How to Get Nail Glue Off Fabric? Top Full Guide 2023

When removing nail glue from fabric, it is essential to consider the type of fabric and the amount of glue present. If the material is delicate, it is best to use a gentle solvent such as rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover.

If the fabric is sturdy, a harsher solvent such as acetone can be used. Keep reading our article, Byboe will show you How to Get Nail Glue Off Fabric? and other tips.

Does Nail Glue Stick to Clothes?

Nail glue is a high-bonding glue, which means that it is made with a very strong adhesive. This is for durability purposes, as you want your nails to be able to last for as long as possible. Nail glue is very similar to other high-bonding adhesives, such as super glue.

With that being said, nail glue will stick to clothing, fabrics, and other surfaces the same way that super glue does. But even though nail glue can be easily removed from other surfaces, it can be harder to remove from fabrics.

This is the case because even though the texture of the fabric looks consistent, it is more of an uneven surface than glass and metal surfaces are.

Those surfaces are smooth, and fabrics aren’t always smooth. This causes nail glue to adhere differently to clothes than other surfaces.

Can You Remove Nail Glue From Clothes?

Even though nail glue is harder to remove nail glue from clothes than other surfaces, it can be removed. In fact, nail glue should be able to be removed very easily as long as you use the right products. However, the key is to do it carefully to avoid more damage to the clothing.

The best way to remove nail glue from clothes is to wait until it dries. That way, the glue will harden and won’t spread anywhere else on the clothes.

It can be tempting to remove nail glue while it is still wet, but nail glue usually can’t just be wiped off of clothing.

If you try to remove nail glue while it is wet, it can spread the glue and even push it deeper into the fabric. If that happens, the nail glue can be very hard to remove nail glue without causing damage to the clothing.

Do Nail Glue Ruin Clothes?

Not always. There are many ways that you can save your clothes from being ruined by nail glue. But there is always the chance they might be stained or damaged.

If you’ve gotten nail glue on your clothes, it can be easy to just assume, in your despair, that they’re completely unsalvageable.

Ruined beyond repair. But don’t toss that shirt or those pants just yet!

There’s a good chance that you can save them.

All that it takes is a little bit of work and some supplies you likely already have lying around the house.

Most clothes are hardy enough to survive some nail glue spilling on them.

However, the cleaning process itself can be a bit much for them to handle.

Before you decide whether you should proceed or not, be sure that you know certain things about our clothes.

Because it can make the difference between clothing as good as new and ready for the rag pile.

First, what is it made out of?

What Type of Fabric Was Used in Its Design?

If it’s natural fabrics, such as linen, cotton swab, or wool, congratulations!

You’re very likely to be able to remove nail glue quickly and easily.

Natural fibers will be hardier and less likely to be damaged by the chemicals involved in the process or the scrubbing that will be required.

If they’re polyester or other synthetic fabric, stop for a moment before proceeding.

Synthetics, such as polyester, are petroleum derivatives, much like plastic.

In fact, they are a kind of plastic!

Because of this, there may be issues when you try to use acetone to break up the nail glue.

Acetone nail polish remover breaks down plastic.

In a pipe, that would cause the pipe to melt and leak. It can do something similar to your shirt.

How to Get Nail Glue Out of Clothes with Acetone

If you’re going to get nail glue out of clothes with acetone, you need to know how to do it right if you want it to be effective.

By following these steps, you should be able to remove any nail glue from your clothes with very minimal or no damage to your clothing afterward.

You’ll need:

• Pure acetone or nail polish remover containing acetone
• Cotton ball or cotton swab
• Toothbrush
• Stain remover

1. Wait For the Glue to Dry

The first thing you’ll want to do is make sure the glue is dry before you try to remove nail glue. Nail glue can take up to 15 to 20 minutes to dry, just depending on how much you got onto your clothes. Remember that you don’t want to remove nail glue while it is wet, as this could spread it even more.

2. Spot Test the Acetone

After the glue is dry, but before you try to remove nail glue, you’ll want to do a spot check with the acetone or nail polish remover, just to make sure that they don’t cause any damage to the fabric.

Sometimes acetone can discolor or dissolve certain fabrics, but it shouldn’t leave behind a stain. However, nail polish remover that has other ingredients in it besides acetone could stain.

No matter which one you use, you just want to make sure that it isn’t going to ruin your clothes before you use it.

To do a spot test, choose a hidden area of the fabric, such as near the collar or even inside the fabric near a seam. Dab a little bit of the acetone or nail polish remover onto that spot using a cotton ball.

Wait for 30 minutes to see if any discoloration or damage occurs. If it does, you’ll want to choose a different method to remove nail glue from your clothing. If no damage occurs, proceed to the next step.

3. Remove the Nail Glue

Before using acetone to remove nail glue itself, try to see if you can scrape any of the nail glue away on your own. If the glue is clearly stuck, do not try to peel it off. But if any loose glue bits can be removed, go ahead and remove them.

Next, dip a cotton ball or cotton swab in acetone, depending on the size of the glue stain. Then, gently rub the acetone across the stain to break down the glue.

You may have to do this for several minutes to give the acetone time to break down the stain. Finally, dip the cotton swab in acetone again as necessary.

4. Scrub the Glue Away

After the acetone has had time to break down the glue, you can use a toothbrush or nail brush to scrub some of the glue away.

This is where the abrasion comes in. However, you don’t want to be too abrasive because that can also damage the fabric.

Use the toothbrush to scrub as much of the glue away as you can. When no more glue is coming off, you may need to use more acetone to break down the stain some more. Then repeat the process with the toothbrush until as much of the glue as possible has been removed.

5. Rinse the Fabric

After removing all of the glue, you’ll want to rinse the fabric to remove any leftover residue from both the glue and the acetone. Then, rinse the fabric under cold water, then gently squeeze out the excess water.

6. Remove the Stain

If the glue, acetone, or nail polish remover left behind a stain, you’ll want to remove the stain before washing the fabric.

You can use your normal stain removal product as long as it doesn’t contain bleach since you don’t want to accidentally discolor the area where the nail glue was. Instead, let the stain remover sit on the stain remover for about 5 minutes.

7. Wash the Clothing

The last step is to wash the clothing. In this case, using warm water is best if the clothing can handle it. Check the care tag first, and if warm water can’t be used, then cool water is fine. Use the detergent that you would normally use for that particular clothing.

After washing the clothing, hang it up to dry. Do not put it in the dryer, as the heat from the dryer could cause the stain to be permanently set. Let the clothing air dry, then check the stain. If the stain persists, repeat the steps above as necessary.

Will Acetone Ruin Clothes?

This depends on the clothing. Acetone can have negative effects on some clothes, particularly synthetics. You should always test the product by putting a drop on the fabric where it can’t be seen and judging how it reacts. If it stains or becomes holey, you cannot use acetone on the garment.

Acetone is a very harsh chemical sometimes.

We’re sure that you’re aware of that if you’ve ever had your nails done at all.

It’s the most common ingredient in nail polish remover and can strip away the paint pretty quickly.

So is it any surprise that this strong solvent may be a bit much for certain clothes?

If you’re worried about natural fibers, don’t be.

While it’s possible they could be damaged by the chemicals, it’s also not very likely.

What’s more likely is that the acetone may damage any synthetic fabrics that you might have.

These fabrics, made out of plastics, are uniquely vulnerable to the strength of acetone.

Some will come through just fine, but others just won’t be the same afterward.

Knowing what your clothes are made of before beginning the removal process is vital.

In order to know that you can safely use acetone on fabric, you need to test it.

This is very easy to do and can be done in a way that won’t ruin the item, even if you find you cannot put acetone on it.

Start by turning the item inside-out and finding one of the interior seams.

The wider the seam, the better.

Remember: You’re trying to find a piece of the fabric that, if stained or melted, will not show!

Be very careful, apply a drop to your seam, on the side, as far from stitching as possible.

Lay it down flat and still, out of direct sunlight, and wait half an hour. Then, check the cloth.

No holes, stains, or other signs of damage? You should be good to go!

Stains? Attempt to remove the stain with your stain remover.

If it works, you may be able to use acetone, but only in strict moderation.

If there are holes, or the fabric seems to be coming apart or melting, you can’t use acetone at all.

How Do You Get Nail Glue Off Clothes Without Acetone?

If you don’t have acetone or are worried about damage occurring to your clothes due to using acetone, there are other ways to remove nail glue.

However, these methods may not be as effective as acetone, so you may have to repeat them more than once or use more than one of them.

Soap and Water

You can also use dish soap or laundry detergent and water to remove nail glue from clothes. However, you’ll still have to scrub the glue to get it to come off of the clothing. But if it is done right, this method can be very effective a removing the glue.

Follow these steps use this method.

• Fill a sink or washbasin with cold water.
• Add some dish soap or laundry detergent to the water, then mix it around to evenly distribute it.
• Place the clothing in the water and let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes,
• Dip a toothbrush into the soapy water, or dip it into laundry detergent.
• Use the toothbrush to scrub the glue away, being careful not to scrub too hard so that you don’t damage the fabric.
• Continue dipping the toothbrush into the soap and scrubbing until you’ve removed all of the glue.
• Rinse the fabric under cold water to remove any soap and residue.
• Wash the fabric in the washing machine at the warmest temperature that the fabric can handle.
• Let the fabric air dry to see if the stain has been removed.
• After drying, repeat the above steps if necessary.

Vinegar

Let me start by saying that vinegar is not as effective at removing nail glue from clothing as acetone is. However, it is unlikely to damage fabrics, and due to the acidic properties of vinegar, it can break down the glue. Again, you will likely need to scrub the stain to remove nail glue.

Follow these steps to use vinegar to remove nail glue from clothing:

• Soak a cotton ball in vinegar, then rub the cotton ball across the glue.
• Let the vinegar sit on the glue for a few minutes to give it time to work.
• Use the dull edge of a credit card or knife to scrape away any of the glue from the fabric.
• Use a toothbrush dipped in laundry detergent to try to scrub away some of the glue.
• Alternate using vinegar and the toothbrush to remove nail glue.
• Follow up with the soap and water method above if you can’t get all of the glue off.
• Rinse the fabric to remove nail glue, vinegar, or soap residue.
• Wash the fabric in the washing machine on the warmest water setting the fabric can handle.
• Let the fabric air dry to see if the stain has been removed.
• After drying, repeat the above steps if necessary or try a different method if the glue remains on the fabric.

Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol works very similarly to acetone and vinegar, as it breaks down the stain and causes minimal or no damage to the fabric.

It is also very effective at removing other sticky substances. However, you’ll still want to wait until the nail glue dries before using it.

Follow these steps to use this method:

• Soak a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol, then rub the cotton swab across the glue.
• Let the alcohol sit on the glue for a few minutes to give it time to break down the glue.
• Use the dull edge of a credit card or knife to see if you can scrape away any glue from the fabric.
• Use a toothbrush dipped in laundry detergent to try to scrub away some of the glue.
• Repeat, alternating using vinegar and the toothbrush to remove nail glue.
• If you can’t get all of the glue off, follow up with one of the other methods above.
• Rinse the fabric to remove nail glue, alcohol, or soap residue.
• Wash the fabric in the washing machine on the warmest water setting the fabric can handle.
• Let the fabric air dry to see if the stain has been removed.
• After drying, repeat the above steps if necessary or try a different method if the glue remains on the fabric.

Iron

If the fabric can be safely ironed, you can use an iron to melt the glue onto another piece of fabric. You’ll just want to use an old rag or scrap of fabric that you don’t mind throwing away afterward.

Be aware that this may not remove all of the glue either. It will be very effective at removing glue from the surface, but it may not remove nail glue that has penetrated the fibers. You’ll likely need to follow up with another method to remove all the glue.

Follow these steps to remove nail glue from clothing using an iron:

• Lay the stained clothing out flat on an ironing board or towel.
• Plugin the iron and turn it to the appropriate heat settings for that particular fabric.
• Place an old rag or scrap of fabric on top of the glue stain.
• Run the iron over the rag on top of the glue stain. The glue will start to melt and will stick to the rag instead.
• Lift the rag occasionally to see if any glue has been removed. When you lift the rag, place a clean section back over the glue, or else the glue could stick back to your original clothing.
• Once as much glue as possible has been removed, follow up with one of the above methods, if necessary.
• Rinse the fabric under cold water, then treat any stains with a stain remover.
• Wash the fabric using the warmest water that the fabric can handle.
• Hang the fabric up to dry to see if the glue has been removed.
• After drying, repeat the above steps or try a different method if the stain remains.

And if you are looking for the best way to get glue fabric out of your clothes, let’s check out our guide right now: 

How to Get Fabric Glue Out of Clothes? 2023 [and Other Surfaces]

How to Get Nail Glue Out of Furniture and Carpets

Other common places to get nail glue on besides your nails are furniture and carpets. The good news is that you can use the same methods that you can use for clothing on furniture upholstery and carpets as well. However, some fabrics may be difficult to iron, so keep that in mind.

As with clothing, acetone is the most effective method for removing nail glue from furniture or carpet. But again, it may discolor or damage some fabrics, so you’ll want to test it first in a hidden location.

Whichever method you choose, just follow the steps above. The only difference is that unless the fabric can be removed from the furniture, you won’t be able to wash it in the washing machine.

You can spot clean the area for furniture and carpets that you can’t wash after removing the glue using just soap and water.

How to Get Nail Glue Off of Fabric? Conclusion

These are some ways to get nail glue off the fabric; you should know what your fabric is to choose the right method for your surface. We hope that our guide was helpful for you.