No matter how careful you are when using Gorilla Glue, you will always get it on unwanted surfaces. Gorilla Glue is a polyurethane adhesive that reacts with moisture in the air, expands, and cures into a semi-hard consistency. When Gorilla Glue dries, it becomes resistant to water or changes in temperature. Gorilla Glue is true to its incredible holding power; it bonds wholly and quickly. However, there are a few products that manage to melt and dissolve Gorilla Glue.
When it’s semi-hard, you can easily wipe it off with a solvent such as alcohol or acetone. But once it cures completely, you cannot lift it with solvents alone. These solvents liquefy hardened Gorilla Glue to a sticky consistency, then you peel it off with a sharp object. You can only remove dried Gorilla Glue mechanically by sanding, scraping, or cutting through the glue with a knife, chisel, razor blade, or other sharp tools. Read more on how to remove Gorilla Glue from various surfaces.
How to dissolve Gorilla Glue
When Gorilla Glue cures completely, you cannot dissolve or melt it; however, there are several ways you can remove it from surfaces.
Things You’ll Need
- Alcohol
- Mineral spirit
- Acetone
- A lubricant such as WD-40
- Clean lint-free cloth
- Abrasive sponge or scrubbing brush
- 150-180 grit sandpaper
- Paint scraper
- Chisel
Directions
Wet Gorilla Glue
- Put on gloves and a mask as adhesive removers are highly potent.
- Clean the surface with a damp cloth to remove any dirt. All techniques work better on a clean surface.
- Do a spot test with the solvent of your choice to see how it reacts with the surface. Alcohol and spirits are safer to use, but solvents like acetone can eat through plastics and leather.
- Soak a cotton ball or a clean lint-free cloth with an appropriate solvent such as alcohol, mineral spirit, or acetone and place it on the area with the glue for about 5 minutes.
- Clean the area with a damp rag and repeat the process until all the glue comes off.
- Pick on the glue with a chisel or paint scraper to remove it from soft plastic surfaces. Polyurethane adhesives tend to foam when cured, which makes it easier to cut through mechanically.
- Spray some lubricant to the area to weaken the glue bond and scrub it using an abrasive sponge or scrubbing brush.
Dried Gorilla Glue
- Scrub off the glue with a paint scraper. Force the corner edge of the scraper into the glue and try to lift it. The adhesive will loosen and flake off in strips. You have to repeat this until you remove most parts of the glue.
- Use a chisel to scrape off smaller and more challenging sections of the glue film.
- Sand the remaining glue with fine-grit sandpaper while applying pressure until you get to the surface of the object.
- Clean the area with a clean damp, lint-free cloth.
How to Dissolve Gorilla Glue from Wood
If you accidentally get Gorilla Glue on woods, you should be able to wipe it off with a lint-free cloth while it is still wet. When it dries and cures, it becomes more challenging to dissolve it since the wood absorbs and bonds with most of the adhesive.
Things You’ll Need
- Paper towel
- Acetone
- Paint thinner
- Commercial superglue remover such as Goof Off
- Chisel
- 80-150 grit sandpaper or sanding block
Directions
- If the glue stain is in the curing process, you can wipe it off with a clean paper towel to remove as much of the glue as you can. If the glue cures completely, you will have to skip the use of solvents and scrap it with a chisel.
- Dampen some acetone in a paper towel and place it on the glue stain. Allow the acetone to work on the glue and weaken it by letting it sit on the area for up to 15 minutes. You have to act quickly and dampen the paper several times since acetone evaporates quickly.
- Also, you can use paint thinner, which is more potent than acetone and likely to fade the color on your stained or painted wood surface.
- Another option is commercial superglue remover can also be effective in removing Gorilla Glue.
- Scrub the surface with the acetone-soaked paper towel to lift off the glue and prevent it from settling further. If the towel dries, apply more acetone and continue scrubbing the spot until most of the glue comes off.
- Use a chisel to scrape off the sticky glue residue on the wood. Make sure you do not dig into the wood surface. You can douche the surface with more acetone and continue scraping it with the chisel.
- Use an 80-150 grit sandpaper to scrub off the residue but be careful not to damage the wood surface.
- Alternatively, you can use a power sander on the stain. Put a little pressure on the area until you break through the stain carefully to run down the wood surface.
How to Dissolve Gorilla Glue from Metal
You should remove glue from steel, aluminum, iron, and other common metal surfaces as soon as possible as it gets harder to remove it when it dries.
Things You’ll Need
- Denatured alcohol
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Pure acetone
- 80-150 grit sandpaper
- Torch or heat gun
Directions
- Wipe off any surface dirt to allow the solvent to work on the glue efficiently.
- Soak a paper towel with pure acetone and place it in the glue stain and allow it to dissolve.
- More robust alternatives to acetone are denatured alcohol, lighter fluid, or hydrogen peroxide. Be careful with hydrogen peroxide as it may react with some metals. Apply with a cotton ball, let it soak for about 10 minutes, and wipe away.
- Press the paper towel several times to allow the solvent to soak into the glue and then wipe off the glue.
- Spray some lubricant or all-purpose household cleaner to soften the sticky residue.
- Then work through the remaining glue with a putty knife or chisel by scrapping the residue. Be careful not to scratch the metal surface.
- You can also use a fine grit sander to remove the glue stain mechanically, making sure you do not scuff the metal. The glue will break down in powder form after sanding.
- Wipe the metal surface with a damp paper towel to remove any remaining solvent and glue residue.
Check this too: How to Clean a Cricut Mat and Make it Sticky Again
Remove Gorilla Glue from metal with heat.
Though dried Gorilla Glue is resistant to changes in temperatures, it can break down in temperatures of 215 degrees. So here is how to use heat to remove Gorilla Glue from a metal.
- Wear a protective face mask or helmet and work gloves.
- Hold a heat gun over the glue stain for as long as possible or until you see the glue melt. The glue evaporates completely after some heating.
- For light adhesive stains, you can set the hairdryer on warm and hold it over the stain.
- Apply some solvent over the area and scrub the glue off. The warmth will loosen the bond with the metal surface and allow the solvent to break it down completely.
- Allow the metal to cool and remove any remaining residue with some acetone on a paper towel.
Be careful with handling acetone around fire because it is highly flammable and the fumes may ignite around open fire.
How to Dissolve Gorilla Glue from Hair
You are likely to get some Gorilla Glue on your hair if you do not tie it up well when doing some DIY fixing. Luckily, with the solutions explained below, you do not need to cut your hair.
Things You’ll Need
- Acetone
- Isopropyl alcohol
- Cotton cloth
- Hair shampoo
- Hair conditioner
Directions
- Wear some protective rubber gloves as acetone can irritate the skin.
- If the glue has gotten on the scalp, too, you will have to use medical-grade adhesive remover first to lift off the glue from the skin. These adhesive removers dissolve adhesives on the skin gently and painlessly.
- Then soak a cotton cloth with acetone and place on the hair patch with glue. Try as much as possible not to put the acetone on the skin as it may irritate. You can also use alcohol as a Gorilla Glue solvent for hair.
- You will feel the glue becoming sticky and loosening. Then slowly separate the strands of hair with your fingers to avoid breaking your skin and causing further irritation. Since acetone evaporates quickly, you will have to keep dampening the cloth and placing it on the hair until the glue dissolves off.
- Wash your hair with shampoo to remove any glue and solvent residue.
- Then condition your hair to return moisture to your hair strands as acetone can strip off moisture and healthy oils from the hair, making it brittle.
How to Dissolve Gorilla Glue from Glass Lens
Gorilla Glue may require more patience to remove from glass lenses as you cannot scrape the surface to avoid leaving scratches. Here is how to properly dissolve Gorilla glue from glass lenses.
Things You’ll Need
- Acetone
- Polyurethane adhesive removal products
- Cotton pads
Directions
- Dampen a cotton pad with acetone or commercial adhesive remover, dab it around the stain and place it on the glue to soak for a while. If you are using a commercial adhesive remover, read the directions on how to use the product. It may take from a few minutes to hours to remove the glue.
- Use the cotton pad to scrape the glue off the glass. Do not use a metallic tool or fingernail because it may scratch the glass surface.
- You will have to repeat this process until all the glue comes off since you cannot mechanically scrape off the glass lens surface.
- Wash the area with mild soapy water to remove acetone or product residue.
How to Remove Gorilla Glue from Plastic
Gorilla Glue bonds very well to plastic surfaces because it contains plastic compounds, making removal slightly more complex than other surfaces. Also, some solvents eat through some types of plastics. Here is what to do:
Things You’ll Need
- Acetone
- Alcohol
- Mineral spirits
- Warm soapy water
- Lint-free cloth
- Chisel
- Lubricant
- Abrasive sponge
Directions
- Wipe off the glue with a paper towel from the surface as soon as possible. Gorilla glue dries quickly, so removing most of it when wet makes it easier to remove the rest.
- Dip a clean cotton cloth in warm soapy water and dab the cloth on the plastic. If the glue is on a large surface, leave the cloth on the glue to soak for about 2-3 hours. The warm water will loosen the bond and also clean the surface for solvent penetration.
- Pour rubbing alcohol, mineral spirit, or acetone on a clean cotton cloth and blot the area with a cotton cloth.
- Acetone is a powerful adhesive remover, however, do not use it on plastics like polystyrene plastics. Acetone will corrode the plastic surface as well. If you must use acetone, you need to be extra cautious. Pour a tiny amount of acetone on a cotton pad and only dab it on the glue area. Observe and wait a few seconds; when you notice the glue melting, wipe the glue with a clean cloth before it reaches the plastic surface.
- Wipe the area with a clean cloth to remove any residue and ensure all the glue is gone. If the glue is still there, repeat the process with alcohol.
- Chisel away any remaining glue with a chisel or a putty knife. If the plastic is too soft, avoid using a sharp chisel. You can scrape off with another plastic tool or an old credit card.
- Apply some lubricant on the glue to soften the plastic, weaken the bond further, and then scrub with an abrasive sponge to lift off any remaining residue.
- Then clean the area with a clean cloth.
How to Remove Gorilla Glue from Ceramic
Here is how to remove Gorilla Glue spots from ceramic surfaces:
Things You’ll Need
- Acetone
- Cotton pad
- Chisel
Directions
- If the glue is on a ceramic plate or cup, you can place it in a cooking pot with water and boil it for about 2-3 minutes. When using the boiling method, do not drop the ceramic in boiling water, as it may crack from thermal shock.
- Pour some pure acetone on a cotton pad and dab it on the glue. The acetone will loosen the bond between the adhesive and ceramic tile. Keep in mind that acetone can fade your colored ceramic tile.
- Allow the glue to soak up as much acetone as possible.
- When you notice the glue melting, scrape it off with a chisel, be careful not to scratch the ceramic surface, and then wipe off the residue with a damp cloth.
- Repeat the process until all the glue comes off, then wipe the residue with a damp cotton pad
How to Remove Gorilla Glue from Hands
You will always get some Gorilla Glue on your hands every time you use it. Luckily, you can remove Gorilla Glue from your hands using some solvents and the steps below.
Things You’ll Need
- Washing soda or soda ash
- Liquid detergent
- Water
- Body scrub product
- A mixture of salt and oil
Directions
- When you spill Gorilla Glue on your skin, you should quickly wipe it off within the first minute because it dries off very quickly.
- Rub some coconut oil, olive oil, or sunflower oil over the glue for several minutes, and then wipe it off.
- Make a mixture of liquid detergent, washing soda, and water and apply this mixture to the area and scrub with your hand. Alternatively, you can use a body scrub product and rub it.
- Soak your hand in warm water, wipe it then oil your hands.
- Dry Gorilla Glue may not come off the hands immediately. Give it a few days and moisturize your hands often with oil, and the glue will wear off with the new skin growth. It is better to wait it out than using harsh chemicals or abrasive tools.
- If your fingers are stuck together, do not try to pry them apart with tools; soak your hand in warm water and let them separate slowly.
Do not use alcohol, acetone, or commercial adhesive removers on the skin. These solvents may be effective in removing the glue, but since they remove the natural oils from the skin, they may also strengthen the adhesive bond. Prolonged contact with these solvents can irritate the skin or cause a bad reaction. We also do not recommend using kitchen products such as vinegar and baking soda. Though they are natural, they will speed up the curing process of the glue.
Conclusion
If you follow the steps explained in this article, you can easily remove Gorilla Glue from most surfaces. Acetone is a powerful solvent that quickly dissolves Gorilla Glue; coupled with some elbow grease and pry tools; you can remove the glue from almost any surface. Remember to be patient as the process can take a few hours to days to complete. And use gloves and a face mask when working with acetone and Gorilla Glue.