How to Remove Super Glue

Once accounted the greatest invention since sliced bread, Super Glue quickly became the bane of many householders with drips, spills and accidental contact that couldn't be broken.

The original product was invented way back in 1958, by the Eastman Company. It had many more uses than the infamous t.v. commercial where a construction worker glued his helmet to the underside of a girder, and hung from it. Cyanoacrylate, which is essentially the formula, has been used in a variety of situations calling for adhesive, from human surgery, to gluing the broken shells of turtles back together.

It caught on like wildfire as a home product, but then people discovered that what stuck, often didn't want to come unstuck, like they would with regular glues.

To get rid of Super Glue, the first rule is to always have a paper towel or cardboard to lay your tube and your project on, so that it doesn't stick to a table or counter. Keep paper towels and a damp cloth handy, because when you do get drips where they don't belong, it needs to be wiped up immediately.

Residue can be removed by dampening a cloth with acetate nail polish remover, and dabbing at the leftovers, which will then dissolve. Be careful though, because this could scar surfaces like a wood table or countertop.

If the glue is on your clothing, try soaking the area in warm, soapy water, then taking the back of a butter knife and scraping it off. If the fabric is not sensitive to it, you can also try dissolving the remains with nail polish remover.

Of course, the best idea if you use Super Glue on a regular basis, is to also have a container of de-bonding solution on hand.