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You are visiting: Home » Decorating/DIY » Create Your Decor » How to Clean a Glue Gun

How to Clean a Glue Gun

by Lindsay Ballard on January 25, 2014 29 Comments

How to Clean a Glue Gun via MakelyHome.com

My glue gun is one of my most used DIY tools.  I use so often that it pretty much just lives on my kitchen counter.  And no, I’m not proud of that fact.

With all of the various projects I use it on, it ends up getting gunky.  Between the glue itself and the rest of the supplies I use, like glitter or feathers, a lot of stuff gets stuck to the tip of the glue gun.

How to Clean a Glue Gun via MakelyHome.com

Okay, so there’s dog hair stuck in there, too.  When you have a long haired white dog, there’s dog hair stuck in everything.  And when you have gunky glue, glitter and dog hair, you have to figure out how to clean a glue gun.

To keep my glue gun clean so that the gunk doesn’t get onto each new project, I occasionally use this high-tech, new fangled contraption – a ball of aluminum foil.

How to Clean a Glue Gun via MakelyHome.com

No really.  I do.

I plug in the glue gun to heat it up.  Then, I very carefully push the ball of aluminum foil onto the nozzle and twist it around to wipe it clean.  Be careful not to actually touch the tip with your fingers, and use a lot of foil so that it protects your fingers from the heat of the gun.  The extra gunk on the glue gun wipes right off onto the foil, and the foil doesn’t stick to the nozzle.

While the glue gun is still warm, I also use the foil ball to wipe off anything that got on the body of the gun.  It pretty much wipes right off, too.

How to Clean a Glue Gun via MakelyHome.com

It’s not necessary to clean the glue gun after every project, but cleaning it occasionally will help to keep it in good working condition.  It also keeps it from depositing old glitter where glitter shouldn’t be.

How to Clean a Glue Gun via MakelyHome.com

Does your glue gun get gunky?  Do you ever clean it?

About Lindsay Ballard

Lindsay Ballard is a former college mascot turned political geek turned roller derby playing, DIY fanatic.

Lindsay chronicles her projects, design ideas, and lifestyle tips here at Makely, where she shares tutorials and inspiration. Her DIY designs are bold and graphic, while her spirit is fun and full of color.

Lindsay lives outside of Austin, Texas with her husband (Tom), children (Zack and Emma), and dogs (Duke and Jill). She plays roller derby for the Rockin' City Rollergirls out of Round Rock, Texas.

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Comments

  1. Summer says

    January 25, 2014 at 8:21 am

    Awesome post! I have always wanted to know how to do this and I have NEVER cleaned mine 🙂 I guess you know what I’ll be doing today 🙂

    Thanks!

    Reply
  2. Paula@SweetPea says

    January 25, 2014 at 9:21 am

    Thanks for this awesome tip! I always wondered how to do this.

    Reply
  3. Keitha says

    January 25, 2014 at 1:03 pm

    Thanks for posting this fabulous tip!!! I usually use a paint scraper on it after it is mostly cool. This looks like a much easier option.

    Reply
  4. Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says

    January 26, 2014 at 10:22 pm

    That is an awesome tip! I definitely need to do this to both of my glue guns!

    Reply
  5. Laurie says

    January 27, 2014 at 12:45 pm

    Good tip! I’m overdue cleaning up my glue gun. Yours looks about the same size as mine which means it would probably fit just perfectly in one of those cookie tins (like the kind you get full of ginger cookies at Ikean). That has turned out to be the perfect place to tuck it since you can put it in while it is still kinda warm. I just throw the glue sticks in there too.

    Reply
  6. Heather says

    January 27, 2014 at 3:45 pm

    Thank you for the great tip! I found you on Pinterest. My glue gun is older (a gift from someone who used it a lot)…when I got it, it was already covered with glue. I can’t wait to try this to clean it! I never would have thought to use foil.

    Reply
  7. Omela says

    January 28, 2014 at 2:47 am

    Thanks Lindsay! This is so helpful and you have definitely saved my glue gun from being replaced and saved me money too.

    xoxo
    Omela

    Reply
  8. Kari the Sweetest Memory says

    January 28, 2014 at 12:48 pm

    I never knew a glue gun could be cleaned, and mine looks way worse. I will definitely be trying this, and pinning it for the future! Thank you for the awesome tip!

    Kari

    Reply
  9. Flippymom says

    January 28, 2014 at 9:36 pm

    Thanks so much! I have always needed to clean my glue gun. it has so much funky stuff built up on it over the years it really needs this! I will be doing this next time I use the gun!

    THANKS!

    Reply
  10. Nikki @ Tikkido says

    February 18, 2014 at 8:05 pm

    While I have many times lamented teh deplorable state of my glue gun, I never once thought about attempting to clean all the nastiness off! I’m definitely going to give it a try, but mine has some *serious* funk built up over the years. It may be past redemption.

    Reply
    • Donald E. Kreitzer Sr. says

      July 8, 2015 at 1:34 pm

      Sounds like you and I have something in common. Mine is in the same condition. Was wondering if there nozzle is black, as mine and was wondering if the foil takes that off as well?

      Reply
  11. Gloria Moore says

    April 17, 2014 at 12:02 am

    For any residue you can also use iron cleaner on a hot glue gun with the foil and take it an extra step cleaner.

    Reply
  12. The Happy Creations says

    May 30, 2014 at 10:22 am

    Great tip:)
    I had no idea how to clean my glue gun!!
    Thanks so much for sharing.

    Reply
  13. Mimi says

    June 20, 2016 at 11:13 am

    Wipe glue gun with a dryer sheet while still warm not hot and the stuck in glue will come right off the surface.

    Reply
  14. Alice Mejia says

    February 19, 2018 at 10:04 am

    Wow it really does work. I cleaned 3 glue today. I am ready for new projects. Thanks!

    Reply
  15. OfficeShoppie says

    June 14, 2019 at 1:32 am

    Thanks for sharing with us! Great post very useful info, writing skills are awesome. Good Luck and thanks for share.
    OfficeShoppie – Office stationery supplies in Bangalore.
    office stationery and glue stick order online in officeshoppie.com

    Reply

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About Makely

Lindsay Ballard is a former college mascot turned political geek turned roller derby playing, DIY fanatic.

Lindsay chronicles her projects, design ideas, and lifestyle tips here at Makely, where she shares tutorials and inspiration. Her DIY designs are bold and graphic, while her spirit is fun and full of color.

Lindsay lives outside of Austin, Texas with her husband (Tom), children (Zack and Emma), and dogs (Duke and Jill). She plays roller derby for the Rockin' City Rollergirls out of Round Rock, Texas.


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