Removing Adhesive from Glass – Steps, Dos and Don’ts

Knowing the ways of removing adhesive from glass can prove to be quite beneficial. It’s really annoying to find a mark of adhesive on the surface of a glass piece, after you peel out the price sticker from it. Your glass items can get other types of glues too, especially if your kids like applying stickers on mirrors, rather than in their sticker books. So, how will you remove those adhesive marks from mirrors and other glass items?

Image Courtesy: www.ask.com

Below appear the steps as well as some dos and don’ts to help you remove glue from glass, and restore their cleanliness and shine:

STEPS:

1. Clean the glass

Spray some glass cleaner over the glass surface and clean it well using a paper towel. Let the glass dry completely, before moving to the next step.

2. Use a solvent

Choose a suitable clean up solvent, like engine penetrating oil, acetone, lighter fluid or nail polish remover. Take a paper towel and soak it in the selected solvent. Then, place the paper towel over the adhesive. This would soften the adhesive. Leave the towel over the adhesive for a few minutes and then remove it.

3. Scrape the glue

Take a razor blade having a single edge, and scrape off the glue gently. You may have to repeat the process involving the solvent for 2-3 times, to remove all of the adhesive. To finish, apply the glass cleaner once gain, and then dry the glass using clean paper towel. The piece of glass should shine well, after you have completed these steps.

DON’TS:

To know the technique of removing adhesive well, you also need to know the things that should not be done. Listed below are what you shouldn’t do when removing glue from glass:

• In case, you are removing adhesive from a glass, which is a part of a mirror or a picture frame, ensure that you don’t apply solvent on or scrape any other area, as that may cause damage to the decorated surroundings.
• Make sure that the razor blade you use is single-sided, and not double-sided. In case, you are using a double -sided blade, you will need a holder too, in which the blade can be slided, for your safety.
• Never use the solvent close to an open flame, and avoid smoking when using the solvent and other materials, as solvents are flammable substances.
• Don’t work inside an unventilated and small room, as solvents can give out highly toxic fumes. For your safety, your workspace should be large and well ventilated .

DOS:

• When using razor blade for removing adhesive, make the strokes away from you always, so that the blade doesn’t slip, and you don’t injure yourself.
• When you clean glue from glass, and there are other things in the surroundings, like a picture frame, use masking tape for the surrounding area. This not only stops the solvent from reaching other things, but also prevents you from scraping them accidentally with razor blade.
• Always have some extra, fresh razor blades. The edges become dull quite fast, and you will be getting a faster and better result by using a sharp blade. Do not continue to use a dull blade, as that may damage the surface being worked on.
• Always give some time to the solvent for soaking in the adhesive. Although the adhesive should be soaked by the solvent within a few minutes, however, give about 15 minutes in the first pass, to ensure that the solvent has soaked all of the adhesive. You may find this time as too long, but you will have to put less effort afterwards for removing the adhesive.

With this advice, you would be able to remove glue from glass items efficiently and safely. Be careful while doing the work and take proper safety measures.

Mia Jones lives in California. She is working as Content Developer in Advanced Die Supplies, Inc. She loves to pen down her expertise in her blogs. In this article, she is talking about step by step guide for removing adhesive from concrete.