How to Clean a Hot Melt Glue Gun (Steps and Tips)

Hot melt glue gun is trendy in modern life, it is not only widely used in industry, decoration industry, in other applications, is more common, such as handicraft, craft enthusiasts can use it to shape different crafts, but hot melt glue gun use is easy to leave some glue, it is difficult to remove, the long-term aggregation will affect the use, then how to properly clean the hot melt glue gun?

Steps for cleaning a hot melt glue gun

1. Cleaning with aluminium foil. Aluminium foil has a rough surface and tends to increase friction with the surface of objects, so it is the best tool for cleaning hot melt glue guns. You can start by rolling a piece of aluminium foil into a ball, which will prevent your fingers from getting burnt while cleaning.

If the temperature of the hot melt glue gun has not yet dropped, you need to be extra careful, you may get burnt, or you can wait until the temperature has dropped and the glue has hardened before handling it.

2. Wipe the tip of the glue gun back and forth with aluminium foil and repeat until the glue is removed; then, use a dry finger to remove any excess glue.

3. Use a pointed tool to clean the base. The base of a cordless glue gun will usually have a small hole to be cleaned regularly. A pointed tool such as a large-headed needle can be used to poke that hole to prevent it from becoming clogged with impurities.

Nozzle cleaning

The nozzle is the part of the hot melt glue gun responsible for the glue and is also an essential part of the hot melt glue machine accessories; glue is from the inside of the nozzle, by pressing the glue gun to achieve the effect of continuous glue, but if the hot melt glue gun is not used correctly, it is easy to cause the clogging of the nozzle. Then no glue, thus reducing efficiency.

Cleaning steps:

1. Heat with a smokeless hot air gun and wipe clean with a clean cloth.

2. Soak the nozzle in a cleaning agent, using ultrasonic cleaning if possible.

3. Soak the nozzle in a suitable amount of chemical cleaning solvent to clean foreign bodies containing iron, aluminium and other metals.

Tips for cleaning hot melt glue guns

1. Hot melt glue can be cleaned up with anhydrous medical alcohol, applied to the hot melt glue, which can be easily picked off once it has hardened.

2. Use Windex on the hot melt glue. Repeatedly let the hot melt glue slowly dissolve; after half an hour, it will be easy to clean. This method is safer and more environmentally friendly but slower.

3. You can put a small ice pack on the hotmelt adhesive, wait for a few minutes and then pick it off again.

Alternatively, you can put the hotmelt adhesive in the freezer for a while, and when you take it out again, you can easily remove the hotmelt adhesive.

5. If the hot melt glue is stuck in a corner and it is not convenient to use the drip or smear method, you can find a syringe, inhale anhydrous alcohol into the syringe and then inject it on the hot melt glue. This method not only saves alcohol but also removes the hot melt glue from the corner completely.

Problems that may be encountered with hot melt glue guns

1. The glue gun does not heat up properly

The glue gun does not heat up properly, usually because the power supply is not plugged in properly or the glue gun is short-circuited and burnt out. If you find it troublesome, you can replace it with another one.

2. The glue gun is too hot to glue

First of all, check the nozzle of the glue gun. It is likely that there are other impurities blocking the spout. Just clean it up. It is also possible that the glue gun has thickened the glue strip by pouring the glue, so we need to turn the glue strip gently and pull it back to cut off the thick part with a hobby knife.

How to care for and maintain a hot melt glue gun?

1. Keep the surface of the hotmelt glue strip clean to prevent impurities from blocking the nozzle.

2. Do not pull the glue strip out of the gun until it has been used up. Otherwise, it may back up and affect the speed of glue delivery.

3. If the glue strip in the hot melt glue gun backflows, disconnect the power supply immediately and stop using the gun until it has been repaired by a professional.

4. If the hot melt glue gun is not used for more than 15 minutes without continuous heating, disconnect the power supply to increase the service life of the gun.

5. Avoid using the hot melt glue gun in a humid environment. It may lead to electric shock.

6. Do not remove the hot melt glue gun by yourself if you are not a professional.

Conclusion

A hot melt glue gun needs regular cleaning and maintenance to delay its lifespan. Get the information we have summarised above on cleaning a hot melt glue gun, and we are sure you will soon be ready for action.