A solution for sticky situations

How to get sticky residue off plastic: Goodbye glue!

Glooly Product Advisor

Find the perfect solution for all your projects with our glue finder.

Knowing how to get sticky residue off plastic will help you to get out of a sticky situation! Labels and stickers often leave behind unsightly residue, but luckily, they’re easy to get rid of. Read on for some tips and tricks for removing glue from plastic.

What’s the best way to remove sticker residue from plastic?

Wondering how to remove stickers from plastic? What about removing sticky residue? The good news is that there are lots of simple methods to remove glue from plastic. So there’s no need to worry – you can get adhesive off plastic in no time!

However, you should keep in mind that that some techniques for removing glue are harsh and abrasive. Although plastic is a pretty sturdy material, you want to avoid causing any unnecessary damage. For that reason, we recommend keeping it simple and natural. Here’s what you need:

  • Warm soapy water, white vinegar or acetone nail varnish remover
  • A clean cloth
  • Any tool that can be used for gentle scraping, such as a plastic card or blunt knife

A razor blade or sharp knife might seem like the ideal tool if you want to remove glue from plastic, but you risk damaging the surface. Sharp blades should be used only as a last resort.

How to get sticky residue off plastic in a few simple steps

This is the best way to remove adhesive from plastic:

  1. Soak the cloth in liquid. Warm soapy water should work, but you could also try white vinegar or nail varnish remover.
  2. Cover the sticky residue. Leave it for a few minutes, to give the solution time to soak into the adhesive.
  3. Wipe the area with the cloth. Press firmly to wipe away the residue.
  4. Gently scrape off any remaining residue using a card or other tool.
  5. If necessary, repeat the process. Large or particularly stubborn stains might require a couple of rounds.
  6. Clean and dry the surface with a cloth.

Alternatively, depending on the size of the object, you could try simply filling a sink or bowl with soapy water and leaving it to soak.

The best adhesive remover for plastic

If you use glue frequently, it’s a good idea to have a trusty adhesive remover to hand. For example, to remove label adhesive from plastic or other materials, or to quickly tidy up stains or spills, try Loctite Super Glue Remover. It works great to get glue off plastic in general.

Loctite Glue Remover is easy to use. Apply a thin layer of the glue remover to the stain, place a tissue on top, and then leave it for a few hours. Afterwards, remove the tissue, wipe the surface clean, then rinse and dry.