Kathy asked: How do I remove adhesive residue from a Champion, Under Armour type shirt? My son put a sticker on his shirt. The adhesive does not come off in the regular wash. I tried alcohol with no luck. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you.
Children love to display their prized stickers on their shirts and other articles of clothing. Unfortunately, if they are not removed prior to washing, the paper part of the sticker washes away and leaves an outline of sticky residue. This is a problem that has ruined many pieces of children’s clothing. Fortunately, there is a way to remove the sticker residue.
You Will Need:
- Removal Product: (pick one)
- Dish soap
- WD-40
- Peanut butter
- Vegetable oil
- Avon Skin-So-Soft
- Rubbing alcohol
- Goo Gone
- Soft brush (old toothbrushes work well)
- Laundry detergent
Steps to Remove the Sticker Residue:
- Select one of the removal products above.
- Apply the product to the adhesive.
- Massage the area with your fingers to work the product into the adhesive. This may take several minutes. Most of the above products are lubricants. Once the lubricant gets into the adhesive, it will loosen it so it can be removed.
- Another step to remove the adhesive further is to scrub the area gently with a soft toothbrush. Do this after the product has been well-worked into the adhesive.
- Next, launder the garment as usual. If desired, apply some laundry detergent directly to the area as a pre-treatment. This is especially helpful when using products such as peanut butter.
- Wash the garment as normal and allow it to dry.
- Repeat as necessary until the adhesive is removed.
Additional Tips and Advice
- Most clothing will not be affected, but some delicate/sensitive fabrics can become stained from the use of the removal products. If you are unsure, test a small, inconspicuous area first to ensure there is no discoloration.
- Lighter fluid is another product that can be used to remove adhesive. This requires more caution as lighter fluid is obviously flammable. Use only in a well-ventilated area and ensure the product is completely removed from the clothing prior to placing it in the dryer.
- These removal products should only be used on washable for fabrics. For dry clean only clothing, have the adhesive removed by a professional dry cleaner.
