There are several methods to remove gorilla glue from hands. 

Gorilla Glue is a polyurethane adhesive, one of the best there is. So before I offer you various home remedies for removing glue off your hands, here is my best advice for you. 

Before gluing anything with this very strong adhesive, use protective gear, such as long sleeves and gloves. 

Have a clean cloth and soapy water right beside you. Put your hand into the soapy water and wash and rub it off with the fabric before it can harden. Act without wasting time as soon as Gorilla Glue gets on your hand. 

Gorilla Glue binds very fast and very strong. Once it gets on your hands, you have little time to remove it. 

But if you can’t remove Gorilla Glue off your hands before it hardens, there are some effective methods you can implement at home to help with this sticky situation. 

The most effective home methods require:

1. Soap, water, clean cloth
2. Pumice stone
3. Oil
4. Acetone
5. Homemade scrub
6. Lemon
7. Rubbing Alcohol
8. Salt and sugar scrub

If you read about this issue in multiple places, you may find that some offer to wait for a couple of days as a viable solution. I highly recommend you do not try this, and here is why. 

Glue may slowly break off on its own after a couple of days. But, Gorilla Glue is designed so no matter the type of material it is placed on, it doesn’t simply work on the surface level, but it penetrates deeper into the pores, making it highly effective and one of the best on the market. 

If you leave the dried Gorilla Glue on your hands for days, you may have skin irritations or even burnt wounds. 

In this guide, you will find methods to help remove gorilla glue off your hands with items you most likely already have at home. 

You can try to get rid of hardened gorilla glue on your hands. These methods are simple to follow and safe for your skin. Just follow the steps I will add for each home method. 

For more info, you should also check out my guide on removing Gorilla Glue from the skin.

Soap, Water, Clean Cloth

If you act very fast, you have a chance to remedy the situation before the gorilla glue dries on your hand. 

This is what you need:

• Soap 
• Water 
• Clean cloth
• Hand lotion

Follow these simple steps to remove gorilla glue off hands:

1. Before the glue dries and hardens, place your hand in warm and soapy water
2. Let it soak there for as long as 10-20 minutes
3. Meanwhile, use a clean cloth to gently scrub Gorilla Glue off your hand until there is no residue left
4. Dry your hands
5. Apply hand lotion to keep your skin moisturized

If Gorilla Glue starts to harden (or has already fully dried) before you get to the water, you could still try this method, but it isn’t very likely that it will work as this adhesive is very stubborn. 

Continue reading to see which methods can help remove hardened and dried gorilla glue off your hands. 

Pumice Stone

If you do not have a pumice stone, you can replace it with a knife sharpening stone. 

You can safely scrape hardened gorilla glue from your hand with patience, gentle moves, and firm enough pressure. 

What you need:

• Pumice stone
• Soap and water
• Hand lotion

Follow these four steps:

1. Holding the pumice stone in your hand, apply enough pressure to gently and safely scrub away the glue but not too harshly as to cause irritation or wounds to the skin
2. Use both circular and back-and-forth motions if the gorilla glue is driven in a spot that allows you to do so
3. Once most or all of the Gorilla Glue is off, wash your hand well until it is clean
4. Once dried, apply a hand lotion to moisturize your skin

Once you get close enough to the surface of the skin, if you notice the slightest feeling of irritation and it becomes uncomfortable to keep scrubbing with the pumice stone, you can stop. 

Try washing off the glue’s remains with soapy water and a clean cloth that is gentle on the skin. 

Oil

It doesn’t matter that much what type of oil you use. You can choose vegetable oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, or others. 

One tip that will be helpful to know in this case: heating the oil is more effective in removing gorilla glue off hands. 

When heating the oil, make sure it doesn’t become burning hot as the goal is not to also burn your skin with hot oil. Usually, warming it for a maxim of 10 minutes in the microwave is enough. 

So here are all the items you will need:

• Bowl
• Oil
• Cotton balls
• A cotton swab or toothbrush
• Pinch of salt
• Soap and water
• Hand lotion

It is quite easy and simple to implement this method. Apply the following steps:

1. Add the oil into a bowl and warm it up
2. Depending on where the glue is on your hand, you could place your finger/ hand into the bowl of oil and allow it to soak for more than 10 minutes.
3. Or, you can take a cotton ball, soak it with the oil, place it on the affected area and let it absorb the gorilla glue well. Repeat if necessary
4. Using a circular motion, gently scrub the oil with a cotton swab or toothbrush (also soaked in oil) until it starts to dissolve or easily break away.
5. If the glue is proven extra stubborn, add a little salt to the oil. Mix it well and apply it to the affected area. Use the cotton swab or toothbrush to keep massaging the oil into the affected area.
6. Using a cotton ball or cotton swab, wipe off any glue residues
7. Wash your hand with soap and water until the skin is clean
8. Once it dries, apply hand lotion to it to keep your skin moisturized and protected

Acetone

Acetone can help remove gorilla glue from hands. If you do not have clear acetone, you can use an acetone-based nail polish remover.

What you will need:

• Acetone
• Cotton ball
• Cotton swab
• Soap and water
• Hand lotion

If the gorilla glued is dried somewhere on your finger, you can immerse it into a small bowl where you place the acetone and let it soak until the adhesive softens or easily breaks apart. 

You can use a cotton swab or a toothbrush to help brush it off even easier. If the glue is in a more difficult place, follow these steps:

1. Soak the cotton ball in acetone
2. Place it over the hardened glue on your hand and let it soak through
3. Please get a new cotton ball, soak it in acetone and place it over the affected area
4. Keep repeating the above step until the gorilla glue starts to dissolve or easily break apart
5. Do not try to forcefully peel it off with your hand or an object as you may prefer some of your skin off as well
6. Use a cotton swab or a toothbrush saturated in acetone, and gently rub the glue away with a circular motion until there is no residue left.
7. Wash your hand with soap and water to clean them well
8. After you dry your hands, apply a hand lotion or keep that will moisturize the skin

Homemade Scrub

There are a variety of scrubs you can make at home that can help remove gorilla glue from your hands. 

For one of the most effective and common scrubs, you will need:

• Liquid detergent
• Washing soda
• Water
• Bowl
• A cotton swab or toothbrush
• Soap and water
• Hand lotion

If you have these ingredients at home, follow these steps:

1. Add liquid detergent, washing soda, and water to a bowl
2. Don’t add too much water to liquefy the mixture completely
3. Start with about two spoonfuls of liquid detergent and washing soda, and if necessary, you can add more to the mixture depending on the quantity of Gorilla Glue glued to your hand.
4. Mix it well together
5. Use a cotton swab or a toothbrush to scoop up a generous amount of this scrub and apply it to the affected area.
6. In a circular motion, massage the scrub into the glue
7. Add more scrub to your cotton swab or toothbrush and keep scrubbing the glue away until there is no residue left
8. Wash your hands with soap and water
9. Apply a generous amount of moisturizing hand cream to keep your skin from going very dry

If you are using a toothbrush, don’t be too harsh with it. Be gentle to avoid irritating the skin. 

You can also apply this method to dissolve Gorilla Glue from hair.

Lemon

If you do not have lemon at home, you can replace it with any other citrus fruit you do have. 

I recommend using lemon when available because it is the most effective choice. 

What you need:

• Lemon
• Water and soap
• Hand lotion

You need to cut the lemon in two and start with one half. Follow these simple steps:

1. Rub the half lemon into the affected area while also squeezing it to get more juice soaking into the glue
2. Keep rubbing in a circular motion until the gorilla glue starts to dissolve or break apart easily
3. If the dried glue is stubborn, dab the lemon into some sugar and keep rubbing the adhesive away until no residue is left.
4. Wash your hands with soap and water
5. Once dry, apply a good moisturizing cream to avoid dryness that could lead to cracks or irritation.

With this method, pay attention to the state of your skin. Make sure there are no cracks, cuts, or open wounds in your skin. If there are, the lemon will cause a severe effect. 

If you are not bothered or intimidated by the sting, you may still apply this method, be patient with the process.

Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is commonly used to remove gorilla glue from the hands. And there is a good chance you it sitting somewhere in your house. 

Here are all the items you will need for this method:

• Rubbing alcohol
• Cotton ball 
• Cotton swab
• Water and soap
• Hand lotion

Even though the process can take some time, especially if a larger quantity of gorilla glue is stuck to your hand, the steps are simple. 

This is what you need to do:

1. Dab the cotton ball into rubbing alcohol until it is well saturated with it
2. Apply it to the affected area
3. Keep it on the glue for a few minutes to allow it enough time to soak through the bond.
4. Dab it again in rubbing alcohol and repeat the same steps
5. When you notice that the gorilla glue is starting to soften or break apart, grab the cotton swab and dip it in rubbing alcohol
6. Using a circular motion, gently rub the glue away from the skin
7. Continue this until there is no residue left on your hand
8. Keep re-dipping the cotton swab if necessary
9. Once all glue is cleaned off your hand, please wash your hands with soap and water to clean it off well.
10.  When your hands are dry, apply a generous amount of hand lotion to the affected area to have it well moisturized and avoid cracks in the skin from severe dryness (that the glue can cause)

Salt And Sugar Scrub

Again, this is a very easy method with items you will most likely have in your home.

To remove gorilla glue off your hands with this method, you will need:

• Salt 
• Sugar
• Water
• Bowl 
• A cotton swab or toothbrush
• Water and soap
• Hand lotion

Follow these simple steps:

1. Add one spoonful of salt and one spoonful of sugar into the bowl
2. Add enough water to moisturize it, but not too much to liquefy it
3. If the glue is in such a place that you can dip your finger/ hand into this bowl of mixture, do so
4. Keep it soaking in the mix for a minimum of 15-20 minutes
5. Once the gorilla glue starts to soften or break apart, grab a cotton swab or toothbrush and gently rub the glue in a circular motion to remove it from your skin until there is no residue left

If you are not able to dip your finger/ hand into the bowl of mixture, then follow these steps:

1. Make the same mixture
2. Take the toothbrush, dip it in the mixture and start rubbing the gorilla glue in a circular motion.
3. You may need to do this for a while before the hardened glue starts loosening up.
4. Add the mixture to the affected area and scrub it with the toothbrush until the glue loosens enough to remove it safely.
5. Once all residue is removed from your hands, wash them with soap and water to leave your hands clean.
6. After they dry, apply a generous amount of moisturizing lotion to the skin

Conclusion

Several methods help remove gorilla glue from hands. 

This guide offers you solutions that have been tried and tested. 

Plus, if you follow the instructions step by step and are patient with the process, you can effectively and safely remove this adhesive from your hands at home. 

Each of these methods can be effective, but don’t be shy. Try and experiment and see which is best for your needs:

The most effective home methods require:

• Soap, water, clean cloth
• Pumice stone
• Oil
• Acetone
• Homemade scrub
• Lemon
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Salt and sugar scrub

Do not try to forcefully peel gorilla glue off your hands either by hand or with any sharp or dull object, as you risk peeling some of the skin off as well.

As soon as you manage to remove gorilla glue off your hands, apply a generous amount of moisturizing cream or lotion to the affected area. The adhesive could cause severe dryness, leading to cracks, irritation, and other skin unpleasantries. 

Keep applying the moisturizing hand cream to the affected area until it stops getting dry.