To Combat Dried Super Glue, Reach Into The Pantry For This Sandwich Staple

Super glue is a wondrous adhesive that gives broken items a new lease on life. Your mischievous dog broke the flower vase right before guests were due to arrive? Put the pieces back together with super glue in a jiffy. However, greater adhesive power usually comes with greater chances of a messy substrate. For instance, if you put the vase on a plastic table while gluing the pieces, there's a high probability you'll end up with an unsightly glob on the furniture. Under such circumstances, don't panic. Instead, grab your jar of peanut butter out of the pantry to remove super glue from the table.

A sandwich staple for over a century, peanut butter will help you combat dried super glue and rescue your furniture, countertops, and laminate floors time and again. There's plenty of anecdotal evidence that this unconventional hack works because the oils in the butter loosen the adhesive's hold on the surface and make it easier for you to wipe away the residue. But don't worry if you aren't a big fan of the regular kind and prefer its crunchy cousin, as chunky peanut butter's abrasive nature will make glue removal even easier.

Begin by gathering your supplies: peanut butter and a clean microfiber cloth. You might even want to don a pair of gloves if you don't want to get your hands dirty. Once you're ready, scoop some peanut butter out of the jar and use your finger to apply it on the dried glue stain. Now, wash your hands and sit back while the butter loosens the adhesive's bond with the surface. Ideally, you should leave the butter undisturbed for an hour to ensure there's no unwanted glue residue left behind.

After the time is up, use the microfiber cloth to wipe away the butter. Move the cloth in neat strokes to avoid spreading the butter around the surface, or you risk creating a bigger mess than you signed up for. Once it's all wiped away, the glue should be gone, too! However, if you don't have peanut butter handy, substitute it for canola or vegetable oil. Mayonnaise may work as well. Besides freeing your furniture and counters, peanut butter will also help remove hardened super glue from your hands, hair, and lips. Moreover, the Missouri Poison Center advocates using this sandwich staple in case you end up with super glue stuck in your mouth, as it can help soften the glue so it can be rinsed out with water.