Hi, guys. This is Heyi's tutorial class. When something goes wrong in the process of transferring the heat transfer vinyl, resulting in residual glue, or when you want to remove the heat transfer vinyl from a garment, or when the heat transfer vinyl is peeling off your favorite bag, these are all problems to solve, so today, I will guide you step by step how to remove the heat transfer vinyl from fabric.

Adding heat transfer vinyl to a garment can be easy, yet removing it is a bit trickier. But don’t panic. By the end of this tutorial, you’ll know exactly what steps to take when removing heat transfer vinyl. 

Okay, let’s try out a sample tutorial to get started with how to remove the heat transfer vinyl.   

The tools used: An iron, Tweezers, Scissors or an exact-o knife 

1. Set the temperature.

Turn your iron on its cotton/linen setting (or whatever else is the hottest temperature). If your garment is not cotton or linen, use the appropriate heat setting. You don’t want to melt your garment!

2. Place the garment over the iron.

Place your garment over the iron so its hot surface is on the backside of where the vinyl is attached. Most of the time that will mean putting the iron inside the shirt. Place the area of the unwanted heat transfer vinyl over the plate and pull tight with one hand.  Be careful, not to burn yourself!!

3. Pick away at the HTV.

Using your scissors, or exact-o knife, gently use a sweeping motion to pick away the HTV, starting at the top of the unwanted heat transfer vinyl. The material might come off in chunks at a time. Just keep picking at the vinyl. 

You’ll begin to notice that the vinyl starts to peel off very easily after being heated for a bit. You can continue using the scissors or you can grab the tweezers to pull the HTV off. That way you do not burn your hands.

TIP: Use rubbing alcohol to clean your scissors throughout this process. 

4. Remove any leftover HTV adhesive.

While this method is highly effective, if your material is quite dark then it could still leave a mark after you’ve removed the HTV. To remove the residue, you can throw your garment in the washing machine. After it is washed, you put it in the dryer and expose it to a hot setting. This can remove the residue. But if this doesn’t work, we can use an adhesive remover like Goo Gone.  but it will take more and can be quite frustrating to clean off completely, it can be done with some elbow grease. Spray the Goo Gone directly onto the HTV from both the front and from the inside of the garment.  Let it sit on there for a minute or so and again start trying to peel up the HTV from the corner. Most likely you'll only get small pieces off at a time.  If you need more Goo Gone and more heat, go for it. then iron the area for a few seconds before working on removing the HTV for a few minutes and then repeating. After you've successfully removed the HTV mistake, I suggest washing and drying the shirt before reapplying heat transfer vinyl. Make sure the material has cooled first. It’s also best to do this in a well-ventilated area.

That’s all! I get that putting your favorite bag over the iron can be a little daunting if it’s your first time, but just follow the tips above and I’m sure you’ll be successful.

Sometimes a big mistake in heat transfer vinyl doesn’t have to cost us by throwing out a piece of clothing! Once you get the hang of things, removing the vinyl isn’t a difficult process. You may even pick up your own tips and tricks over time. However, it’s always best to triple-check your process when applying vinyl to ensure you don’t make a mistake! 

Be sure to leave us some feedback in the comments! I’d love to hear how your experience went and if you have any tips to add.

Thank you for coming to Heyi’s class. you can check out our website if you want to look for more tutorials.