posted by Ahijoy on October 4, 2022
How To Remove Iron-On Vinyl
If you think it is time to remove iron-on vinyl from your fabric, do not fret. Here’s how you can do it easily without any hassle.

Iron on vinyl is one of the most amazing and innovative technologies in the world! It is a technique to add graphics or images onto any type of clothing. It makes it easier than ever to personalize your clothes and make them more fashionable than ever before.
Paper and transferable ink are used in iron-on transfers. When you apply heat to your customized design, it transfers the complete design on your target item. It is the ink that adheres to your fabric when you use an iron-on transfer.
When using iron-on transfer on clothing, make sure that the surface is heatproof and is not made of cardboard or a similar material. If you try to iron over plastic, it will melt right off! However, this process is not permanent, so you can remove it from your clothing by simply choosing one of the methods listed below and remove the iron-on vinyl with ease.
Method 1: Using Chemical Solvents
- Buy a chemical solvent designed for eliminating lettering, for example AlbaChem VLR Vinyl, or you could use household solvents like nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol.
- Put the fabric in the dryer and put the dryer on high heat to loosen the adhesive a little.
- Turn your shirt inside out. Then locate the area where the transfer is on the other side of the shirt. (You could only see the back side of the transfer).
- Try on a little section of the clothing. Before applying the solvent to the entire garment, test a small section to ensure that the solvent does not impact it.
- Soak the fabric in the solvent. Apply a generous amount of the solvent to the sections of the clothing that has the transfer on the opposite side. The solvent is supposed to seep through the cloth and release the glue between the garment and the imprint.
- The cloth should be stretched. It allows the solvent to enter the glue and soak into the fabric. You may wish to add extra solvent after stretching.
- Remove the transfer. If the solvent was effective, you could remove the transfer off the fabric easily. You may need to scrape the transfer off with a knife or apply more heat to help it to come off.
- Remove any remaining glue. There may be some adhesive left behind after you removed the transfer. You can use an adhesive remover like Goo Gone to get rid of it.
- Wash the clothing on its own. Washing it with other clothes may enable the solvent to harm other clothes. To avoid bodily contact with the solvent, wash the item thoroughly with additional detergent before usage.
Method 2: Using Heat And Steam
- Place the clothing flat on a surface. Ensure that the surface you are using is not heat sensitive.
- Insert a towel into the shirt. This is to avoid harm to the opposite side. If the towel is too soft use a piece of cardboard or extremely thin plywood instead.
- Examine the garment's care instructions. Heating the garment above the prescribed temperature may cause material damage.
- Heat the transfer vinyl using a hairdryer. A hairdryer on high heat may heat the glue sufficiently to make it flexible and removable.
- You can also heat the transfer with steam. Place a damp cloth on top of the transfer and iron it. The steam loosens the glue on the reverse of the transfer making it malleable and it can be easily removed.
- Peel up the transfer with a sharp knife. Scrape a sharp knife along the edge of the iron-on transfer to pry it up once it has been loosened by the heat.
- Scrape off any adhesive residue.
- After you've removed the adhesive, wash the item. Make this a habit if you use a chemical to eliminate remaining residue, since chemicals can irritate or hurt your skin.