Once you know the most effective methods for removing super glue from plastic, your projects won’t come to the point where you dread cleaning up spilled and dried adhesives.
This guide will teach you the easiest and most effective ways to clean hardened super glue off plastic. These at-home solutions include:
- Acetone
- Baking soda and oil
- Soapy warm water
- Vinegar
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Sandpaper
Towards the end of this guide, you can also read about two commercial solutions that can help remove super glue from plastic.
Super glue is an instant, fast-drying, and robust adhesive. It is engineered to work with almost all materials, including plastic.
This very strong adhesive can dry as fast as 3-10 seconds, so if it spills on the plastic, you will barely have time to clean it up before it dries and hardens.
Especially since you also must quickly put the cap back on your glue so it doesn’t dry out.
If you are working with someone when super glue spills or runs over a portion of the plastic you do not wish glued, you might be able to remove it before it dries.
Keep reading to learn the tricks that can help you remove super glue from plastic, at home, with items you will most likely already have.
Acetone
Acetone is the go-to item for removing super glue from almost any material, including plastic.
The items you need are:
- Acetone
- Clean cloth
- Toothbrush
- Soapy water
Depending on the material, you can (and would need to) apply different techniques in using acetone. To remove super glue from plastic, these are the steps to follow:
- Add a generous amount of acetone to the cloth
- Wipe over the glue until it starts loosening or breaking away
- If you need to, keep adding more acetone to the cloth
- If the bond is hardly loosening, dab a toothbrush in acetone
- Use a circular and gentler motion to brush the glue
- Keep brushing with the toothbrush until the glue is removed and there is no residue left
- Use a clean cloth, dab it into the soapy water and gently wipe off the affected area to clean it well
Consider using a glove when trying out this method, as getting in contact with glue and acetone may cause some dryness to your skin.
If you don’t have gloves, wash your hands in warm soapy water to ensure no glue residues are left on your skin. Once dry, apply a generous amount of hand lotion to moisturize your skin.
You can also find more information on super glue in our guide on how to unharden super glue and how to get super glue off your carpet.
Baking Soda And Oil
For this method, you can use different types of oil – vegetable, olive, sunflower, or other.
With this method, you need:
- Bowl
- Spoon
- Oil
- Baking soda
- Clean cloth
- Toothbrush
Whenever you work with adhesives, even when you want to clean a small portion of it, if you can, then use a glove to protect your skin from potential irritation or dryness.
Follow these simple steps to remove super glue from plastic:
- In the bowl, mix the same amount of baking soda and oil (the specific amount will depend on how big the glue stain is. You can start with a smaller quantity and add more if needed)
- Using the spoon (if you don’t have a scoop, use any other clean tool that you can use to mix), mix the baking soda and oil until you achieve a consistent paste
- With the clean cloth or toothbrush, scoop out a generous amount of paste, place it over the glue and start rubbing the glue stain
- Once the super glue is removed, clean the surface with a damp and soapy cloth
A toothbrush may be more effective than a simple cloth; make sure you are using it gently and not brushing aggressively, as this could damage the surface you want to remove the glue from.
If you apply this method with bare hands, wash them off with soap and water. Then use moisturizing hand cream to protect your skin from dryness that could lead to cracks or irritation.
Soapy Warm Water
This method works best when the super glue is not yet hardened onto the plastic.
If you have a helper, or if you can act fast enough, you may be able to remove super glue from the plastic before it dries.
The items you need are few and simple:
- Bowl
- Warm water
- Soap (dish soap is good)
- Clean cloth
Keep in mind that you need to act while the glue is still in its liquid form. If the super glue hardens, you can still try this method as it sometimes works, but it isn’t as likely to be effective as this adhesive is very strong.
Follow these simple steps:
- Place warm water in a bowl
- Add a generous amount of soap to it and mix it up (make sure it won’t overflow with bubbles)
- Dip the clean cloth into the warm water
- By placing the soapy cloth over the hardened super glue, use a circular motion to apply some pressure to it to loosen it
- Dip the cloth into the warm soapy water as many times as necessary until the glue is removed and there are no residues
If the glue is already hardening or has just been set, use a toothbrush instead of a cloth. Dip it into the warm soapy water and brush the adhesive until it starts to loosen, and you can remove it.
If you have been trying to remove the super glue from plastic for 20-30 minutes, this method may not work, and you need to try something more effective in dealing with dried adhesive on plastic.
Vinegar
Vinegar may not be a crowd favorite in the smell department, but it has practical uses outside the kitchen.
For this method to work effectively, you will need:
- Vinegar
- Clean cloth
- Toothbrush
- Warm water and soap
Before you try vinegar to remove super glue from plastic, apply some of it to a tiny portion of the plastic and see if it affects it.
Not all plastic is the same, so vinegar may cause some reaction (such as staining or whitening) with different types of plastic. So make sure that using vinegar won’t affect or alter the plastic.
But if this aspect doesn’t matter to you, skip on to the next steps:
- Soak the clean cloth in vinegar
- Cover the hardened super glue with this cloth and let it sit there for about 20-30 minutes
- This should cause the super glue to soften
- Once it does, use the cloth to remove it from plastic
- Using a different clean cloth, dip it in warm soapy water and clean off the surface that had the adhesive dried. This will help clean off any residue but also get rid of the vinegar smell
During those 20-30 minutes of soaking the hardened super glue, dip the cloth back into the vinegar a few times, so it is always wet and soaking the adhesive.
If it isn’t easy enough to remove the adhesive using a cloth, swap it for a toothbrush after letting the glue soak. With circular and gentler motions, dip the toothbrush in vinegar and brush the super glue until you can completely remove it.
Once you get very close to the surface of the plastic, use very gentle moves to avoid damaging the surface in any way.
If the item is small and can fit into the bowl, you can place the plastic thing into the bowl of vinegar and let it soak in it until the super glue softens and can be removed with a cloth or toothbrush.
Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is another household item that can help remove super glue from plastic.
You will need:
- Rubbing alcohol
- Clean cloth
- Toothbrush
Before trying this method, apply rubbing alcohol to a small area of the plastic. This will allow you to see whether or not rubbing alcohol can alter or damage the look or material of the plastic.
Rubbing alcohol may not alter or damage some plastic types, while it may interact differently with other types.
Follow these simple steps after you have tested rubbing alcohol and are confident that it won’t affect the plastic in any way:
- Dab the clean cloth in rubbing alcohol
- Cover the hardened super glue with it
- Soak the adhesive with the fabric for a few minutes
- Once the fabric starts to dry out, re-dab it and soak the bond with it again
- Keep repeating this step for a minimum of 15-30 minutes or until the super glue starts to loosen
- Once the adhesive loosens, use the cloth to remove it
- Once you are done, clean the surface with warm soapy water
- Wash your hands as well with soap and water
- Apply a moisturizer to prevent dryness and cracks on your skin
If you have a harder time removing the super glue with the cloth, try using a toothbrush instead.
When using a toothbrush, dab it into the rubbing alcohol as well. Apply circular and gentle motions until all glue is removed. Please don’t go too hard, especially when clearing the surface of any residues, to avoid damaging it.
You may add rubbing alcohol into a bowl if your plastic item is very small. Place the item into the bowl and let it soak for a minimum of 15 minutes. Once the super glue softens enough, please remove it from the bowl, and remove the adhesive using a cloth or a toothbrush.
The Commercial Solutions
If you prefer using or are curious about which commercial products would be most effective in removing super glue from plastic, we recommend the following:
- Goo Goo Gone
- Nitromethane
Both of these commercial products should be effective in helping you get rid of the glue that has dripped and even hardened on plastic.
They should have instructions on how to use them safely.
With Goo Goo Gone, apply it over the super glue and let it sit until the adhesive starts to soften or loosen. Once it does, use a clean damp cloth or a toothbrush if necessary to scrub the affected area.
Nitromethane is commonly used as a de-glue or de-bonding product. It usually comes in a smaller tube. Usually, one small amount will do the job. Follow the same steps as with Goo Goo Gone if you cannot find directions on the box.
You can find more super glue removal info in our guides on how to remove super glue from quartz countertops and remove super glue from car paint.
Conclusion
Super Glue is a powerful and fast-bonding cyanoacrylate adhesive. It is also resistant to most temperature or moisture conditions, so you can imagine that their removal may require some proven solutions that work.
Several methods can help you remove super glue from plastic. The most common and effective ones include:
- Acetone
- Baking soda and oil
- Soapy warm water
- Vinegar
- Rubbing Alcohol
Some also suggest using sandpaper, a sharp knife, or a blade to remove super glue from plastic.
The reason why you won’t find this suggestion in this guide is that using these types of items in an attempt to remove hardened and dried glue from the plastic can damage the surface of the plastic and can accidentally cause harm to your hand – such as your hand slipping and cutting yourself.
