23 Surprising Ways To Remove Super Glue From Your Fingers

Published on Feb. 28, 2025

Removing super glue is a hassle but if you act quickly you can reduce how long you're stuck to yourself or the item you're gluing. Check out these methods you haven't tried before.

Now Trending

1 / 22

Coconut Oil And Baking Soda
FAMILY HANDYMAN, GETTY IMAGES

Coconut Oil and Baking Soda

According to Melissa Maker, the author of Clean My Space: The Secret to Cleaning Better, Faster, and Loving Your Home Every Day, a coconut oil and baking soda paste can help remove super glue. Mix equal parts of coconut oil and baking soda and apply to skin. Let it soak for 10-15 minutes and after that begin to gently rub your hands. It’s one way to know how to get glue off skin painlessly.

2 / 22

Salt Water
JAYK7/GETTY IMAGES

Salt and Water

Here’s another way you can get super glue off your fingers. Dip your super glued fingers in some water and then a pile of salt. Add some more water and rub the salt into the glue to get it off your hands.

3 / 22

Mineral Spirits
FAMILY HANDYMAN

Mineral Spirits

As a solvent, mineral spirits will work to undo the lack of handy work you did by gluing yourself. Soak the glued area with mineral spirits and then try loosening the glued parts.

4 / 22

Butter
KINGA KRZEMINSKA/GETTY IMAGES

Margarine or Butter

The Super Glue Corp. lists butter as a home remedy on its blog, so it must work, right? If butter is applied to the bonded area, as it softens, fingers will begin to peel apart. For the health-conscious, a butter substitute like margarine remains an equally viable option, though cooking times may vary.

5 / 22

Pouring Olive Oil
LAURA REID/GETTY IMAGES

Olive Oil

Olive oil is even great for releasing your super-glued fingers. It might take a little longer to free your bonded appendages, but if there’s nothing else around, it’ll work just as well as another solution to getting crazy glue off your fingers. (Vegetable oil works, too!)

6 / 22

Close up of female hands pouring liquid laundry detergent into cap. Washer machine and clothes with wicker basket in background
VLADDEEP/GETTY IMAGES

Laundry Detergent

Laundry detergent placed directly on a super glue stain will remove that stain efficiently. So, if you have to figure out how to get super glue out of clothes, just grab the laundry detergent.

7 / 22

Vaseline, derived from petroleum, is used to cover wounds, keep the skin hydrated and prevent chafing.
CORBALANSTUDIO/GETTY IMAGES

Petroleum Jelly

Super Glue Corp. also lists petroleum jelly as a home remedy for breaking superglue bonds. Just massage the petroleum jelly into the skin until it is loose. It can be an effective solution for getting crazy glue off your fingers.

Neosporin is another similar option. It contains a petroleum jelly base similar enough to work on de-bonding glued parts.

8 / 22

Lemon juice
PENPAK NGAMSATHAIN/GETTY IMAGES

Lemon Juice

Lemon juice can work on affected skin and materials to loosen the hold of super glue. Work it onto the skin with a cotton swab or with a scrap toothbrush onto the material.

9 / 22

Sandpaper
FAMILY HANDYMAN

Sandpaper

Grab a piece of sandpaper to remove excess super glue from a material for one solution on how to get super glue off wood. Just watch out for the grit and how much glue you really need to remove. You don’t want to strip the paint off of something at the same time.

10 / 22

Goo Gone
FAMILY HANDYMAN

Goo Gone

Goo Gone is a catch-all adhesive removal liquid and is one way to remove super glue from skin. It can help loosen superglue and make it easier to remove.

11 / 22

Woman filing her nails
CONNECT IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES

Nail File

A nail file or emery board can help rid people of super glue stickiness by scraping the dried glue off the affected parts. Keep a nail file in your home so you know what takes super glue off your skin.

12 / 22

Wd 40
FAMILY HANDYMAN, GETTY IMAGES

WD-40

Next time you’re working on a project and accidentally get some super glue stuck to your fingers, just spray the area with WD-40. The sticky glue will come off when you rub your hands together.

13 / 22

Woman applying lotion
XIUXIA HUANG/GETTY IMAGES

Lotion

A little old lotion can help work your fingers free from super glue. Here’s how to remove super glue from your hands: rub in the lotion and gently circle your fingers to get them loose.

14 / 22

A young person is using rubbing alcohol
KARL TAPALES/GETTY IMAGES

Rubbing Alcohol

Soak a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and apply it to the skin. Rub the swab on the skin to loosen the bond of the glue. The rubbing alcohol works as a glue solvent.

15 / 22

Melamine sponge on a dark red background.
VIKTOR KOLMAKOV/GETTY IMAGES

Magic Eraser

Mr. Clean Magic Erasers contain melamine, which can have abrasive properties when combined with other compounds. Just be careful when using Magic Eraser because of its abrasive quality.

16 / 22

Woman is holding a nail polish remover
OLHAKOZACHENKO/GETTY IMAGES

Nail Polish Remover

Make sure the nail polish remover you use contains acetone. Acetone is the ingredient that will break down the adhesive agents of superglue.

17 / 22

Hydrogen peroxide solution
JOHN KEVIN/GETTY IMAGES

Hydrogen Peroxide

Pour some hydrogen peroxide on your hands and begin rubbing. The sticky stuff will soon fade away.

18 / 22

Apple Cider Vinegar
JAYK7/GETTY IMAGES

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is a great tool for pest control, it’s also pretty effective at getting rid of super glue. Regular vinegar is an opinion, too.

19 / 22

Baking Soda and Vinegar
JAYK7/GETTY IMAGES

Baking Soda and Vinegar

Baking soda and vinegar will help remove super glue from clothing.

20 / 22

Toothpaste close-up on blue background
PETR VDOVKIN/GETTY IMAGES

Toothpaste

Toothpaste will work when super glue gets on glasses, just make sure not to use toothpaste that has micro-scrubbers because they can scratch the lenses.

21 / 22

Woman holding a lip balm
IRINA MARWAN/GETTY IMAGES

Lip Balm

Because lip balms contain some petroleum jelly, they can be a handy tool to remove superglue when you’re in a bind.

22 / 22

Man cleaning windows
FLAVIA MORLACHETTI/GETTY IMAGES

Window Cleaner

Some people on the internet have reported that window cleaners can help remove superglue from surfaces like desks.