How to remove adhesive tape from clothes. The best methods
How to remove adhesive tape from clothes? Some might think that this question makes no sense. Who would put duct tape on their clothes?
Well, actually you deal with adhesive material applied to clothing fabric more often than you think! For example, think of custom adhesive tape which is often used to indicate a discounted price for clothing items during sales: in most cases it is custom adhesive tape designed specifically for fabrics, but less attentive retailers could be using other types of tape, less suitable for fabric application.
But that’s not all. You may find yourself needing to remove adhesive tape from your clothes after closing a box of clothes carelessly during a move, or inadvertently sitting on double-sided tape, and so on.
In any case, there is nothing to fear: there are several different ways to remove adhesive tape from clothing without doing damage, and without leaving any traces. Let’s have a look at the most appropriate methods, starting from the fastest and least intrusive techniques and ending with the most effective against the most stubborn glue residue!
How to remove adhesive tape from clothing: the most effective techniques
· Scratching it off with your nails: in some cases, removing the adhesive tape from your clothes isn’t too complicated at all. On resistant fabrics, and in the case of adhesives or double-sided adhesive tape that isn’t too aggressive and applied recently, removing the adhesive tape with your own hands, stretching the fabric well before doing so, can be more than enough: in most situations, any glue residue can simply be removed with your nails or, even better, by rubbing at the fabric with your fingertips.
· Heat: in other cases, adhesive tape can be more resistant. To quickly and effectively remove glue residue without using potentially harmful substances, try a hair dryer, heating the affected fabric and making the industrial double-sided adhesive more pliable, and then proceeding as outlined above.
· Soap: this is another method allowing you to remove adhesive tape from clothes using tools and ingredients found in the house. If the hair dryer method is not enough, you can opt for a soap and water solution. Mix in a sink or in a basin some water and soap – possibly also a few drops of dish detergent are fine – and leave the garment affected by the glue to soak. After about an hour the glue should be very soft, and easy to remove with a sponge and your fingers.
· Vinegar: another “grandma-style” method which is not at all invasive and is suitable for virtually any type of fabric is the one involving vinegar. Just dab the area stained with glue residue with vinegar, leave it there for a few minutes, and then gently scratch the affected area, using a clean cloth, your fingertips, or a soft brush.
· Oil: in more extreme cases, it might be useful to employ something more “powerful”. Vegetable oils are generally very effective against glue. Olive oil, seed oil, linseed oil, and so on, they are all perfect for the job: just dab it on the fabric and then leave it on for a few minutes. Obviously, this technique cannot be used on clothing which might be ruined by grease stains!
How to remove adhesive tape from clothing: techniques to be avoided
In some cases, to remove strong double-sided tape from clothing, blades are used as well, such as razor blades or small and sharp pencil sharpener ones. However, this method should only be used on very resistant fabrics – such as denim – and with great care, keeping the blade well tilted and being careful not to cut the fabric or yourself; avoid this technique for more delicate fabrics.
Solvents would obviously be perfect against glue residues but, in most cases, they could significantly damage the colour of the fabric. However, it should be mentioned that there are solvents suitable for cleaning clothes on the market: in these cases, it is nest to get advice from an expert, and try the product on a hidden part of the clothing item anyway first, just to be on the safe side.
Putting everything in the washing machine at high temperature can be an instinctual solution thought on the spot when needing to remove glue residue This would be a mistake, however: it is much better to set a low temperature, equal to or less than 40 °C (104 °F), as a higher temperature could make the glue penetrate deeper instead.
It is better, then, to possibly wash your item at 30 °C (86 °F) and scratch off any glue residues just after washing, before the garment dries off!
