How to Remove Wood Glue From Clothes

Wood glue is composed of a chemical formula that forms a strong bonding agent capable of binding to and holding two pieces of wood together. If you have inadvertently wiped excess wood glue onto your clothes, do not despair—there are ways to remove wood glue from your clothes before it sets in. Use water-soluble wood glues because they are easier to remove from clothes.

Apply full-strength liquid soap to the wood glue stain on your clothes while the glue is still wet.

Agitate the fabric by rubbing the spot with the fabric folded until it looks like the wood glue has blended into the soap.

Rinse with warm water and repeat steps 1 and 2 to wash away the wood glue.

Saturate the spot of wood glue with a few drops of full-strength vinegar if the soap doesn't get it out. Saturate the spot with vinegar especially if the wood glue has dried.

Allow the vinegar sit on the stain for a few seconds.

Scrape or scrub the stain with a flat edge such as a dull knife or a scrub brush until the glue loosens from the clothes.

Wood Magazine recommends that you wash the spot area with diluted vinegar—one part vinegar to one part water—to remove any residue and then wash it again by hand with soap and water.

Heat the wood glue stain with an iron if soap and vinegar don't work. Lay a thin piece of cotton fabric over the spot, and turn the iron to its highest setting. Turn the iron's steam setting to the highest point as well.

Have a bowl of hot water and soap, a scrub brush and a clean rag handy. Heat the glue spot with the iron for five seconds. Quickly lift the cloth to check the stain.

Scrape away some of the glue if the glue is soft. Heat the area again for another five seconds. Again scrape the glue spot to remove more glue.

Heat the area one more time, and then apply soap to the area and scrub it into the fabric while the area is still warm.

Wash the spot with hot water and rinse.

Add one part lemon juice to two parts olive oil or another cooking oil.

Let the oil and lemon soak into the stain to dissolve the wood glue spot.

Rub the fabric together to loosen the spot. Scrub it with a scrub brush as well.

Rub undiluted soap onto the oil-soaked wood glue spot to further break down the wood glue as well as the oil.

Rinse in very warm water and then add more soap and hand-wash the spot area. Rinse again and hang dry to see if the spot is completely gone before putting it with the regular laundry.

Apply a small amount of nail polish remover to the stain if all the other methods do not work, advises Craft Art.

Scrape the glue with a dull knife to break up the glue spot.

Blot the nail polish remover away with a clean dry cloth, and then wash the area with soap and water.