How to Remove Glue from Wood

Glue is a very handy product to have at home. There are lots of different glues available, and these adhesives are usually specially designed to adhere to specific products. Some glue like wood glue or school glue can also be used to stick wood pieces together. Many carpenters use glue to keep joints in furniture together.

While glue can be handy when applied correctly to wood, it can be tough to remove this product when it splashes onto the wrong area of your wooden item or when you want to remove glue so you can fully restore wooden furniture or products.

In this guide, we are going to take a look at how to remove glue from wood without causing damage to this valuable material.

There are quite a few different techniques you can use to get glue off of your wood pieces. There are various natural remedies that you can try, and you can also use commercial glue removal products to get stubborn or hardened glue removed from the wood.

Here is a quick look at some of the best strategies to get the glue off with minimal damage to wood.

Household Product Techniques

Natural household products are excellent for those who want to avoid toxic chemicals in their home. These natural products are also safer to use on your wood because they won’t cause discoloring, chemical burns, or fading marks on your wood.

Natural remedies do take a lot longer than chemical products and you might need to try several attempts before you will get all the glue removed from your wood. These remedies are ideal for removing small amounts of thin glue from wood.

Here is a quick look at some of the best natural products to use to remove glue as well as the best techniques to apply.

Materials Needed

White vinegar, mayonnaise, an orange peel or petroleum jelly
Scraper
A soft cloth

Instructions for Using White Vinegar

This technique is terrific for removing soft glue types or glue that hasn’t fully dried yet.

Grab your clean cloth and ½ cup of white vinegar. Dip the cloth and wring it out so it will only be damp.
Damp the vinegar onto the glue. Be careful not to saturate your wood because vinegar’s acidity can damage your wood.
Keep dabbing at the glue until it starts to soften.
You can now roll your finger over the glue until it loosens from the wood surface.
If the glue doesn’t come off easily, you can also use a plastic scraper to gently scrape it off.
If the glue still doesn’t come off, you can repeat these steps.

Instructions for Using Use Mayonnaise

This is a great technique for small glue spots. The oil in mayonnaise will soften your glue spots so you can take them off. Here is the right way to use mayonnaise for removing the glue.

Take your finger and rub a small amount of mayonnaise on the glue.
Allow it to sit for 15 minutes so the glue can absorb some of the oils.
Take a clean cloth and wipe the glue from your wood.
If the glue doesn’t come off easily, you can also use a plastic scraper to gently scrape it off.
If the glue doesn’t come off right away, you can repeat these steps.

Instructions for Using Use Orange Peel

The citrus in the orange peel can break down the glue. Here is the right way to use orange peel to remove glue from your furniture.

Peel your orange and place the peel over the glue.
Allow it to sit for 10 minutes.
Remove the orange peel and wipe the glue using a soft cloth.
If the glue doesn’t come off easily, you can also use a plastic scraper to gently scrape it off.
If the glue doesn’t come right off, you can repeat these steps.

Instructions for Using Petroleum Jelly or Vaseline

The oil in petroleum jelly or Vaseline can also soften up the glue so you can easily remove it. Here is a quick look at the best way to use this product to remove the glue.

Take petroleum jelly or Vaseline and rub it on the glue.
Leave the Vaseline overnight so the glue can absorb the oils.
Use your fingers to rub the glue from the surface.
If the glue is stubborn, you can also use a plastic scraper to remove the glue.
Be careful not to scrape too hard or you could damage your wood.
If the glue is still hard, you can repeat these steps.

The Sanding Technique

Sanding down furniture is one of the best ways to remove hard and dried adhesives like glue or varnish. It is an ideal solution if you want to remove lots of glue from a large surface. Here is a quick look at the best way to sand glue from wood.

Materials needed
600-grit sandpaper
1200-grit sandpaper
Soft cloth
Thinners
Varnish or wood finish

Here is a quick look at the right instructions for sanding glue.

Take your rough 600-grit sandpaper and scrape the glue. Keep sanding until the glue is flat and level with your wood.
Take the fine 1200-grit sandpaper and scrape off the remaining glue.
It is important to work along with the grain of the wood. Be careful not to sand your wood or varnish that might be on your wood.
You can now wipe the area using a soft cloth to remove all dust.
If you notice discoloring, you can apply a little bit of thinners to remove the stain.
Once dried, you can varnish the area or use wood finish treatment to seal the area.

The Chemical Product Technique

Chemical products can be terrific for removing stubborn glue very quickly. The only problem is that these products can produce lots of fumes. These fumes can make you feel nauseated or light-headed if you are working in an area with poor ventilation.

Chemicals also tend to stain or discolor wood. You need to be very careful to avoid direct contact with your wood when using these products to remove the glue.

Wear Protective Gear

It is always best to wear protective gear such as a face mask and gloves when handling chemicals. These chemicals can be harmful to your lungs and can burn your skin if the chemicals remain on your skin for too long.

Materials Needed

Acetone or commercial glue remover
Tape
Cotton balls
A plastic scraper
A soft cloth
A mask
Gloves

Here is a quick look at the best ways to use chemical products to soften and remove glue from your beautiful furniture.

Instructions for Using Acetone

Acetone is a great product to use on untreated or unfinished wood with no painted or varnish surfacing. This is because acetone can damage paint and varnish. You can find this product in most stores or in nail salons because it is used as a nail polish remover.

Here is a quick look at the right steps to take when using acetone to remove the glue.

Put on your gloves and mask so you won’t inhale too much acetone. It is also best to work outside or to open some windows so you can ventilate the room.
Stick your tape around the glue to keep glue from making direct contact with the rest of the wood.
Take a cotton ball and dab small amounts of acetone to your glue. It is best to apply with the grain of the wood.
Allow the acetone to sit for one minute.
Use a soft clean cloth and gently dab the glue until it lifts from the glue.
If the glue doesn’t come off easily, you can also use your plastic scraper to gently scrape the glue.
If the glue is still hard, you can repeat these steps.

Instructions for Using Commercial Glue Remover

Commercial glue removers are ideal for thick, dry, and tough glue on wood.

These products are designed to remove the glue fast.

The instructions for commercial glue removers can vary quite a lot. It is important to read the label carefully before you get to work. You can find commercial glue remover at local hardware stores or at online stores. It is important to avoid direct contact with the wood since these products can damage your natural wood.

Here is a quick look at the right steps to take when using these products.

Put on your gloves and mask because some glue removers can burn through your skin.
Place tape around the glue area to avoid direct contact between the glue remover and the wood.
Take a cotton ball or cloth and dab the glue remover on the glue. Be careful to avoid applying these products on the wood.
Allow the glue remover to sit for the recommended duration.
Take a soft cloth and gently rub the glue off.
If it doesn’t come off easily, you can also use the plastic scraper to rub it from the wood. It is important not to scrape too hard and to work with the grain.
If the glue is still hard, you can repeat these steps.

The Heat Technique

Applying intense heat to glue can help soften up the glue, especially if it is glue from glue guns or resin. It is important not to use direct flames such as a blowtorch or matches for this technique. The open flame will only burn the glue and can turn your wood black.

Materials needed

A blow dryer or infrared heat gun
A plastic scraper
Gloves
A soft cloth

Here is a quick look at the best steps for using heat to remove the glue.

Put on your gloves to avoid burns to your skin when the glue or hair dryer gets too hot.
Take your hair dryer or heat gun and put it on a low heat setting.
Apply the heat directly to the glue but be careful to keep a heat gun a 2 – 3 inches away to avoid burning your wood.
You can keep the heat on the glue for 20 – 25 seconds. Do not let the heat linger for more than 30 seconds because this can cause burns in your wood.
Take your plastic scraper and gently scrape along with the grain of the wood.
Keep making turns with scraping and applying heat until all the glue is removed.
You can now wipe the surface using a clean cloth.

How to Treat Your Surface Once the Glue is Removed

The type of treatment you use once the glue has been removed depends on the finish you want.

For untreated natural wood, you can simply sand down the area and wipe with a clean cloth to remove any scrapes caused by the removal process.

If there is oil or grease marks on your natural wood, you can lightly dab some thinners on the area to remove the oils or grease.

If the wood was varnished, you can scrape it with fine-grit sandpaper until smooth. If removing the glue also caused you to remove the varnish, it might be best to add a fresh layer of varnish to the wood. If the area is small, you can try to patch the area with a little bit of varnish.

If it is a large area that was affected by the glue, you might need to sand down the entire surface and reapply a fresh new seal of varnish.

If the wood was painted, you can simply repaint the area using the same color if the glue and treatment discolored or removed your paint.

Final Thoughts

Out of all of these strategies, natural products and sanding down the glue, are the best and safest to choose. When you use natural products to sand down the surface, you reduce the risk of damaging or discoloring your beautiful wood pieces.

One of the most important things to keep in mind when removing glue is that you need to be patient. Don’t force or scrub too hard against your wood because excessive force can lead to damage in your wood surfaces.