How to remove stickers from clothes at home

Sticky marks often remain on things after removing stickers and labels from them. If you don’t take care of removing them right away, dust and small fluff will soon settle on them. As a result, a dark, dirty stain will appear on the fabric.

To learn how to quickly and effectively remove sticker adhesive and label marks from clothes at home, read the article.

What types of stickers are there?

It is not difficult to remove a sticker from clothing if you know its “origin”. How to distinguish one type of sticker from another? In some cases, a label will help, which will reflect this information, but most often you have to figure it out yourself. So how do you figure out what the design is on your T-shirt or cap?

Iron-on adhesive. If the relief of the fabric is not visible, and the color scheme of the design is rich in halftones, tints and transitions, you are dealing with a thermal sticker. They are dense and cannot be ironed.

Thermal printing design. Thermal printing and designs, as well as vinyl images, are not very dense. It will not be difficult to examine the texture of the fabric through such an image.
Image on fabric.
Vinyl based applique. Vinyl-based stickers are most often two-color, not too thick. If you look closely, you may notice that the relief of the material is visible through the image.

Wash

Removing the label, displaying the inscription, or removing appliqués using this method will not work if the T-shirt was purchased recently and is completely new.

Washing helps if the label is already old and is about to fall off on its own, or if the inscription has almost been erased, but a little remains on the product.

So what should you do?

First, try simply washing the item according to the temperature and cycle.

If this does not help, increase the temperature slightly, but the wash cycle should remain the same

Be sure to pay attention to the material; as the degrees increase, many products shrink or, on the contrary, stretch

How to remove iron-on adhesive from clothing

If you are determined to get rid of decorations on your clothes, purchase a special product that will solve the problem in a matter of minutes. For those who do not have this opportunity, there are several options for removing thermal stickers at home using improvised means.

Dryer. Place the item in the unit and set the temperature to high. When exposed to heat, the adhesive base of the decoration will become more pliable. And you can remove the thermal sticker without much effort.
Warming up with an iron. Lay out the clothes on a flat surface, place sheets of paper under the image (both the front and back sides). Iron the image with an iron set to the highest heat setting until the decal transfers to the paper.
Hair dryer or freezer. Not all items can be exposed to high temperatures, and for such cases, use a hairdryer to heat the base of the sticker, or place the item in the freezer for 2–3 hours. In both cases, the surface of the design will begin to crumble and peel off and you will be able to “scrape” it off the surface of the fabric.

The same methods will help remove a drawing or inscription applied with thermal printing from things.

General recommendations

General recommendations include avoiding attempts to delete recent drawings. This is because the adhesive base still adheres firmly to the fabric. Clothes that have been washed several times and have been worn are easier to remove stickers from.

All methods, regardless of the medium, require:

Carrying out preliminary and subsequent washing and drying of the product.
Place clothing horizontally on the surface to ensure uniform distribution of the product and prevent the solution from spreading over the area without stickers.
A gradual transition from harmless to aggressive - start with tape, temperatures and only if necessary move on to chemistry and alcohol.

There are also recommendations that are indicated for certain methods. For example, thermal effects should not be applied to polyester, since the fabric fibers may begin to melt. But for cotton, linen, and denim clothing, elevated temperatures, for example, exposure to hot air, will be effective.

How to remove a vinyl sticker

You can remove vinyl stickers in the same way as thermal stickers - using heat.

The only difference is that after removing the sticker, you need to wipe the area where the removed pattern was located with vinegar. This will help clean the fabric from any glue residue.

In addition, you can remove vinyl and other types of stickers using stationery tape. You need to press the adhesive tape firmly onto the image for 2-3 minutes and then quickly remove it. To remove the drawing completely, you will have to repeat the manipulations several times.

Before using tape, make sure that the material from which your item is made does not have an increased tendency to stretch and deform.

How to remove without a trace at home?

All methods of flattening a pasted image are divided into three types:

mechanical,
chemical,
thermal.

The choice depends on what is available:

funds,
time,
quality of material,
the nature of the sticker itself.

If there are small traces left from the drawing, then you should start with the simplest and most non-aggressive methods . Regardless of the product used, the item must be washed in the usual way and dried before removing the sticker. This procedure is also carried out after cleansing.

You cannot combine thermal and chemical methods to remove stickers at the same time!

Heat

Exposure to heat helps dissolve the adhesive and sticker base. An iron or hair dryer set to “hot air” mode helps achieve this goal. A similar effect can also be achieved by washing and drying at very high temperatures (more than 70 degrees).

To remove paint using a hair dryer, you need to bring the device turned on close to the drawing. The melted sticker is carefully scraped off the fabric with a knife.

Removal with an iron proceeds according to the following algorithm:

The thing is laid out on the table.
Cover the drawing with a wet napkin.
Iron with a hot iron.

The thermal method cannot be used on unstable fabrics such as polyester, as they may melt.

Cold

Negative temperatures affect the quality of the sticker coating. When exposed to cold, the paint on the fabric begins to crumble, making it easy to remove from the material.

The T-shirt or tank top is packaged in a plastic bag and placed in the freezer for several hours . Then the cooled item is laid out and the design is removed using a sharp object.

Scotch

To mechanically remove traces of paint, wide stationery tape is often used.

First, the item is heated from the inside out with an iron or on a hot radiator . Lay it out on a hard surface.

Then pieces of tape are glued to the drawing. In this case, the adhesive tape must be carefully pressed so that no bubbles or folds remain. After this, remove the strip with a sharp movement.

If paint particles remain on the fabric, repeat the procedure . This method is ideal for small designs and sparkles. It is convenient due to its simplicity, high speed of execution, and the absence of thermal and chemical effects on fabric fibers.

Chemical solvents

Chemicals designed to remove different types of paint and varnish also help remove old print. Strong reagents such as acetone, solvent, nail polish remover are used on:

dense tissues,
overalls,
outerwear.

A cotton pad or cotton swab is moistened in a solvent and the paint is cleaned off, moving along the design in one direction.

To speed up cleaning, you can first moisten the entire pattern with a cleaning liquid, let it sit for a few minutes, and then begin removing it. The procedure is considered quite painstaking, but effective.

Alcohol

Alcohol-containing liquids (medicinal alcohol, vodka, alcohol-based antiseptic) act like chemical solvents.

The cleaning technology is also the same:

the thing is spread out on the table;
pour a little alcohol onto the drawing;
a cloth napkin or cotton pad is moistened in the reagent;
Wipe the sticker, moving from the edge to the center.

The alcohol cleaning method is suitable for wool, denim, and knitwear.

Laundry soap

This product is often used as an additional product after removing paint by other methods . The method is also suitable if the majority of the sticker has already come off the fabric.

This method requires regular laundry soap with a high content of fatty acids (72%) without fragrance additives.

The item is moistened and soaped generously. Leave to soak for 30-40 minutes. After this, wash the item by hand, paying special attention to the place of the sticker.

Next, the clothes are rinsed and dried. This universal product is good because it is suitable for most fabrics. However, its efficiency is slightly lower compared to its analogues.

Detergent

Liquid dishwashing gels are suitable as a mild cleaner. Their action is less aggressive compared to solvents and alcohol .

To clean the fabric, soak the sticker in detergent and leave for one to two hours.

After this, wash the item in the usual way (manual or machine). If necessary, repeat cleaning. Degreasing gels help to deal with old patterns, most of which have already disappeared.

How to remove rhinestones from clothes

Often the designs on the fabric are decorated with rhinestones and sparkles. How to remove them from fabric? If you need to remove hardware, use a mild knife or metal nail file.
Using one of these tools, carefully “remove” rhinestones and sparkles from the surface. Do not pull the fabric, act delicately so as not to damage the fibers of the fabric.
When the decorations are removed, traces of glue will likely remain. You can remove them using one of the methods described below.

Screen printing

Screen printing is a method of applying a viscous layer of paint using a stencil. This type of printing is also called silk-screen printing.

Monofilament polyester threads or metal mesh are used as uniform material.

The image adheres very firmly to the material. The drawing does not wear off even over time, but remains as good as new.

Screen printing cannot be removed. Such a thing will have to be turned into a rag, worn around the house or given to those in need.

You can try to remove the screen print using all available methods, but why waste time, effort and money if you know in advance that such images will not be removed.

How to remove sticker adhesive from clothes

After removing the sticker, you will need to get rid of any traces of adhesive. To do this, you can use special products that are sold in household chemical stores, or use one of these methods:

Remove adhesive traces using solvent or acetone.
Use alcohol or alcohol-based products (such as lotion).
Apply vegetable oil.

Before starting work, you need to test the selected product on an inconspicuous area of the fabric. This will help avoid damage to your clothes.

Special formulations

To remove traces of stickers, you can find special products on sale. Top 3 looks like this:

Scotch Remover .
A bottle of 0.42 ml costs 480 rubles. Shake the container, open the lid and spray it on the fabric at a distance of up to 20 cm. Remove the adhesive with a clean cloth, such as gauze. After processing, the item is washed. The spray is easy to apply; it does not run off the fabric, but you won’t be able to accurately aim with the spray.
Anti-scotch Astrohim . The cost of a 210 ml bottle is 160 rubles. Shake the container several times before use. Spray the composition over the adhesive spot at a distance of 15-20 cm. If the layer of glue is thick, then leave the product on the surface for 2 minutes, after which it is washed off.
Mellerud for removing traces of glue. The cost of a 0.25 liter bottle is 440 rubles. The product is applied to a clean cloth, with which the sticky mark is treated. After cleaning, things are washed. Mellerud is not used to remove stains from synthetic products.

All products have an aggressive composition, so using them to clean delicate fabrics is unacceptable. Before the first use, you need to check the reaction of the tissue in an inconspicuous area.

Precautionary measures

To remove the sticker and completely remove stains from the adhesive base without damaging the material or the skin of your hands, you must observe the following precautions:

Use rubber gloves when working with chemicals.
When using special solvents, strictly follow the instructions for use.
Test the selected products on inconspicuous areas of clothing, even if the product seems safe to you.

By following these tips, you can easily get rid of a sticker that is annoying or has become unusable, and keep your favorite item looking decent.

Bleach

Bleaching agents can also be used if you need to remove writing from a T-shirt. Only such products should be handled with caution.

You should not mix bleach with vinegar to get the best effect. When these ingredients interact, they create strong toxic vapor, which, when penetrating into the respiratory tract, damages them and can also lead to severe poisoning of the body.

When using bleach, be sure to wear rubber gloves. You should also remember that you won’t be able to completely display the inscription using this method, but you can lighten it.

Procedure for performing the action:

Pour water and bleach into the basin according to the instructions. You can pour more of the latter, but do not overdo it, it can also damage the fibers.
Wearing gloves, place the clothes in the basin. Press it to the bottom with your hands so that the product is well saturated with the solution.
Leave to soak in the bleach solution for 3 hours. The longer the soaking lasts, the better the effect.
This is followed by washing. Processing of items is carried out in a washing machine. Manually completely removing the bleach from the fibers will not work, and more water will be consumed.

Bleach can not only remove the inscription, but also lighten the fabric a little. Do not use this product on dark items. It's better not to take risks.

Fourth method. Using adhesive tape

Scotch tape (not Scotch whiskey, but duct tape) can also help remove cracked iron-on adhesive quickly and effectively. It is better not to use tape on fabric that stretches easily. Fragments of adhesive tape are pasted onto the sticker one after another (a forced tautology, sorry), pressed with one hand and quickly torn off with the same hand. Repeat the procedure until you get rid of the ill-fated sticker completely.

Peanut butter

A less common method is to use peanut butter. If you think about it, it will only stain the thing and you will have to use even more products to remove the greasy stain.

However, peanut butter has a unique composition that has a good effect on the structure of the glue.

Using this method, you can both remove the thermal sticker from clothing and remove the applique.

How to proceed? Apply peanut butter to the desired area. Do not spare it, the layer should be thick. Rub it into the fabric and leave for 15 minutes.

Remove any remaining oil using a damp cloth. If the method works, carefully remove the remaining inscription.

Try peeling off the drawing with a knife. Pry up the edge and remove in layers.

After finishing the manipulation, wash the product under the tap with warm water. Then put it in the machine.

To remove greasy marks, add dish detergent during washing. Dry as usual and iron if possible according to label.

Removing inscriptions, drawings and applications yourself is not at all difficult. If you don't want to bother with this, just take the item to the dry cleaner and pay to have them removed.