How to Remove Boy Scout Patches

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When someone says, "Scout's honor," you may conjure up images of a loyal, trustworthy Boy Scout wearing a neat collection of patches on his uniform. The Boy Scouts of America is very specific on how the scout uniform is worn and how patches are placed. If a patch is incorrectly placed on a uniform, you need to remove it and reposition it. Sometimes, the Boy Scouts will issue temporary insignia that are only meant to be worn to commemorate a particular event. Once the event is over, you need to remove the insignia. Fortunately, removing Boy Scout patches is a relatively simple task.

1 Removing Iron-On Patches

2 Place a clean

Place a clean, lightweight cloth on top of the patch.

3 Heat your iron on a medium setting

Heat your iron on a medium setting. Iron the cloth over the patch for about a minute, then try to peel the patch off. If the patch doesn't immediately loosen, you may have to repeat this process one or more times.

4 Wipe away any remaining adhesive

Wipe away any remaining adhesive using a commercial adhesive remover. Launder the clothing.

5 Removing Glued-On Patches

6 Spray the back

Spray the back of the cloth to which the badge is stuck with adhesive remover. Let the adhesive remover thoroughly soak through the clothing.

7 Peel the badge off gently

Peel the badge off gently, working from the edges.

8 Remove any remaining adhesive residue

Remove any remaining adhesive residue. Place a folded paper towel on the adhesive stain, and turn the clothing over. Soak the cloth with adhesive remover, spraying the solvent onto the side of the fabric that is not covered with the paper towel. The remaining adhesive will stick to the paper towel.

9 Let the clothing

Let the clothing dry before putting on any new patches.

10 Remove all patches

Remove all patches on the clothing by dry cleaning it. Make sure to put the clothing in a bag to catch the patches as they fall off during the dry-cleaning process.

11 Removing Sewn-On Patches

12 Flip the clothing over

Flip the clothing over to reveal the stitching on back of the Boy Scout patch.

13 Pull out the threads

Pull out the threads using a seam ripper. Work carefully, ripping out every few stitches. Make sure not to pull or tear the fabric.

14 Remove the stitching

Remove the stitching with a pair of small scissors or tweezers if you do not have a seam ripper. Carefully cut the stitches on the back of the patch, then pull them out using tweezers. If the stitches are loose or fairly large, you may be able to easily pull them out by hand.

Carolyn Enright began working as a professional writer in corporate communications in 1992. Her work includes executive speeches, annual reports, newspaper and magazine articles, newsletters and online training modules. Enright holds a Master of Science in corporate public relations from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts in American studies from the University of Notre Dame.

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