First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Scrape off any excess glitter first.
- Rinse from the back of the fabric in hot water.
- Test any cleaner on a hidden spot first.
Glitter on a garment or carpet needs the loose flakes off first, before any water goes near the spot. Washable glitter glue that survives a first wash responds well to repeated laundering, and a fresh spot is far easier than one that has dried. If the glitter is old and set in, some of it may never come out.
When you clean up glitter, lift every loose flake before any water touches it. Wet flakes spread and sink deeper into the fibers, so keep things as dry as you can at first. Work in small areas rather than tackling a whole room in one pass.
4 items
What you'll need
Tap an item to get it on Amazon, or tick what you already have.
- Liquid laundry detergentThe detergent for the hot wash. (opens Amazon)
- Washing machine with a heavy soil cycleThe cycle used for the main wash and every repeat.
- Spoon or dull knifeLifts loose glitter off without spreading it.
- Oxygen-bleach productOnly for the set-in soak, if the glue survives the wash.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
5 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 5
Scrape off the excess glitter
Lift off as much loose glitter as you can with the edge of a spoon or a dull knife, holding the fabric over a bin or the sink so the flakes don't land back on it. Keep the motion light, since pressing down pushes the flakes into the weave. Once the surface is clear, the water can reach the glue itself.
Step 2 of 5
Rinse the stain in hot water
Hold the stain under hot running water, working from the back of the fabric so the glue is pushed out rather than deeper in. Keep rinsing until no more color comes out. The color is what tells you the glue is loosening, so don't stop early.
Careful. Check the care label first; if it doesn't allow hot water, rinse in the warmest water it allows and test a hidden seam before going further.
Step 3 of 512 minutes
Wash on the heavy soil cycle
Put the garment in the washer with liquid laundry detergent and run the heavy soil cycle in hot water. The cycle takes about 12 minutes, and it does the main work on the glue.
Tip. Put a little detergent directly on the spot before the cycle starts.
Step 4 of 5
Air-dry and check the spot
Hang the garment to air-dry, and check the spot in good light once it is dry. Any color or glitter left behind means the wash isn't finished yet.
Careful. Don't put washable glitter glue in the dryer, and don't heat-dry between washings.
Step 5 of 5
Repeat the wash if needed
Run the same hot wash again if any color or glitter remains, and air-dry between runs. Keep going one wash at a time until the fabric looks clean, and move to the set-in soak only if the spot still shows.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for glitter
Use a liquid laundry detergent for the wash, and an oxygen-bleach product for the soak. Check the bleach label for colorfast fabrics before you start.
Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on these surfaces, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →Pick what it is on
Glitter on every material
No match. Try the main search for anything else.
How to tell it's working
The treatment is working when glitter stops coming off in the rinse and the color stops running into the water. Check the spot in daylight after it dries, because glitter catches the light and hides in the weave. A flake left behind means another wash, not the dryer.
What changes for yours
Adjust for where the stain is
Baby clothes
Baby clothes follow the same steps, with the care label checked before any hot water touches them. The one change is an extra rinse after the wash, so no detergent stays against the skin.
Skip the stronger soak on baby clothes unless the label allows it and the glue survives the wash. If the spot still shows after repeated washes, stop there rather than reaching for harder products.
Loose glitter on clothes
For loose glitter, the only change is clearing as much as you can by hand before the first rinse. Shake the garment outside, away from other laundry, and work over a bin.
After that, follow the same rinse and wash as the main steps. The wash is the part that counts, so judge the result after it dries, not before.
Carpet and rugs
Carpet needs a different approach, so the clothes wash doesn't apply to it. The approved method for carpet uses upholstery or rug shampoo, applied per its directions.
Test a hidden spot first, as with any cleaner. The full carpet method, including loose and dried glue, is in the Carpet & Rugs guide.
Car seats and upholstery
Cloth car seats and upholstery have their own sequence in the Car Seats guide, and it isn't the same as the laundry steps. Leather is a separate case, and its care is covered there too.
Scraping off the loose flakes is the same first move everywhere, so start there. Test a hidden spot before any product goes on, and keep to the guide from there.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Glitter glue that survives the first wash is the case for the soak. Use an oxygen-bleach product, following the container for one hour, then air-dry the garment. Test a hidden seam first, and skip the soak on wool, silk, leather or colored fabric that isn't colorfast.
If the stain has dried, soak it before the next wash rather than scrubbing it. A stain that has already been through the dryer is harder, because heat has already worked on the glue, so expect several rounds.
If color or glitter is still there after the soak and repeated washes, stop there. A faint mark is better than damaged fabric, and that is the realistic goal for a stain that has set.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on glitter?
Only the wash and rinse are needed on glitter, so most household remedies don't belong. A hot rinse and a heavy-soil wash with laundry detergent do the job, so nothing else is needed.
Skip6
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't rub the glitter in
Rubbing pushes the flakes deeper into the weave and spreads the glue across more fibers. Lift and rinse instead, and let the water carry the loose pieces out.
Don't jump ahead to the strong soak
The oxygen-bleach soak is for glue that survives the wash, not the first move. Starting there puts fabric you haven't tested at risk, and it skips the gentler steps that often do the job.
Don't guess at the fabric
If the label is missing or unreadable, you can't know how much heat or water the fabric can take. Test a hidden seam with a damp cloth and watch for color bleeding before any hot water touches the garment.
When to call a professional
If the fabric is delicate or the color still shows after the soak and repeated washes, a professional cleaner is the safer choice. Tell them it's washable glitter glue and which steps you already tried, so they don't repeat the hot rinse.
Questions
How do you clean up glitter?
Start by scraping off any excess, since loose flakes lift more easily before they get wet. For washable glitter glue on clothes, rinse in hot water and wash with laundry detergent on the heavy soil cycle, then air-dry. For carpet, upholstery, car seats or hard floors, the method changes, so check the Carpet & Rugs, Car Seats or Laminate & Vinyl Floors guide.
Does washable glitter glue come out of clothes?
It can, if the fabric allows hot water. The steps above are built for it: rinse, wash, air-dry, and repeat until the color is gone.
What about loose glitter on clothes?
Scrape off as much as you can, then follow the wash. Don't count on tape, a lint roller or the vacuum to remove loose glitter.
Will glitter come out of carpet?
Glitter on carpet is a different job, and it uses rug shampoo per its directions rather than the laundry steps. The full carpet method is in the Carpet & Rugs guide.
How do you get glitter out of a car seat?
Cloth car seats need their own steps, which are covered in the Car Seats guide. Leather seats need different care, so don't use the fabric treatment on them.
Does the oxygen-bleach soak work on every fabric?
No. Skip it on wool, silk, leather and colored fabric that isn't colorfast, and test a hidden seam first on anything else. It's only for glue that survives the wash.
Related
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.