How To Remove Tape Residue From Clothing

By  Kathryn Hatter

Things Needed

  • Bath towel

  • Metal teaspoon

  • Hand sanitizer liquid

  • Goo Gone All Purpose Cleaner

  • Clean cloth

...

Tape can leave behind unsightly adhesive residue on fabric. Before giving up on a clothing item that has been marred by this sticky mess, remove the gunk by trying different cleaning methods. Ensure the clothing item is machine washable before attempting any cleaning methods so you will not damage the item in the removal process.

Hand Sanitizer

Step 1

Spread a towel onto a flat work surface and lay the clothing item out onto the towel with the tape residue area facing up so you can work on it.

Step 2

Use the edge of the teaspoon to scrape at the tape residue. As you scrape, do not press so hard that you damage the fibers of the clothing. Lightly scrape the spoon over the stained area to remove as much sticky residue as possible.

Step 3

Apply a dime-size dollop of hand sanitizer to the stained area and work the hand sanitizer into the tape residue with your fingers. As you work the sanitizer into the fabric, you should see the residue loosening from the fabric.

Step 4

Remove the pieces of tape residue as they come loose while you work the hand sanitizer into the fabric.

Step 5

Wash the clothing item in the washing machine using the recommended heat setting for the item. Assess the stained area after the wash cycle finishes. If the stain is gone, dry the clothing item in the dryer. Do not dry the clothing if tape residue remains.

Goo Gone All Purpose Cleaner

Step 1

Lay out the clothing item on a towel again to enable you to treat it.

Step 2

Spray the Goo Gone onto the clean cloth to saturate the cloth.

Step 3

Rub the saturated cloth over the tape residue area to apply the Goo Gone to the clothing. Rub the Goo Gone in carefully to loosen the tape residue. You should begin to see the residue loosen from the clothing fibers.

Step 4

Wash the clothing in a regular wash cycle in the washing machine to finish removing any residue as well as the Goo Gone cleaner.

Tip

The alcohol content in the hand sanitizer is what makes this effective for dissolving tape residue. If the item of clothing is not machine washable, scrape the edge of a spoon over tape residue to remove as much of it as possible. If tape residue remains, apply dry-cleaning solvent to a clean cloth and dab the cloth at the tape residue on the clothing. Continue working at the tape residue area with the dry-cleaning solvent to loosen the adhesive and remove it from the clothing. Dab at the area with a dry cloth to absorb any excess dry-cleaning solvent from the clothing to finish the process.

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