# Removing hot glue from fabric. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 1, 2005, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-hot-glue-from-fabric/310735 "2005-07-01T18:06:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-hot-glue-from-fabric/310735/1 "2005-07-01T18:06:45Z")
As a youth, I didn’t know how to sew. On my Boy Scout uniforms, I got by with the use of a hot glue gun to put patches on my uniforms. Well, I’m jumping back into Scouting, but the hot glue won’t cut it anymore. I want to keep all of my hometown patches (which, in some cases haven’t been issued in 20 years), but they’re all layered with hot glue on the backside. Do you guys know of any way to remove the caked-up hot glue from fabric, without _marring or destroying_ said fabric? Any . . . and I mean any help’d be much obliged. Tripler Troop 31, Ramsey. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-hot-glue-from-fabric/310735/2 "2005-07-01T18:20:08Z")
I’d try taking a hot\* iron to the back of the fabric and heating the hot glue so that it softens up and can be removed. - Be careful that it isn’t too hot for the fabric. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-hot-glue-from-fabric/310735/3 "2005-07-01T18:30:05Z")
Put a stack of paper towels between the iron and the gluey patch. Once the glue is all good and melty, pull the patch off of the paper towels. Much of the glue will remain on the towel. Repeat using fresh towels. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-hot-glue-from-fabric/310735/4 "2005-07-01T20:44:02Z")
If you boil it in a hot nonpolar solvent such as hexane, it will mix with the solvent and rinse completely out. You have to use a solvent at an appropriate pressure so you can exceed the hot melt’s melting temperature while the solvent is in the liquid phase. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-hot-glue-from-fabric/310735/5 "2005-07-01T21:07:49Z")
Thanks for the responses, guys. I thought there was some sort of “special trick” to take it out, but going _just_ to the point of extremes as **Napier** suggests, I’ll give that iron thing a try. Tripler No offense **Napier** , it’s just that I don’t have any hexane laying around the house. But I may try it in the future. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/removing-hot-glue-from-fabric/310735/6 "2005-07-01T21:56:28Z")
If boiling hexane’ll work, boiling gasoline probably will as well. 😉