How to Remove Adhesive from Velvet

Simon said, “I have a Sellotape mark on a black velvet sofa. What’s the best way to remove this without ruining the pile of the velvet?”

This method lubricates and dissolves the adhesive so that it can be easily cleaned off.¹

You Will Need:

• WD-40
• Vegetable oil
• Baby oil
• Cooking spray
• A cloth
• Dish liquid
• Water

Steps to Remove the Oil :

1. Spray WD-40 on a clean cloth, not directly onto the velvet.¹ If you don’t have WD-40, you can use a small amount of vegetable oil, baby oil², or cooking spray instead.³
2. Dab the WD-40 onto the adhesive residue. Try not to apply any of the oil onto the surrounding area or you will just have to remove it later.
3. Let the WD-40 or oil set on the stain for about 10 minutes.²
4. Mix dish liquid with some water to make suds. Wipe only the suds onto a cloth, then rub the suds onto the area. The suds should loosen and remove both the adhesive and the oil.²
5. Repeat steps 1-4 as many times as needed to remove all of the adhesive residue. Turn the suds cloth to a new, clean area each time, as it will absorb the oil and adhesive with each cleaning.
6. Once the stain is removed, gently rub the area with a clean cloth to remove any residue from the suds and restore the nap.

• An emery board can be used to file the adhesive off of the velvet if needed.
• There are commercial adhesive removers, such as Un-Du or De-Solv-It that work well to remove tape residue from a variety of surfaces. If you want to try one of these cleaners, check to see if there is a warning about velvet on the label and if it seems safe, test it on a hidden area first to look for any adverse reaction.²
• If needed, a dry cleaner or professional upholstery cleaner should be able to remove the adhesive.⁵

1. Extraordinary Uses For Ordinary Things by Reader’s Digest
2. How the Queen Cleans Everything by Linda Cobb
3. Joey Green’s Cleaning Magic by Joey Green
4. Clean It Fast, Clean It RIGHT by Jeff Bredenberg
5. The Spot and Stain Remover Handbook by Jean Cooper