An accidental spill of glue can become a stubborn stain on your carpet. It does not matter if your carpet is made of jute, cotton, wool or synthetic materials, glue can stain them all. The problem gets worse if it’s a type of Wood Glue that was left unattended & got enough time to dry up.
The most common type of wood glues are Polyvinyl Acetate (PVA) Glue, Polyurethane Glue or Cyanoacrylate (CA) Glue. PVA & Polyurethane glues include household brands like Gorilla Glue, Elmer’s, Titebond etc. CA Glue is common in multipurpose superglue. These glues are waterproof in nature & require different solvents. Water or alcohol may act as a good solvent for PVC glue guns, traditional Hide glue & Epoxy Glue. Either way, you have to make sure that the carpet does not have prolonged exposure to solvent or extreme temperatures. Nonetheless, keep the following things ready when you try to remove the glue from the carpet.
Before the Tutorial, Keep these things Handy:
If the glue hasn’t dried up, a soft knife, file or scraper can be used to remove most of the glue from the carpet. Otherwise, glue removal requires preparation & prompt execution of steps. Delays can expose the carpet to other risks of discoloration or chemical reactions. Consequently, you must keep the following tools close by:
> An Effective Solvent: As mentioned above, if the glue is PVA, CA or Polyurethane, keep a strong solvent. Acetone, Nail Polish remover or a combination of Ammonia with warm water could work. In the case of hide-based & epoxy glue, rubbing alcohol or warm water can act as a good solvent.
>A Paper towel: soaks the glue or the dissolved glue.
> Dry Cleaning Liquid: Helps to lift the glue off the carpet, especially if the glue is immune to water.
> An Iron Press with Steam & an accessible power supply: Use it when the glue is dried up, the steam from iron loosens the glue and makes it easier to remove it.
> Cleaning liquid: Soaking the carpet in cleaning liquid helps soften the glue.
> More paper towels: To dry the floor after each step. Paper towels absorb more liquid but you can use a soft cotton cloth.
If you want to know how to get wood glue out of carpet, read on.
Steps for PVA, CA & Polyurethane Glue
Put on your cleaning gloves & do the following steps to learn how to get wood glue out of carpet.
Step 1: Use Acetone or Ammonia with Water. Acetone, which is most typically used to remove nail polish, has shown to be the toughest solvent for removing stains. It breaks down the glue when applied directly. When it comes to stain removal, ammonia is also an efficient solvent, but it has a tendency to stain fabrics, so make a solution by diluting acetone/ammonia. Pour a few drops of the solution on the glue stain, let it sit for a few minutes, then rub it gently until the glue is gone. Dab the area gently with a paper towel to rub off the stain.
Step 2: Vacuum or use Dry Cleaning Liquid to Wash off Solvent. Perchloroethylene or Perc is a solvent that is used to clean textiles without the use of water or detergent. Its use results in “dry cleaning.” Because it is a highly dangerous chemical, take precautions when using it. Scrape away as much glue as possible. Then dab a little amount of liquid on the afflicted area until the stain disappears. Another option could be thorough vacuum cleaning.
Step 3: Apply Steam with Steaming Iron: Because of its capacity to remove month-old stains, professional carpet cleaners use a steam iron to clear glue on cloth. It works by loosening the fabric and removing the dirt particles from it. To begin, adjust the temperature to the fabric you’ll be using it on, then turn on the steam button. Spread the carpet out on the floor and hold the iron a few inches above it. Three to four times on the glue stain, press the steam button until the glue loosens. This is an important step on how to get wood glue out of carpet.
Step 4: Use Carpet Cleaning Liquid or Gentle Soap to Wash Carpet: Carpet cleaning liquid is the simplest and most often used way of removing stains from the carpet. If you don’t have any, a typical gentle soap would suffice. Fill a spray bottle with 1/4th carpets cleaning liquid and warm water, then spray the solution evenly on the afflicted area. Allow it to sit for at least 15 minutes to break down the glue blot, and then gently wipe away the solution with a warm towel dabbed on the stain. If using soap, moisten the affected area and rub the soap on it until it lathers. Then let it on for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing with warm water.
Step 5: Dab with Paper Towels: When you spill something on your carpet, the first thing that comes to mind is to use a paper towel. If you spill glue on the carpet, apply pressure while dabbing the glue with a paper towel, and the glue will be absorbed. This method should only be used on wet spots.
Steps for Hide & Epoxy Glue
Step 1: Use Rubbing Alcohol or Warm Water: It is preferable to remove stains from fabrics using rubbing alcohol because it does not harm the fabric and is safe to use. You won’t have to worry about cleaning up any leftovers because it evaporates swiftly after use. Spray the glue blot with a liberal amount of rubbing alcohol and wait for it to dry. It will soften the glue blot, allowing you to peel it away from its edges and presto, your carpet is clean. There is no need to clear any extra mess because alcohol leaves no behind.
Steps for PVC Glue from Glue Gun
Step 1: Cover Glue with Paper Towel: First off place some damp paper towels on the glue blot. It will help the blot to loosen up.
Step 2: Apply Iron over the Towel: Place the Iron on top of the paper towel and iron until the blot peels off from the carpet and sticks to the paper.
Now you know how to get wood glue out of carpet.
