How to Remove Mod Podge From Clothes

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Mod Podge—short for "modern decoupage"—has been around since the 1960s, and no serious crafter can do much without it. It is inexpensive, versatile, safe to use…and messy. Getting Mod Podge out of fabric can be a challenge. It's not impossible to remove Mod Podge stains, but you will have to work at it a little.

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Things You'll Need

  • Clean cloth

  • Rubbing alcohol

  • Butter knife

  • Nylon pan scrubber

  • Petroleum jelly

  • Paper towels

  • Dish soap

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Step 1

Blot up fresh Mod Podge stains with a clean cloth. Once you have removed all that you can, dampen a clean corner of the cloth with rubbing alcohol and blot up the rest of the Mod Podge.

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Step 2

Use a butter knife to scrape off as much dried Mod Podge as you can. Loosen any dried-on Mod Podge with a nylon pan scrubber—the kind that looks like a tangled ball of plastic.

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Step 3

Rub a fingertip full of petroleum jelly into any Mod Podge residue left after scraping. Let it sit for five to 10 minutes and then wipe off any excess petroleum jelly with a paper towel.

Step 4

Squirt enough dish soap onto the stain to cover it. Rub it in and let it sit for five to 10 minutes, and then rinse the clothing in the hottest water the fabric can stand.

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Step 5

Wash the clothing as usual, but do not put the garment in the dryer until it's been washed enough times to remove all traces of the Mod Podge.

Tip

Try freezing the garment for half an hour before scraping to make the Mod Podge more brittle.

Warning

Always test fabric’s colorfastness before using rubbing alcohol on it.

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