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If you’ve just found some PVA glue on your wooden furniture or on your polished wood floor, you’re probably panicking right now about what you can do to resolve the problem. PVA glue can be more tricky to remove than you might imagine, and although there is quite a lot of advice out there about how to get rid of it, if you follow the advice you can find that you might end up doing more harm than good.
The term “PVA” means Polyvinyl Acetates. This form of glue comes in 2 different types – yellow and white. Most people will be very familiar with the white form of the glue which is sometimes called craft glue and is used in schools everywhere. The yellow type is sometimes known as carpenters’ glue.
It is popular with handymen and woodworkers to bond wood pieces together. While wood glue is a vital part of many woodworking and carpentry projects, if you apply too much, it can get everywhere very quickly. If you don’t manage to get it all cleaned up before it dries, it can easily spoil the finish of your finished item.
When PVA glue becomes stuck to wood joints, it may seem that water can remove it, but since PVA becomes waterproof when it dries, the water could end up damaging and warping the wood. If you have some dried PVA glue, how do you begin to rescue your wood? Here, we offer you some useful advice about how to remove PVA glue from wood in the most effective ways possible.
The Hot Water Method
One of the most effective methods of removing PVA glue from wood if it hasn’t yet dried is to use boiling water. While this isn’t an easy method since it requires plenty of effort on your behalf, it definitely works.
What you need:
- A bucket filled with boiling water
- A pair of thick rubber gloves
- A pan scourer (metal)
- A cloth
How to remove PVA Glue from Wood with Hot Water?
Put on the rubber gloves and then dip the cloth into the boiling water. Dab the cloth onto the area of PVA glue that you wish to remove. Make certain that the water in the bucket is actually boiling or otherwise it won’t work. If you are cleaning floorboards, you need to be very careful when using this method since if you accidentally saturate the boards you can end up with water leaking through or the boards expanding and becoming damaged.
Once the PVA glue area has been dampened, dip the metal pan scourer into the boiling water and use it to scrub in a crossways direction over the patch of glue. Go against the wood grain since this will remove the glue more rapidly. Scrub repeatedly until you see the glue moving. You will need to be as quick as you can as when the water cools down it won’t be able to shift the glue.
In practice, you will usually be able to clean an area roughly 4 feet square before needing to refill the bucket with boiling water. Before refilling the bucket, soak up any excess water and mulched glue from the place you have been working with a dry cloth. Repeat until all the glue is fully removed. You will need to put in plenty of effort when using this method but it will work.
The White Spirit Method
If you’re looking for a different, cost-effective way to remove PVA glue from wood, you could always try using white spirit.
Here are the steps that you need to take.
Step 1
Apply white spirit using a clean cloth in a thin layer onto the surface that you wish to clean.
Step 2
Leave for a few minutes so the white spirit can act on the glue.
Step 3
Using another cloth, soak it in some soapy warm water (using standard dish soap will be adequate). Squeeze any excess water from the cloth and then wipe the glue off the wooden surface using the cloth.
Step 4
Repeat until you see results.
Step 5
Dip a clean cloth into the white spirit then rub the cloth onto the PVA glue to remove it.
Remove PVA Glue from Wood With a Hairdryer
If you’re facing some hard and dried-on PVA glue spoiling the appearance of your wood, you could try the hairdryer method. You will require:
- A hairdryer
- A paint scraper
Method
- Simply plug your hairdryer into a socket close to the wood with the dried glue.
- Switch on the hairdryer, making sure that it’s set to low.
- Direct the hot air directly on the dry glue for 5 minutes.
- Touch the glue gently with your fingers. If it hasn’t softened, repeat for 5 minutes more to make sure that it is soft enough to remove.
- When the glue is soft, use your paint scraper to scrape away the soft glue.
- Take care that you don’t scratch the wood.
- Rub away any specks of PVA glue that remain using your fingers.
The Sanding Approach
If you need to remove PVA glue from a wooden surface, it is possible to remove it by sanding the surface down carefully. While this can be done without damaging the finish of your floor or wooden item, you will need to use the correct technique to ensure that you don’t make a costly mistake.
Always try out the technique you plan to use on a discreet and hidden area first to ensure that you don’t cause any visible damage. This is only an option if the wood that you need to remove the glue from has not been treated. If the wood is treated, you will need to try a different method.
The Petroleum Jelly Method
If you have a treated wood surface that has dried on PVA glue, you may be able to use petroleum jelly to remove the glue. Petroleum jelly is safe for use on most kinds of treated wood. Simply apply it onto the patch of glue and leave it overnight.
It will loosen the bonds with the wood and by the time you return to it the next day, you should be able to clean it off with a cloth relatively easily. You will then need to polish or oil the wood