advertisement Susan asked: How do you remove superglue from a car’s interior? The surfaces are hard plastic and vinyl. Superglue was used to put decorative trim on the interior side panels of the car door and around the air conditioning vents of the car. We were able to get some off, but some is left. The interior is black.

Removing superglue from plastic surfaces can be a bit tricky because dried superglue is plastic, thus the removers are designed to eat through plastic. Unfortunately, if the surface is plastic, it can be damaged as well by these removers. There are other ways to loosen superglue, but they take time. However, it is often worth it to keep from causing more damage. Here’s what you need to do.

Removing Superglue from Plastic Surfaces

You Will Need:

Water

Soap

Plastic wrap

Tape

Rubbing alcohol

Cotton balls

Paper towels

Soft cloths

Bowl or bucket

Steps to Remove the Glue:

Begin by mixing water and soap in a bowl or bucket. Moisten a soft cloth or paper towels with the water and soap. Lay the wet cloth over the glue and allow it to set for several hours. The idea is to keep the glue very moist for a good amount of time. If it is drying up before the glue has a chance to soften, place the wet cloth on the glue and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Tape around the edges to seal it. After at least 3-4 hours of soaking, remove the plastic covering and wet, soapy cloth. Blot at the softened glue with a clean cloth to remove the glue that has softened. Repeat until all of the glue is removed. This method can take a while to work, but it will remove the glue without damaging the plastic surface. A second method is to use rubbing alcohol. Moisten a cotton ball and gently blot at the glue that you want to remove. When the glue softens, use a clean cloth to blot it away. When all of the glue is removed, wipe the area clean with a cloth moistened with clean water. Dry completely.

Removing Superglue from Vinyl Surfaces

You Will Need:

Acetone

Water

Paper towels

Cotton balls

Soft cloths

Steps to Remove the Glue:

Begin by moistening a cotton ball or paper towel with pure acetone, available at hardware stores or some beauty supply stores. Blot the glue with the paper acetone piece until it starts to soften. When the glue softens, blot it with a clean cloth to remove. Continue until all of the glue is removed. Wipe down the area with clean water and a clean cloth to remove any remaining acetone. Dry completely.

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