An innocent drop of superglue or mess made with white glue can leave behind an unwanted blemish on your cotton, suede or leather jacket. Using improper tools and techniques can make the issue worse than the glue stain, leading to a potentially costly professional repair. Save your coat from possible ruin by removing the glue without the need for expensive solvents or professional intervention.

Remove the excess glue from the fabric by scraping it off with a butter knife. Dampen a soft cloth with commercial stain pretreater.

Dab at the glue stain with the pretreater to begin loosening the dried glue on the fabric. Dampen another soft cloth with plain water, and blot the stain to remove the pretreater.

Examine the stained area. If glue remains, work a small amount of gel hand sanitizer into the affected area with your fingers. The gel sanitizer dries clear, but might leave behind a slight residue. If this occurs, wipe away the residue with a damp cloth.

Launder the cotton coat according to the label’s directions. For leather jackets, work a small amount of leather conditioner into the affected area to restore its sheen.

Dampen a small toothbrush with nail polish remover that contains acetone. Work the acetone into the glue stain.

Re-wet the small toothbrush and continue to work the acetone gently into the glue until it’s completely eliminated.

Launder the cotton coat according to the label’s directions. For leather, work a small amount of leather conditioner into the affected area to restore its sheen.

Remove the excess glue from the suede by scraping it off with a butter knife or a spoon. Continue to gently scrape at the adhesive until it’s mostly removed.

Work a pink pencil eraser into the stained area. The eraser lifts away the glue residue from the suede without causing damage.

Examine the stained area. If glue remains, gently rub the area with an emery board. Use caution when working the emery board over the suede, because it will begin to lift the fabric away with the glue.

Restore the suede’s nap by rubbing it back and forth with a suede brush.