Wardrobe malfunctions can push you to take the most desperate of measures. And if it ever happens to you, your first thought will be super glue.
No surprise there. Super glue has for ages saved countless situations with its incredibly fast and durable bonding ability – not to mention how ubiquitous and affordable it is.
If you want to use it as an alternative to stitches, to add embellishments, or for crafting with fabric, then you probably have questions. Should you use super glue on fabric? Will it work?
Can you use super glue on fabric? Yes, you can use super glue on fabric. However, this type of glue is not designed for textiles and hence cannot provide a reliable hold.
Keep reading to find out what type of glue super glue is, if it is suitable for fabric or not, and how to use it on fabric, among loads of other information.
What Is Super Glue And How Does It Work?
Super glue needs no introduction. It’s in nearly every home’s cabinet, office drawer, someone’s travel bag, or tool kit, waiting to save the day.
But what is super glue? Super glue is a type of glue that belongs to the cyanoacrylate class of glues. It is colorless and comes in a characteristic tiny bottle with a precision tip.
Glues in this category are manufactured using acrylic resin, a compound that forms a rigid bond in the shortest time. In the same way, super glue forms a solid plastic that bonds two surfaces.
However, moisture is the crucial ingredient in activating this curing process of cyanoacrylate glues. Without moisture, bonding cannot take place.
It is for this reason that super glue struggles to bond smooth plastic surfaces. The adhesion fails because plastic is dry and lacks moisture molecules.
Cyanoacrylate glues rely on the moisture present on surfaces to trigger a reaction. The reaction leads to the formation of a rigid chain of bonds that form a plastic grid that joins two surfaces together.
Super glue works with fabric in this same way. The fibers contain some amount of moisture that activates the bonding process. We cannot see the moisture, but it is there, same as with our skin.
Does Super Glue Work On Fabric?
Yes, super glue works on fabric. But how well it works will depend on what you want to do with it.
If you are bonding fabric to a flat piece of cardboard or rubber that you intend to keep immobile, then you can expect it to work wonderfully. Super glue works best on rigid surfaces with no movement or tension.
However, the outcome is different if you want to glue fabric to fabric, like securing seams. Maybe, you want to add embellishments like sequins to clothes.
You must adjust your expectations accordingly. The results are far less than desirable, and here’s why it is not recommended.
1. Can Burn Fabric
Super glue undergoes a rapid polymerization process when applied to fabric. This reaction is exothermic and produces a lot of heat.
Sometimes the heat produced is overwhelming when you’ve been too generous with your application. The result is combustion and potentially burning of the fibers.
2. Stiffens Fabric
Unlike fabric glue or silicone-based glues that maintain some elasticity even when cured, super glue doesn’t. Super glue becomes a brittle film.
Consequently, it affects the fabric’s feel as it becomes embedded in its fibers that adopt the crusty feel. You end up losing the fabric’s flexibility and, ultimately, wearability because it becomes stiff and uncomfortable to the skin.
3. Brittle Bond That Cracks With Movement
Also, a super glue bond is bound to fail where the surface is pliable and uneven. It only shines when used on hard, even, nonporous surfaces.
The qualities of fabric are the opposite of these ideals. It is flexible, irregular, and permeable.
Once you start moving the fabric around, the bond tends to weaken and crack. The super glue bond can separate easily from a little tensile strength like a tag or shift of the fabric.
4. Washes Out In Water
Super glue bonds are not water resistant and will wash out the instance your fabric touches water. And since we have to launder fabric regularly, a super glue bond on fabric cannot survive more than one wash.
5. Leaves Hard To Remove Stains On Fabric
As if it’s not enough that a super glue bond on fabric doesn’t last, it leaves you with patchy stains. And we are sorry to say these will not wash out like everyday stains.
They are challenging and, most of the time, impossible to remove if soaked deep into the weave. You could potentially tear your fabric, trying to force the stain out.
You’ll probably have to live with the patches, attempt to remove them, and risk tearing your fabric or visit a professional dry cleaner.
How To Use Super Glue On Fabric
Suppose you only have super glue at hand in a situation that requires you to join fabric quickly. What would you do? Of course, use the super glue to adhere the fabric.
Some glue is better than no glue. Though the bond is not all that great, it’s better than nothing. The following tips should help your super glue bond better with fabric:
- Moisture is your friend, as it is a catalyst for the bonding of cyanoacrylate glues. Therefore, dampening the fabric slightly before applying the super glue to bond the surfaces improves the quality of the bond. This, in turn, elevates its staying power.
- Glue areas that are less vulnerable to failure. A super glued seam, for example, is more likely to detach quickly than a patch or badge at the back or breast area of a shirt. A super glue bond thrives where there is no tension and movement. Therefore, if gluing clothing fabric, avoid the knee, hip, bum, and armpit areas. These areas experience the most tension, stretching, and flexing.
- Apply the super glue in thin layers, as a little goes a long way. Most people have this misconception that the more adhesive you use, the better the bonding, but that couldn’t be further from true. With super glue, less is more. Increasing the amount of glue decreases its strength.
- You also have to consider the fabric you are gluing. Each fabric reacts differently with super glue.
- Cotton and wool should be at the bottom of your list. They are risky fabrics to glue using super glue. These two natural fibers, despite bonding well with glue, amplify the heat being produced by the reaction of the super glue. They have the highest risk of combusting and bursting into flames.
- Polyester doesn’t bond well with super glue, while nylon doesn’t bond at all. This certainly has something to do with them being plastic-based fibers.
- Leather, on the other hand, works really well with super glue.
- As for silk, we couldn’t imagine anyone gluing such luxury fabric, as it can destroy the delicate fibers.
- Opt for a gel super glue over the runny type of super glue. Conventional runny glue can frustrate you during application on fabric. A gel consistency is slightly dense and great for fabric because it will not sink into the fibers in split seconds. You have a good chance of spreading it and positioning the two fabric pieces before it sinks under or goes all over your fingers.
How To Remove Super Glue From Fabric
If you go ahead with the idea of using super glue on fabric, you will inevitably end up with a stain. Perhaps you even got a drop or two accidentally on your clothes.
How do you get rid of the super glue? This is undoubtedly a Herculean task once the super glue has set, but you can give removal a shot at home before going to the dry cleaners.
- Begin by scraping the top off using a spoon or metal scrapper. This action should flake and lift pieces of the super glue layer.
- The next step is to soften what’s sunken into the weave. You can use either of these two products: acetone or baby oil. Soak a cotton ball in one of these.
- Let it sit on top of the stain for a while, then try to dab the remaining glue away. Wash as usual with soapy water. If all attempts to remove it fail, dry cleaning may help.
So should you use super glue on fabric?
No, not if you can help it. Unless your fabric is purely decorative and remains on display, immobile, never to be washed, we do not recommend super glue.
Super glue is not a practical glue for fabric, especially clothing or upholstery. Fabric is made to be worn, and we walk, run, sit and sleep in fabric before eventually washing it.
A super glue bond simply has no chance of surviving in such rigorous events and is not an option for everyday wear. However, if you are putting together a one-time costume, or temporary fabric decorations, super glue might work for that purpose.
Instead of super glue, you can use fabric glue for your fabric bonding needs. It is invisible, has a strong hold, is flexible after curing, and doesn’t interfere with the texture or drape of the fabric.
There are temporary (washable) and permanent options, so check on that. Happy fabric gluing!
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