Sticky floor no more

Magic carpet ride: How to remove glue on carpet

Watched in slow-motion horror as a glob of super glue missed its intended target and fell amongst the fine fibers of your favorite rug? Don’t panic – with Loctite’s guide to how to remove glue from carpet, you can unstick this most sticky of situations.

How to remove glue from carpet: Don’t worry

As it name suggests, super glue has super strength adhesiveness, making it an essential item that every household should own. Whether you’ve broken a cup handle, cracked a vase or snapped a plastic toy, there’s a super glue that can repair it.

However, if you accidentally drip super glue onto your carpet its super strength might become your worst nightmare. Luckily, learning how to remove glue from carpet is so straightforward that, in just a few simple steps, it’ll be like the spill never happened.

Part of the process of learning how to get glue off a carpet is the use of a fluid, such as nail polish remover, that has acetone in it. Before you begin, it’s a good idea to test to see if that fluid will damage or bleach the color of your carpet. Do this on an area of carpet that is usually covered by a piece of furniture like a sofa. Dab a small amount onto it – if the color begins to run or fade, stop immediately and use a dry cloth or paper towel to soak up the acetone.

How to remove glue on carpet: Simple steps

It is important to move quickly once you realize you’ve spilled glue on a carpet. As the glue dries it will clump the carpet’s fibers together and leave an unsightly stain that ruins the aesthetic. Work through the following steps to restore your carpet to its former unblemished look.

Absorb. If you have only just spilled the glue, the first step is to try and soak up as much of it as possible. Get some sheets of clean paper towel and press them down on top of the spillage so that it absorbs the wet glue. Repeat this process until no more glue is absorbed by the towel when pressed on the carpet.
Acetone. If your nail polish remover or other acetone fluid tested safe, use it to dampen a cotton ball or cotton swab and gently press it down on the spillage. This should start to loosen the glue that has gotten into the carpet fibers. If the cotton dries up before the glue breaks down, simply dampen a new one with the acetone and repeat.
Dab. Mix together one teaspoon of ammonia and one cup of warm water to create a cleaning solution. Now use a clean, light-colored cloth to continuously dab the solution onto the glue stain. You will see the glue gradually transfer from the carpet to the cloth. Repeat until all of the glue has been removed.
Clean. To remove any last residue, wet another clean cloth in warm water and wipe over the affected area of carpet. Finally, dry the carpet with a clean towel.

Feeling confident on how to remove glue from carpet and ready to move on with your gluing project?

Be sure to check out Loctite’s full range of super glues.