Removing dried liquid glue from suit

[Fastuni]

Hello,

I've got a 40's suit (worsted wool pinstripe) with serious glue stains on the back!

It is some liquid general all-purpose glue (not instant/contact glue) that has soaked partially through the fabric.

I don't think these are "period" stains, but from some later decade.

Photos will follow tommorrow.

Has anyone recommendations or experience with removing dried glue from fabric?
Would aggressive solvents attack the fabric/color itself?

Thanks!

 

[Guttersnipe]

You need to be very careful with solvents, as many of them will cause bleaching, dye migration and/or damage the wool fibers.

For what it's worth, I worked as a pressmen the in textile printing industry of many years. So, I do have a few ideas, though I'm not sure if these products are available to the general public in the EU...

A company called Sprayaway makes an aerosol solvent called Fast Open 957. It's intended for clearing screen blockages caused by dried-up ink. However, Fast Open is also good for dissolving adhesive buildup, which sometimes soils the underside of the textile where it contact the printing pallet. I never found Fast Open to cause any damage to textiles.

 

[Horace Debussy Jones]

Did someone actually glue something to the coat? Perhaps as in making a costume? If so, it might be fabric glue or white glue such as "Elmer's" glue, a very common household glue used for decades.
Here is a procedure for removing such glues:
Rinse the spot where the glue was present with the rag or towel soaked in warm water. Scrape the dried Elmer's glue gently with an old spoon to dislodge as much of the glue as possible
Mix in a small bowl 1 cup of white vinegar and 1 cup of warm water. Agitate the vinegar mixture with the old spoon.
Pour the vinegar solution from the bowl into a spray bottle using a funnel. Apply the funnel to the spray bottle to keep the solution from spilling. Spray the vinegar solution on to the dried glue spot, and let it stand for about three minutes.
Blot the dried glue spot with another rag or towel. Keep blotting until the glue comes off the surface. Rinse the spot where the glue was present with the rag or towel soaked in warm water. Dry the spot with a clean rag or towel by pressing down on the area and letting any moisture absorb into the rag or towel.
Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_5584483_remove-elmer_s-glue.html
Also, many people have had great success using naptha to clean their vintage felt hats. It removes many stains such as hair product residue from decades past without harming materials such as leather and fabric. In my experience however, it did cause the silk liner in a hat to shatter, so use with caution if you decide to try it. I'm not sure what they call it in Germany, maybe "white gas" or some such name, but it is essentially the same thing as Zippo lighter fluid which is probably commonly available in most countries. A spot remover called "Energine" is also just simply naptha.
In my work, I sometimes have to remove glue from art prints and documents without harming the printed ink or the paper. For this we use Bienfang "Unstick", which is simply mineral spirits much like artist's brush cleaner. It acts on the glue that needs to go away, without harming the paper's structure or the inks printed on it.

 

[Fastuni]

Thanks guys for the input.

If the glue doesn't come out entirely, it will suffice if the soaked through stains are removed. The fabric is identical on both sides, so I could (worst case) turn the back.

I will post photos tommorrow - maybe this will give another clue about the glue (excuse the lame pun).

The glue is in rectangular shape with an stretched x in the middle.
It appears indeed that a cardboard was glued to it for costume purposes. Absolutely horrible... it is otherwise a perfectly preserved French brown pinstripe suit. *grrr*

 

[Rabbit]

Also, many people have had great success using naptha to clean their vintage felt hats. It removes many stains such as hair product residue from decades past without harming materials such as leather and fabric. In my experience however, it did cause the silk liner in a hat to shatter, so use with caution if you decide to try it. I'm not sure what they call it in Germany, maybe "white gas" or some such name, but it is essentially the same thing as Zippo lighter fluid which is probably commonly available in most countries. A spot remover called "Energine" is also just simply naptha.

In German, it's Waschbenzin, Reingungsbenzin or Testbenzin, the most common names for the same thing.

Testbenzin because it's tested that it won't inflame below a certain threshold temperature. I don't have to tell you that this doesn't make it much safer...

Anyway, I think it's worth a try, after checking on some hidden fabric first.

 

[Fastuni]

Here the pic:

I will try to soak/soften the glue first before going for the more aggressive stuff.

 

[Dane Holder]

You might try diluted nail polish remover or some Gojo.

 

[Stanley Doble]

I would take it to the best dry cleaner in town and ask him.

 

[Fastuni]

Thanks for your interest guys. I have put this project on the shelf now. Some day I will get back to it, but my hopes aren't high.
It appears to be some nasty hot-glue that has soaked and hardened deep into the fabric.

 

[Stanley Doble]

I still think a dry cleaner can clean that suit so you will never know the glue was on there. Or, it may be impossible to clean - but a dry cleaner would know, or could find out.

 

[Patrick Hall]

I still think a dry cleaner can clean that suit so you will never know the glue was on there. Or, it may be impossible to clean - but a dry cleaner would know, or could find out.

I wouldn't be too sure. I've found most dry cleaners are reticent to take on especially difficult stains, for fear that if their processes damage the fabrics, you will hold them responsible. If a simple dry clean doesn't fix the problem, they hand the suit back with shrugged apologies. Anyway, sorry the glue is proving stubborn Fastuni.