I don't like sequins THAT much!
August 5, 2011 12:58 AM Subscribe
How do I get a hot-glued ornament off of this otherwise fantastic dress?
So here's the thing. I bought this dress in a moment of....weakness. I LOVE it except for this horrendous...applique....thing....involving sequins and beads that was parked right at the bottom of the (low) neckline. I figured I could just cut it off, but then I realized it wasn't sewn on...it was GLUED! Yikes! I cannot cut it off, because I'll have then destroyed the whole thing. I'm thinking about trying to melt it off...but how? (We're talking a polyester/spandex blend here).
It's on there pretty good, and I really love this dress but for the weirdo applique. Ideally I would like to save the applique and make a fridge magnet out of it, but if your solution involves destroying it I'm good with that too! Thanks!
So here's the thing. I bought this dress in a moment of....weakness. I LOVE it except for this horrendous...applique....thing....involving sequins and beads that was parked right at the bottom of the (low) neckline. I figured I could just cut it off, but then I realized it wasn't sewn on...it was GLUED! Yikes! I cannot cut it off, because I'll have then destroyed the whole thing. I'm thinking about trying to melt it off...but how? (We're talking a polyester/spandex blend here).
It's on there pretty good, and I really love this dress but for the weirdo applique. Ideally I would like to save the applique and make a fridge magnet out of it, but if your solution involves destroying it I'm good with that too! Thanks!
Note also that it might not actually be hot melt glue but possibly something like gem-tac or e6000 which are sometimes used as adhesives for clothing/rhinestones. If trying either the freezing or solvents doesn't work, I've read that drycleaning can sometimes dissolve those types of glue but you might want to talk to the staff about it first. Is there a LOT of glue or barely any?
posted by tangaroo at 4:19 AM on August 5, 2011
posted by tangaroo at 4:19 AM on August 5, 2011
Try surgical spirit/rubbing alcohol. I used this to get the glue off the bottom of eyeshadow pans, and it shouldn't affect your dress if it is colourfast (which polyester almost always is). If nothing else it might weaken the bond so you can get more luck with another method.
If you have straighteners, you could try heating the glue with these but test it on a similar fabric first - iirc polyester likes melting.
posted by mippy at 5:03 AM on August 5, 2011
If you have straighteners, you could try heating the glue with these but test it on a similar fabric first - iirc polyester likes melting.
posted by mippy at 5:03 AM on August 5, 2011
Maybe take it to a seamstress to see if they can cut it off and still manage to salvage the neckline with clever sewing?
posted by like_neon at 5:10 AM on August 5, 2011
posted by like_neon at 5:10 AM on August 5, 2011
I worked at a drycleaners where stuff that was hotglued would just fall off due to the extreme heat. So I suggest you just get them to do it for you on purpose. They have a hot spray hose that can get out and left over glue and clean it while they are at it.
posted by udon at 5:22 AM on August 5, 2011
posted by udon at 5:22 AM on August 5, 2011
I would try gentling pouring some boiling water through the fabric from the inside with the ornamentation facing down - at the same time working the stuff loose with a stiff brush (old toothbrush perhaps). Dishwashing gloves should help keep from getting burned.
posted by exogenous at 7:32 AM on August 5, 2011
posted by exogenous at 7:32 AM on August 5, 2011
Response by poster: Thank you all very much!
2N2222: I have a brooch that might work to cover any minor collateral damage if need be.
tangaroo: It looks like a lot to me. I'm not really a "Glue Stuff to Clothing" kind of person but it's what I would call...a glob.
posted by deep thought sunstar at 10:10 AM on August 5, 2011
2N2222: I have a brooch that might work to cover any minor collateral damage if need be.
tangaroo: It looks like a lot to me. I'm not really a "Glue Stuff to Clothing" kind of person but it's what I would call...a glob.
posted by deep thought sunstar at 10:10 AM on August 5, 2011
If you're a crafty person who owns a glue gun, you could plug it in and pull the glue stick out of the gun - then you'd simply have a pointed probe object at the perfet glue-meltig temperature. Peel up the edge of the applique to expose the glue. Press the tip of the glue gun into the layer of glue. If it doesn't melt, it's probably not hot glue. Assuming it does melt, just keep peeling the applique patch back farther and farther, work your way around the perimeter if it's too stiff to get all the way underneath. You'll have a patch of glue remaining on the dress when you're done, and though you can try using the glue gun (or a standard iron) to remove the residue, chances are good you'll need to cover it up somehow.
posted by aimedwander at 11:33 AM on August 5, 2011
posted by aimedwander at 11:33 AM on August 5, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
If the glue is thick enough, you can try sliding in a heated butter knife. Heat it against an iron rather than open flame, which might be difficult to keep from getting too hot.
Once removed, the trick might be getting the glue out of the fabric. This is a much tougher task. Perhaps covering the spot with a less offensive applique?
posted by 2N2222 at 2:07 AM on August 5, 2011