How to Remove Glue From a Stuffed Animal

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Things You'll Need

  • Blunt scraper

  • Dish detergent

  • Sponge

  • Ammonia

  • Laundry pretreatment

  • Laundry detergent

  • Washing machine

  • Dry cleaning solvent

  • Paper towels

Choose washable stuffed animals to facilitate glue removal.

Stuffed animals are most often children's toys, and very loved as they are dragged across the house, in the car and to the supermarket. The very nature of being a child's toy suggests that a stuffed animal will see many stains over the years, including different types of glue. Removing glue from a stuffed animal can vary in difficulty, depending on the chemical makeup of the adhesive.

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Remove School Glue From a Stuffed Animal

Step 1

Use a blunt object -- a butter knife, a spoon or a craft stick -- to scrape off excess school glue from the stuffed animal. School glue is the same as white glue or washable glue. You may even be able to peel a thin layer of dried glue off the plush toy with your fingers without scraping.

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Step 2

Sponge the stained area with a mixture of lukewarm water and liquid dish detergent to lift the glue off the toy. If the glue remains, soak stuffed animals in a container with 1 qt. warm water, 1/2 tsp. dish detergent and 1 tbsp. ammonia. Remember to keep the water warm but not hot; glue is a protein stain that will set into the fabric through heat.

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Step 3

Spritz the stuffed animal with a laundry pretreatment after 15 minutes of soaking if the glue is stubborn and remains. Throw the toy into the washing machine with your regular laundry detergent. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission requires that stuffed animals available for purchase in the United States be washable, according to Kidshealth from Nemours.

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Step 4

Allow the stuffed animal to air-dry to avoid any glue stains that remain from setting into the fabric.

Remove Other Glues From a Stuffed Animal

Step 1

Apply an enzyme-based, aerosol laundry pretreatment to stuffed animals that have been marked with modeling glue, hair glue or epoxy glue. These types of adhesives are considered greasy stains and work best with aerosol-based products, but may also respond to trigger-spray or stick-based stain removal products as well.

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Step 2

Wash the stuffed animal in a normal laundry cycle and air-dry.

Step 3

Remove stubborn greasy glue stains with dry cleaning solvent. Douse the glue stain with the liquid and blot with paper towels. You may also need to scrape excess glue off the toy after blotting the liquid.

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