How to remove Velcro adhesive from different surfaces?

Velcro it’s an amazing product used not only by professionals but for many householders as well. It has thousands of applications. From hanging your favorite pictures on the wall and securing the carpet to the floor to secure shoes to our feet and even to keep a pen handy in some of the NASA’s first missions.

Unfortunately, when we don’t need the Velcro anymore, it becomes almost an impossible mission for many of us to remove the Velcro and the adhesive that’s left behind! So in this article, I thought we should go and research how to remove Velcro from some of the most usual surfaces in order to help you out if you are in any of the below situations!

how to remove velcro from different surfaces From Metal From Wood From Wall

In most cases what you’ll need (alongside with a lot of patience) is a citrus-based solvent that’s recommended by Velcro itself. The product they recommend it’s called Goo Gone. (But you can use any similar of your own choice)

When you stick a Velcro strip to your wall, the back of the strip has some glue that once cured (usually 24 hours) it creates a stronghold. Hence you can hang many things like picture frames, mirrors and stuff like that on your walls.

That’s all good. Until you decide you don’t need the Velcro anymore and you want to take it off your wall. But how to remove velcro from your walls without damaging the wall?


Remove Velcro from your wall

Tools

  • Hairdryer
  • Utility knife blade
  • Toothbrush

[wpsm_highlight color=”blue”]***Safety warning: when you use heat to dissolve adhesives be sure to be in a ventilated room as there might be fumes.[/wpsm_highlight]

how to remove velcro from the wall

Process

  • Step 1: Use a hairdryer to soften the adhesive
  • Step 2: Use a utility knife blade to loosen the edges of the Velcro
  • Step 3: Once you removed the Velcro, use the hairdryer again to soften the glue
  • Step 4: Use a utility knife blade to start removing the glue
  • Step 5: If there’s still some glue left to use the hairdryer once more and this time use a toothbrush to try to remove the remaining glue

You’re going to hear me saying this a lot in this blog post, but you really need a lot of patience.

One last thing I’d like to add here. If you’ve placed your Velcro over wallpaper, there are almost 99% chances that you’ll damage the wall as you remove the Velcro.


From Glass/Acrylic/Plastic

Things you can try:

  • Olive oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Goo gone
  • WD-40

There’s one thing I recommend you do before you start pouring any of the liquids mentioned above. In order to avoid damage to the glass/acrylic/plastic … just use a little bit on a corner or a part that’s not visible and wait for an hour or so.

Then go back and check if it damages your material (look for changes in color, the solution could eat away your material, it can soften the acrylic for example and so on). Just keep an eye on what’s happening.

The best result I’ve seen so far is by using WD-40. Spray the oil over the glue and leave it overnight.

Next day start scraping the glue with a brand new utility knife blade or just use a cloth if you’re worried about scratching the material


From Clothing/Fabric

According to Velcro, the best way to remove any of their adhesive-backed products is to use a citrus-based adhesive remover solution. You should be really careful when you do this task.

Depending on what type of fabric your clothes are, the adhesive remover solution can damage your fabric. For this process, I’d recommend using Goo Gone. It’s one of the products Velcro themselves recommend.

What are we going to use for this?

  • Goo Gone
  • Seam ripper or a utility knife blade
  • Scissors

For Sewn Velcros

Pull one of the Velcro’s corners loops/hooks until you expose the stitch. Slide the seam stripper or the knife blade under the visible stitch till the ripper’s metal hook reaches the stitch.

To cut the stitch, press against the stitch with the cutting portion of the ripper which is the inside of the hook. To trim any tread left over from the fabric, use the scissors.

For Velcro attached with adhesive

  • Pull the Velcro corner up with one hand as far as possible, whilst holding the object to which the Velcro is attached with the other hand.
  • Now use the utility knife blade to go beneath the adhesive and add a few drops of Goo Gone solution (or any other citrus-based adhesive remover of your choice)
  • Remember to check the label of the product you’re using before applying it to the fabric.
  • Push and wiggle the utility knife blade, alternating prying with the knife, tugging the Velcro with your hand upwards until you remove the Velcro from the piece. Goo Gone can be rubbed with your finger into the remaining adhesive to remove the glue.
  • Remove the adhesive residue left from the Velcro off the object by either washing the fabric item with detergent clothes in the washing machine like you would with that type of item, or by using a wet sponge with dishwasher liquid added to the rigid item.

From Car dashboard

Whether you’ve had your phone holder stick to your dashboard or something else, now that you want to remove it you don’t want to see that ugly mark off the remaining glue.

In order to remove the Velcro from your car dashboard, you can use a heat gun or a hairdryer to soften the glue a little bit and remove the Velcro easier.

Now that the Velcro is off, here are some solutions you could use for this purpose.

  • WD 40
  • Goo Gone
  • Uni Solve wipes

Whichever product you’ll choose for this task, it’s important that you apply a little bit over the remaining glue and let it soak for 5-10 minutes.

After 10 minutes or so, try to remove the glue with a dumping cloth. I like to use a toothbrush as well.

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