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The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
Everyone makes a mistake once in a while, even when building, repairing, or crafting, which might include dropping some glue on your clothing or work surface. However, spilling a little bit of glue on wood furniture doesn't have to mean it's been ruined.
This is particularly true for lower-quality types of glue that aren't as strong. However, super glue (cyanoacrylate glue), carpenter's glue (polyvinyl acetate), contact cement, and construction adhesive are so strong that you're unlikely to get it off without damaging the furniture itself—but you can take measures to minimize the effect.
Check the Glue's Label
For the best advice about removing specific types of glue, look to the glue manufacturer—they likely have advice for removing the adhesive from surfaces after errant spills. If you have the glue container, check the print for removal tips or visit the manufacturer's website for recommendations.
What You'll Need
Equipment / Tools
- Unused credit card
- Cleaning rags
- #600-grit sandpaper
- #1200-grit sandpaper
Materials
- Furniture polish
- Nail polish remover
- Cotton swabs
- Mineral oil
- Satin or dull gloss finish
Instructions
To avoid ruining wood surfaces, try the gentlest solutions first and work your way up to stronger, more abrasive solutions as necessary.
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Scrape Away Excessive Adhesive
If there's a lot of glue or adhesive on the wood, use an old credit card that you're no longer using (or something similar with a hard edge) to scrape away the excess. If you need a stronger tool, use a pull scraper with a sharp blade for larger glue spots or a razor knife for small spots of dried glue, particularly carpenter's glue. You may have to scrape away the glue in layers, so be careful as you get closer to the bottom of the glue and closer to the wood itself.
The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
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Apply Furniture Polish
After you've manually removed excess adhesive from the wood surface, try furniture polish to remove the glue. Spray the polish directly on the sticky stuff and gently rub it with a cloth. It might help lift the adhesive or glue off, and you'll be done with the task.
The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
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Try Nail Polish Remover
Your next effort to remove spilled glue from wood furniture should be acetone-based nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol, particularly if it's super glue that has been spilled. Dip a cotton swab in the nail polish remover and, with a light touch, rub the swab over the glue and then lift it up using your fingernail or a butter knife. Be careful not to damage the finish, if possible.
The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
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Use Mineral Oil
If the nail polish remover doesn't do the trick, pour a small amount of mineral oil on the spilled adhesive and rub at it with a clean cloth. If you only have mineral spirits, combine it in a 1-to-1 ratio with olive oil to make a spirits-oil mixture before lightly applying it to the glue spot.
The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
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Use a Commercial Residue Remover
If none of the previous methods work to remove the adhesive from the wood, try a residue remover. Test the remover in an inconspicuous place before using it to ensure that it won't damage the finish of the wood.
The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
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Wipe Down the Wood
Finish your cleaning job by wiping the wood with a clean cloth.
The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
Clean Tougher Glue Stains With Sandpaper
If you can't get rid of the adhesive or glue stains with residue remover and the various steps above, it might be time to consider a more aggressive approach. You might have to turn to sanding it off the wood.
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Sand With #600-Grit Sandpaper
Start with #600-grit sandpaper, which is very fine-grit sandpaper that is less likely to damage the wood finish of the furniture. Sand the residue until it's level with the wood.
The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
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Switch to #1200-Grit Sandpaper
Sand the remaining residue with the even finer-grit sandpaper until it's been removed.
The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
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Refinish With Gloss
If necessary, apply satin or dull gloss finish to return the shine to the wood.
The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
Tips
- To protect your wood furniture, always put down a protective layer whenever anyone is doing a craft project that requires glue or adhesive. Old newspapers, a drop cloth, or plastic wrap will all keep the adhesive from sticking to the furniture.
- To avoid ruining wood surfaces, try the gentlest solutions first and work your way up to stronger, more abrasive solutions as necessary.
- Before trying any products, particularly ones you're less familiar with, test the solution in a small, inconspicuous area. Keep in mind that a lot of wood furniture and flooring has a surface finish, such as lacquer or polyurethane. In this case, you're removing the glue from the finish rather than the wood, so be careful that the remover won't damage the finish material.