How to Get Hot Glue Out of Fabric

Hot Glue Removal Tips

Don’t worry, with these tips, the hot glue should come right off. There are a few methods to try here. At MSS Cleaning we understand the frustration of quickly attempting to rub off fresh hot glue only to burn your fingers – and smear that glue deeper into your clothes. The giggles from your kid probably don’t help. 

Not to worry. After you take care of your little burn, we can fix that hot glue stain! Read on and see which works for you. One of them should do the trick! 

Method 1 for How To Get Hot Glue Out of Carpet or Fabric: Use an Iron

Getting hot glue out of fabric with an iron is pretty simple. All you need is an iron and a cotton cloth or paper bag. If you don’t have either you can use newspaper as well but use a section without print.

What you’re going to do here is melt the hot glue off the piece of clothing and onto the cloth/paper. The glue should be drawn to the paper or cotton cloth and away from your carpet or fabric. Easy!

The First Step

The first step is to heat up the iron to a temperature that melts the hot glue but doesn’t damage your carpet and/or other textile. If we’re working with clothing, you’ll want to lay out the piece of clothing with the hot glue stain facing up.

Prepare the Textile

For getting hot glue out of carpet carpet, obviously you won’t need to lay anything out, but follow the rest of the instructions. Lay the cloth/paper you are using to soak up the glue on top of the stain.

Apply the Hot Iron

Now, apply the iron – without steam – for about 10-20 seconds. Let that glue melt off your clothes and onto the excess cloth/paper. 

Once you start to see the glue transferring, lift the iron off and check the hot glue stain. If there is still some glue left over, choose a new spot on the cloth/paper and repeat. 

Attack Both Sides, if Possible

For Better Results, flip the fabric you can. If you’re struggling to remove all of the hot glue from the fabric, try flipping both fabrics. Place the cloth/paper on the ground or table. Then, place the hot glue stained clothing on top with the stain facing downwards.

Now, apply the iron again and see if that helps. Remember to choose a clean surface area on the cloth/paper to soak the glue into. 

Method 2 for Removing Hot Glue From Fabric: Try the Freezer 

You read that right. We’re going to freeze your clothing. This method is great but takes a little time. Hot glue may be easy to pull off once it’s frozen.

All you need to do is throw your glue stained article of clothing into the freezer and let it sit until the glue hardens. Once it looks frozen, pull the piece out of the freezer. Get a butter knife or something thin and dull and begin to scrape the glue off.

Usually the glue will pop right off! If you aren’t able to get the article in the freezer, you may be able to use ice cubes to harden the hot glue on, say, an affected area of carpet. This can help you to be able to scrape the hot glue off of carpet fibers.

If there is still some glue left over, try step one or two on the remaining glue! That should do the trick.

Method 3 to Get Hot Glue off of Fabric: Acetone!

All you need is acetone or acetone nail polish remover and some cotton swabs or soft cloth. Goo gone is also a great adhesive remover so if you have some of that laying around this can be a fine substitute.

Acetone is a wonderful adhesive remover that can knock out hardened hot glue stains. Just be sure to test it on a hidden part of your clothing to make sure it won’t stain or damage the color. 

If all looks good, soak the cloth or cotton ball with the acetone nail polish remover. Apply it to the hot glue stained area and let it soak. 

Take a clean cotton ball or cloth and blot the glue dry. The glue should loosen up and transfer onto the cotton ball or cloth. The acetone will break down the glue and make it easier to rub off. 

A Note on Acetone and Carpet

While acetone usually won’t damage typical fabrics, carpets commonly have a latex backing. If acetone stays in contact with this latex backing, it can cause the latex to break down. This results in visible damage to the carpet or even the fibers falling out. Be very cautious if attempting to use acetone on carpet or skip it all together.