How to Remove Thermal Prints on T-shirts

Heat transfer prints are a great way to show off your own style and add a unique touch to many outfits. But sometimes you get bored after a while looking at those prints. Unfortunately, most thermal prints are permanent. However, you can still try to remove them in one or more of the ways below.

Table of Contents

Use chemical solvents to remove prints

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/0/00/Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-1-Version-8.jpg/v4- 460px-Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-1-Version-8.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/0/00/ Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-1-Version-8.jpg/v4-728px-Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-1-Version-8. jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Buy specialized chemical solvents to remove decorative letters. There are specialized solvents on the market for this purpose, ^{[1] X Source of Research}^{[2] X Source of Research} but you can try some household solvents such as nail polish remover, alcohol cleaner or glue remover like Goo Gone.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/e/e4/Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-22-Version-2.jpg/v4- 460px-Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-22-Version-2.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/e/e4/ Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-22-Version-2.jpg/v4-728px-Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-22-Version-2. jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:345,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:546,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Put the shirt to be printed in the dryer. Put the shirt in the dryer and dry it on high heat for a few minutes to warm up the adhesive and possibly help the adhesive loosen a bit.

Turn the shirt left over. The print on the shirt must be on the inside. You need to locate the print and position the shirt so that the left side of the shirt where the print is located should face up (so that if you can see the shirt, you’ll be able to trace the back of the print). ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Try on a shirt first. Before you spray the solvent on the entire shirt, you should test it on a hidden part of the shirt first to make sure the chemical doesn’t damage the fabric.

Soak the shirt with solvent. Spray plenty of solvent on the print on the other side of the fabric. ^{[4] X Research Source} The goal here is to let the solvent penetrate the fabric and loosen the adhesive between the fabric and the print.

Stretch the fabric. Pulling and shifting the fabric will help the solvent seep through the fabric and the glue. After stretching the fabric, you may need to spray more solvent. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Peel off the print. If the solvent works, you should be able to peel the print off the fabric. You may need to use a knife to pry it off for easy peeling or use a hair dryer to heat it up.

Remove remaining glue stains. After the print has been peeled off, there may be some glue left on the fabric. You can try rubbing alcohol or Goo Gone glue remover to clean it. Be sure to dab a little product on an inconspicuous corner of the shirt to test the fabric’s reaction before applying any chemicals to the fabric.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/0/06/Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-9-Version-5.jpg/v4- 460px-Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-9-Version-5.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/0/06/ Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-9-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-9-Version-5. jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Wash the printed shirt separately. You need to wash the shirt separately by hand or in the washing machine. If you wash them with other items, the solvent you just used can damage the clothes. Be sure to thoroughly wash the printed shirt with detergent to avoid skin irritation from contact with solvents.

Use heat and steam to remove prints

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/a/a3/Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-10-Version-6.jpg/v4- 460px-Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-10-Version-6.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/a/a3/ Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-10-Version-6.jpg/v4-728px-Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-10-Version-6. jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Place the item to be removed on a flat surface. The table is used for ironing or the table top is lined with towels. Make sure the surface to be used is not easily damaged by high temperature.

Put a towel inside the shirt. A towel or small piece of cloth lining the inside of the shirt can help prevent damage to the other side of the fabric. If you find it difficult to work with the towel because it is too soft, you can replace it with a piece of cardboard or a very thin piece of plywood.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/3/3e/Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-12-Version-5.jpg/v4- 460px-Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-12-Version-5.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/3/3e/ Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-12-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-12-Version-5. jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Check the instructions on the shirt label. Heat exceeding the recommended level can damage the fabric. Some materials such as ppyester can melt under extreme heat.

Use a hair dryer to heat the print. A hair dryer set to its hottest setting and placed close to the print can heat the adhesive on the back of the print enough to soften it and peel it off. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Use steam to heat the print. Alternatively, you can use steam to treat the print. Spread a wet towel over the print and place a very hot iron on top. ^{[7] X Research Source} Steam can heat up the adhesive on the back of a print enough to make it soft and peelable.

Use a sharp knife to peel off the print. Once the print has begun to peel off due to the heat, use a sharp knife to scrape around the edge of the print to pry it up. ^{[8] X Research Source} Part of the print will peel off, so you can easily peel it off little by little.

Continue to heat the printed shirt and peel it off. You may have to carefully peel them off little by little to keep them hot enough to scrape off the print.

Patient. This method can be quite time consuming. You can turn on your favorite music and challenge yourself to work until it’s done.

Remove any remaining glue. Once the print has been peeled off, you can see some glue remaining on the fabric. Try rubbing alcohol or Goo Gone glue remover to clean. You should test it on an inconspicuous corner of the shirt first to see how the fabric reacts before applying any chemicals on the fabric.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/2/24/Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-19-Version-5.jpg/v4- 460px-Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-19-Version-5.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/2/24/ Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-19-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-19-Version-5. jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Wash clothes as usual. After removing any remaining prints and glue, you can wash your shirt as usual. Remember to do this if you are using any chemicals to remove any remaining adhesive marks, as chemicals can irritate or damage the skin.

Peel off the print with an iron

Put the shirt on the table used for ironing. Be sure to place the sticker face up and smooth out the fabric. If you don’t have an ironing board, you can spread the towel on a hard surface like a table, counter, top of the washer or dryer.

Line a towel inside the shirt. A towel or small piece of cloth lining the inside of the shirt can help prevent damage to the other side of the shirt. If the towel is too soft for you to work with, try using a very thin piece of cardboard or plywood.

{“smallUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images_en/thumb/8/86/Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-22-Version-5.jpg/v4- 460px-Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-22-Version-5.jpg”,”bigUrl”:”https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/8/86/ Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-22-Version-5.jpg/v4-728px-Remove-an-Iron-on-Transfer-From-Clothes-Step-22-Version-5. jpg”,”smallWidth”:460,”smallHeight”:259,”bigWidth”:728,”bigHeight”:410,”licensing”:”<div class=”mw-parser-output”></div>”}

Check the product care instructions label on the shirt. Temperatures exceeding the recommended threshold can damage the fabric. Some materials such as ppyester can melt when overheated. This method uses direct heat and has a higher risk of damaging the fabric than other methods.

Heat the iron. The higher the temperature of the table, the better. This means that the iron will be hotter than the temperature allowed on the instruction label on the shirt. If you’re afraid of damaging the fabric, perhaps you should use another method. You can try starting with medium heat and slowly increasing the heat until you reach a temperature that will loosen the print without damaging the fabric.

Spread stencils over the vinyl print. If you are dealing with vinyl prints, spread the paper over the print and place the iron directly on the stencils. The vinyl print will melt and stick to the stencil, which you can then remove from the shirt by peeling off the stencil. This only works with vinyl prints.

Grip the iron on a printed corner. The heat from the iron will melt the print and it will peel off. ^{[9] X Research Source} Start from one corner and work your way over the entire print gradually.

Use a quick brush to loosen the print. When a corner of the print has come off, you need to do a quick stroke in the direction of the print. ^{[10] X Research Source} Prints will continue to flake off and may bleed while you work.

Continue until the print has completely peeled off. Repeat the stroke of the iron directly onto the print until it comes off. If the fabric looks like it’s starting to get damaged, you can lower the iron’s temperature.

Remove any remaining glue stains. After the print has peeled off, some glue may remain on the fabric. Try rubbing alcohol or a glue remover like Goo Gone to remove the glue. Be sure to test on an inconspicuous corner of the shirt to see how the fabric reacts to the detergent before using it on the entire shirt.

Advice

Combine more of the methods described above if desired. You may have to use more than one method to remove prints.
Note that the effectiveness of the solvent will be less if the print has been on the shirt for a long time.
The ability to remove the print depends in part on the type of print and the glue used to print the image. Remember that most prints are designed to last.

Steps

Use chemical solvents to remove prints

Use heat and steam to remove prints

Peel off the print with an iron

Advice

Related Posts