Occasionally, a sticky substance stains your clothes. Whether it's chewing gum, glue, stickers, or adhesives, sticky substances are very difficult to remove from fabrics. You can remove the sticky substance by using an adhesive cleaner, such as peanut butter or dish soap, or by heating or freezing the garment.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Preparing the Clothes
Step 1. Spread the clothes
When you notice a sticky substance sticking to your shirt, sweater, or other clothing, spread it out on a flat surface where you can work to remove the stain.
Don't wash clothes after you notice the stain. Washing the cloth will make the stains stickier and harder to remove. If you washed the fabric before you noticed the sticky substance, removing it will take more effort
Step 2. Scrape the sticky substance off the cloth
Work carefully with an object with a flat edge, such as a table knife or an old credit card. Try to remove as much as you can. This will make the deletion process easier..
If the fabric has been washed, you may not be able to remove much of the sticky substance
Step 3. Gather the ingredients
To remove stains, you need to choose a cleaning product. You will also need a soft brush to gently rub the product into the stain. An old toothbrush is ideal for removing stains, or even an old cotton washcloth. Once the stain has been scrubbed lightly, the clothes will need to be washed so you will need a detergent.
You can also dab the stain with a cotton ball if you don't have a soft brush
Step 4. Test on a small area
Before starting, it's a good idea to try your chosen stain remover product on a small area of the fabric. Choose an area that is inconspicuous and out of sight. That way, you can tell if the product will stain the fabric. Some delicate fabrics, such as satin or silk, tend to stain more than more durable fabrics, such as cotton or polyester.
If a cleaning product stains your clothes, choose another product. Try this new stain remover product in another inconspicuous area to turn it off so it won't leave a stain
Method 2 of 4: Using Adhesive Cleaning Products
Step 1. Choose an adhesive cleaning product
There are a variety of products that can be used to remove sticky substances from clothes and fabrics. You can use whatever is currently available. Some products are alcohol-based, while others are oil-based. This product breaks down the sticky substance when rubbed into the stain on the fabric. You can use these adhesive-removal products on any type of fabric. Here are some of the most used products:
- Dish soap
- WD-40
- Rubbing alcohol
- Peanut butter
- Vegetable oil
- Nail Polish Remover with acetone
- Goo Gone or other adhesive cleaners made specifically for removing concentrated ingredients
Step 2. Rub a small amount of cleaning product on the clothes
The amount of product needed will depend on the size of the stain, but first start small.
For some liquid products, such as nail polish remover, soak a cotton ball in the product before dabbing it on the cloth
Step 3. Gently rub the product onto the cloth
Use your fingers or a soft brush to massage the product into the fabric until the sticky substance is gone. This may take 10-15 minutes. Continue to massage the product into the cloth, while scraping off any sticky substance that came off during the process.
Step 4. Scrub the stained area, if needed
For some sticky substances that have settled, you will need a soft brush to scrub the product until it soaks in.
If the garment has been washed, you will likely need to scrub to remove the adhesive
Step 5. Wash the related cloth
Once the sticky substance has been removed, you can wash the cloth as usual.
Method 3 of 4: Removing Sticky Substances Using Heat
Step 1. Prepare an ironing board and iron
You can also use heat to remove any adhesive that has settled on the fabric as it has been washed. Set the iron on after high heat and wait for it to heat up. Do not use the steam setting.
You will also need tissue paper for this method
Step 2. Prepare the clothes for ironing
Place the garment on the ironing board with the sticky stain facing up. Cover the stain with two layers of paper towels. The paper towels should cover the entire sticky area so use several wipes if you have a very large stain.
This method works well for sticky substances, such as the adhesive on the back of a sticker, that have washed off with them
Step 3. Hold the iron on the sticky area
Take your iron and press down on the top of the tissue paper covering the stain. Hold the iron on the stain for 5 to 10 seconds. This heat will lift the adhesive, making it easier to remove.
Some fabrics are more flammable than others, such as polyester or acetate materials. Paper towels can prevent the fabric from burning easily, but be careful and try another method if the fabric starts to burn
Step 4. Lift the iron and start scraping
After heating for 5-10 seconds, the adhesive is hot enough to be scraped off. Use a tool with a flat tip, such as an old credit card or your fingernail, to scrape off the sticky material.
Step 5. Repeat until the associated sticky material is gone
You may need to warm up several times until the adhesive wears off. Repeat the process 5-10 times, then scrape until the persistent stain is gone.
Step 6. Wash clothes as usual
After all the sticky residue has been removed, you can wash the fabric according to the clothing's care instructions.
Method 4 of 4: Freezing Sticky Substances
Step 1. Put the cloth in the freezer
Some sticky substances, such as hot glue or chewing gum, become very brittle when frozen. Place the cloth in the freezer until the sticky ingredients are completely frozen. This method works better on gum and glue-like substances than stickers or sticky substances that have soaked into the fabric.
- You can put your clothes in a plastic freezer bag as long as the sticky substance doesn't touch the bag.
- You can freeze many types of fabric without damaging it.
Step 2. Scrape off the frozen substance
Once the sticky substance has frozen, remove the clothes from the freezer. It's time to start scraping off the substance with a flat-tipped knife or an old credit card. The frozen glue will come out and come off the fabric.
You can also use your fingernails to pry off the gum
Step 3. Use another method, if needed
If the freezing method doesn't remove all of the residue, use another method to remove the stain. Try using heat or an adhesive removal product to remove any remaining adhesive.
Once the stain is removed, the fabric can be washed
Tips
- If all methods have been tried and nothing works, you can sprinkle some talcum powder on the stain so that the substance becomes less sticky.
- You can also use a hairdryer to heat up the stain if you don't have an iron. Hold the hair dryer over the stain for about a minute to loosen it.
- For permanent glues, such as epoxy or superglue, you will need to use acetone to remove the substance.
Warning
- Be careful when working with acetone-based nail polish remover. Acetone vapor can be toxic so work in a well-ventilated area. It can also damage wood, so be careful using acetone on fabrics that are close to the wood.
- For fabrics that can only be dry cleaned, use a professional jada to work with them instead of removing the stain yourself at home.
