How to Clean Mod Podge off Plastic Crafts Table

Question

I purchased Modge Podge, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001681Z8Q/ to attach post it notes to muslin cloth.

I was working on plastic crafts table. Now Modge Podge is sticking. How to clean it off?

Answer 1

Mod Podge is a lot easier to clean off before it dries. The version you linked to for fabric is designed to hold up to washing. The instructions say it will stand up to hand washing, but user comments discuss it holding up to numerous cycles of machine washing. So it sounds like removal could be a challenge, and you might need to try different methods.

The fact that the surface is plastic works in your favor. Plastic furniture is typically made of polypropylene, which could make it easier. It's hard to get a good bond on polypropylene, plus it will tolerate some of the solvents you could try. It's soft, though, so you'll need to be careful not to cut or scratch it.

Here are some things to try:

• Most water-based materials form a poor bond even if they stick. They can often be peeled off. Try getting under the edge of the Mod Podge with a razor blade, being care not to cut or scratch the plastic. If you can get the edge up, you may be able to peel it off, or it might come up easily if you scrape it. Remove as much as possible this way.

• Regular Mod Podge can be resoftened. I'm not sure about the fabric version, but it's worth a try. Given that it's designed to hold up to washing, expect this to take awhile. Saturate an old towel or thick rag with very hot soapy water and cover the Mod Podge with it. Regular Mod Podge can take over an hour to resoften, so it could need to sit for a long time. As the cloth cools or dries out, saturate it again with hot soapy water.

  If the Mod Podge rehydrates, it will become cloudy or milky and softer. You can try scrubbing it off with a sponge (an abrasive pad will scratch up the plastic), or try peeling it up as in the first bullet. If the Mod Podge is thick and seems to be affected only on the surface, scrub off as much as you can and repeat the process.

• If soapy water doesn't seem to have any effect per the previous bullet, try the same process using household ammonia diluted to the strongest strength recommended on the bottle for cleaning.

There are a few common chemicals that will soften, release, break down, or dissolve dried regular Mod Podge.

• Alcohol: pour it on the Mod Podge or wet a sponge, paper towel, or rag with it. Give it a minute of contact with the Mod Podge, then scrub.
• Petroleum jelly (Vaseline): smear it on the Mod Podge and let it sit for a few hours. Then scrub it off.
• Adhesive remover like "Goo Gone": follow the product instructions. This may leave an oily residue, so clean the area with alcohol when you're done.
• Citrus solvent/cleaner (Limonene): use similar to alcohol.
• Nail polish remover (usually ethyl acetate): use similar to alcohol, but it evaporates too fast to let it sit on the Mod Podge; just start scrubbing. If you have a lot of area to clean, do it in a ventilated area.
• Acetone: this is available in the paint section of hardware stores. It is flammable and the vapors aren't good for you. Use it in a well ventilated area with no sources of open flame. Use similar to nail polish remover.

A few of these chemicals (acetone, limonene, probably ethyl acetate, maybe Goo Gone), will temporarily affect polypropylene (it may swell a little and the odor may linger), but that will disappear in a few days. Also, if you use acetone, nail polish remover, limonene, or Goo Gone, use nitrile or polyethylene gloves to minimize skin contact. Brief contact won't hurt you, but a lot of prolonged contact can be harmful to your skin.