How to Remove a UV DTF Transfer from Glass

UV DTF transfers are great, but if you apply one incorrectly they are hard to get off! Here’s how to remove a UV DTF transfer from glass easily, so you can use your blank with another transfer!

I am completely in love with DTF transfers. I’ve used them on glasses, bookmarks, keychains, and more. They are way more durable than adhesive vinyl and you can get vivid, full-color transfers. You can see more in my post How to Use UV DTF Transfers.

But if there’s one thing they also are, it’s STICKY. UV DTF transfers are made to be really durable which means they have to adhere really well to your blank. The adhesive on a UV DTF transfer is very strong, so one you have it down on your glass, there’s no going back.

Which means that if you mess one up, fixing it isn’t super straightforward. Your transfer is definitely ruined and you may think your blank is as well.

But I’ve done some testing and I’ve found that it’s actually not too difficult to remove a UV DTF transfer from a hard surface, like glass or plastic. Let’s check out how to do it!

Watch the Video

Want to get a video overview how to remove a UV DTF transfer? Just hit play below! Or keep reading for a written tutorial.

For this tutorial, I am using a glass can wrap where I messed up the seam. Not only was it not even, but I tore the transfer pretty significantly.

Step 1: Soak in Hot Water with Soap

Step one is get a large pot of water boiling. I like having enough water in my pot to cover all or most of the transfer. Once it’s boiling, remove from the stove and dribble in a bit of dish soap. I used Dawn specifically because it’s designed to break down oils and adhesives. Stir the pot gently—you don’t need to create a ton of bubbles.

Then remove the lid and straw, and soak your tumbler. I did about 10 minutes and then used tongs to rotate my glass so the other side was facing down.

Remove from the hot water using tongs and allow it to cool for a minute or two.

Step 2: Scrape Off the Transfer

Depending on the brand of transfer you’ve used, this may be easy or difficult.

Place your cooled tumbler on a paper towel. Using a Cricut scraper or another type of scraper (I am using the one that came with my Goo Gone order…it’s great!), scrape off the transfer. Depending on the brand of transfer, this may be easy or difficult. Mine was relatively easy for most of it.

Step 3: Soak in Hot Water with Soap Again

If you still have pieces of the transfer that don’t want to scrape off, I suggest soaking again For some reason, a bit of mine didn’t want to scrape off so I put it back in my soapy water for another 10 minutes. I didn’t bother to reheat the water—it was still really hot.

Remove from the hot water using tongs and allow it to cool for a minute or two.

Step 4: Scrape Off the Transfer Again

Now try scraping again. You should be able to get most of the transfer off. If you have a particularly stubborn transfer, try soaking overnight—you won’t hurt the glass!

Then wash, rinse, and dry your glass, removing any traces of soap.

Step 5: Use GooGone

If you have any residue at all, GooGone is my favorite adhesive remover. Add some GooGone to a microfiber cloth and work it over your residue. If necessary, you can also let the transfer with with some GooGone on top of it and the GooGone should eat its way through that adhesive.

Step 6: Final Wash

Wash your glass one more time. You can use the dishwasher, if you’d like (don’t wash the lid or the straw!). Basically you want to make sure there is no remaining GooGone or soap on your tumbler.

Step 7: Use Again!

Once you’ve fully cleaned your glass, you can use it again with another UV DTF transfer!

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I hope you found this tutorial helpful! If you have any questions or need help troubleshooting, let me know in the comments!