Glue Removal From Upholstered Furniture

Damp Cloth Removal

• Glues work best when matched to the task at hand in terms of binding together materials. Similarly, removing glues requires matching your technique and materials to the type of glue used. A good number of traditional and modern glues rely on natural materials that harden as they dry. Thus a damp cloth wetted with cold -- not warm or hot -- water applied promptly can work well to remove glues such as white glue, yellow wood glue, dark wood glue, type II and type III wood glue, as well as trim glue and hide glue. You have a window of five to 10 minutes with these glues to first blot the bulk of the glue off with a folded paper towel and then gently dab off the rest with a clean damp cloth.

Acetone Removal

• Specialized glues don’t respond to reconstitution with water and require a different tact. Cyano-acrylate glue, sold as Crazy Glue or Super Glue, and epoxy glues require acetone for removal from upholstery. A potential snag: cyano-acrylate sets up in 30 to 60 seconds. If you can’t take a quick swipe at this fast-setting glue with acetone on a rag, you could be patiently -- and fruitlessly -- dabbing at the hardened glue with a cotton swab dibbed in acetone.

Acetate Upholstery

• The problem with removing cyano-acrylate glue with acetone is that you run the risk of dissolving upholstery made with acetate fabric into a plastic pulp, notes the Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute. Acetate fabric resembles imitation silk and has a shiny look and slippery texture, not likely to be found on tough everyday furniture. If you aren’t sure if your fabric is acetate, try some acetone on a hem or the back of the upholstered furniture.

Mineral Spirits Removal

• Polyurethane glue, sold as Gorilla Glue or PL glue, can be removed within 20 minutes by using mineral spirits while it's wet, notes architectural conservator Steve Jordan in “Old House Journal.” Given that this type of glue is even more difficult to remove than cyano-acrylate, prevention of getting polyurethane glue on upholstery is obviously the best cure. Your only option to remove polyurethane glue from upholstered furniture is to use a sharp putty knife or single-edged razor blade to carefully tease the dried glue off the upholstery fibers.