It’s highly important that you always clean and take good care of your hot glue gun. That will increase the lifespan of the device and give you a good experience with it.
Now you may not know how to clean a hot glue gun properly. There’s nothing to get worried about as we are here to teach you that.
There are very specific ways in which you have to clean and care for your hot glue gun. So, here we will give all the details you need in order to get the job done.
Let’s get started!
How to Clean a Hot Glue Gun
Primarily there is one method you can use to clean up a hot glue gun. We will give you step-by-step instructions on what you have to do to get the best outcome.
Sometimes after a project, you will see that a lot of the glue gets stuck to the side of the gun. At times, they are the trickiest to clean up.
Step 1: Use a Piece of Aluminum Foil
When it comes to a hot glue gun, the best scrubber you will find is an aluminum foil. You will be able to get a lot of work done with this.
For this to work, you have to tear out a piece of foil and then scrunch it into a ball.
Make sure the ball you make is a bit big in size so that you have a certain distance from the hot tip.
Also, there is no real need for you to make a perfect ball with the foil; a rough one would do the job just fine.
Step 2: Use the Ball to Scrub the Tip
First off, be aware that the tip will be hot, so when you want to clean up the gun, you must be careful at all times.
So, while the gun is still warm or hot, take the foil ball up to the tip and start to rotate the tip of the gun. You could also move the ball in a circular motion to clean the tip.
There should not be many complications when you use the foil ball to clear the glue gun off all the hardened glue.
Step 3: Use the Ball to Rub the Whole Gun
You might have glue stuck on the tip of the gun, the same way you might get glue on the body of the gun as well. So, you will have to clean that up.
In order to do so, you should use the same aluminum foil ball to scrub away all the glue that is fixed to the gun.
Like the tip is needed to be warm for the clean-up, the rest of the body should also be warm when you do the scrubbing. It will make the process much easier.
Step 4: Use a Blow Dryer to Take the Rest of the Glue off
Now, the very last thing for you to do would be to take all the excess or leftover glue bits off the hot glue gun. For this step, you have to rip a sheet of foil and place it over the gun.
Then, you have to take a blow dryer and go over the hot gun with it to heat up the glue.
By doing so with the aluminum foil on top, you will ensure all the small bits left on the gun easily latch on to the foil, and there is none on the gun anymore.
Just try and remember to wear a glove or protection of some sort so that your fingers don’t burn from the heat of the blow dryer or the gun itself.
How to Clean Spot From a Hot Glue Gun
Sometimes with this clean-up, there is a need for spot treatment rather than an overall one. So, there is a process that needs to be followed if you want the work to go smoothly and effectively.
Step 1: Wipe the Tip on a Sheet
The best thing for you to do right after you use the hot glue gun for some work or project is to wipe the excess glue off on a dry sheet.
Afterward, you could also take the sheet and run it across the tip to make sure there is no leftover that would harden and be difficult to remove.
Again, keep in mind that the glue gun is hot and can very easily burn you, so try to be as careful as possible when you do the work.
Step 2: Clean the Base Using a Needle or a Pin
In most cases, the cordless guns have a small hole at the bottom, which needs to be cleaned up once in a while.
So, to do that, you will have to use a needle or a pin that will have easy access into the whole device and can clean away all the glue stuck in there.
This is an important place to clean as you might have difficulties in setting the gun on to the base.
Step 3: Use Acetone to Wipe
Glue is not the only thing that needs to be removed from the glue gun. With use, you will see a lot of marks and stains on the gun.
These should be cleaned up too. Otherwise, you will see that with time, your gun is not going to look as it used to before.
So just take some nail polish remover on a rag or a paper towel and run it across the body of the gun. Continue until it is stain-free. With that, you should be done.
Maintenance Issues You Might Face
Only cleaning the visible parts of the hot glue gun is not enough if you want to make sure it will remain good for a long time.
Along with the outside, you have to deal with the different parts on the inside too. Only then you will be able to take care of your glue gun properly.
- Melting Back: At times, you will see that even after pulling the trigger, no glue comes out of the gun. If you ever face such a situation, then the chances are that there is some build-up of the adhesive inside the gun. This is why the gun gets clogged.
Moreover, this is particularly problematic as the heated glue might start to damage the gun from the inside. The problem gets worse if you press on the trigger with too much force. And the only way to remove the build-up is to let the glue leak by keeping it turned on for a while.
- Weak Flow of the Glue: Some glue sticks don’t work as well as others, that might be because they are too hard and need to be melted at a much higher temperature. If your glue gun does not reach that temperature, then you will have a very weak flow of glue.
That might mean you will have to put too much pressure on the trigger, which will create problems in the future. In that case, you should steer clear of the harder glue stick and purchase the more bendy and flexible ones.
- Leaks in the Nozzle:You will know right away there is a leak in the nozzle of your glue gun when the glue starts coming out without you needing to press the trigger.
Even though at times it might be the glue stick’s fault as well, but it is in your best favor to check and find the possible leaks in the gun.
Another reason for the leak in the nozzle might be the result of wearing. In such a case, you will have to change the nozzle or repair it. If you have never detached or opened a nozzle from a glue gun before, then you can take help from the user manual.
By following the instructions, you should get the work done without having to worry. These are a few ways you can take care of your hot glue gun. Proper maintenance is the key here to help preserve the tool.
Conclusion
Here, you have all the necessary information about how to clean a hot glue gun. None of the steps are difficult, and all the cleaning supplies needed for this job are usually available at home. So clean away!
