

You can use a blunt knife or a pair of tweezers to scrape the glue off the surface. Be careful not to damage the surface. You can also use scissors if you’re trying to get the glue off the carpet.