For cloth to cloth, a fabric glue is made for the job. For fabric to wood, metal or plastic, makers list flexible glues such as E6000 and contact adhesives.
Gluing
Fabric
cotton, canvas, denim
cotton, canvas, denim
Where
What holds
Fabric glue or flexible solvent glue
13 products have both surfaces on their makers’ lists.
Gorilla Fabric Glue (fabric glue). Full cure in 24 hours; wait 3 days before washing or ironing.
Loctite Vinyl, Fabric & Plastic Flexible Adhesive (flexible solvent glue). Cures in 24 hours. Not for heat over 140°F.
Loctite Super Glue Gel Control (super glue). Sets in 15 to 30 seconds, cures in 12 to 24 hours. Not for exterior use.
Loctite Shoe Glue (hybrid polymer glue). Cures in about 24 to 48 hours. Not for bonding two non-porous surfaces, such as metal to metal.
Gorilla Clear Grip (contact adhesive). Let it dry about 2 minutes before joining; full cure takes at least 24 hours. Waterproof. Gorilla labels it flammable.
Titebond Original Wood Glue (wood glue). Not for outdoor use or where moisture is likely, and not for load-bearing joints.
7 more products list both.
Not for this pair: J-B Weld Original: J-B Weld says most of its products won’t bond well to flexible rubber, canvas or leather; J-B Weld KwikWeld: J-B Weld says most of its products won’t bond well to flexible rubber, canvas or leather; J-B Weld ClearWeld: J-B Weld says most of its products won’t bond well to flexible rubber, canvas or leather.
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Will it survive the wash?
What each maker says about washing
Glue
Washing, as its maker says it
Gorilla Fabric Glue
Wait at least 3 days before washing or ironing; don’t dry clean
Gorilla Clear Grip
Washer and dryer safe
E6000
Washer and dryer safe
Other glues that list fabric
We found no washing claim
From each product’s page or FAQ. Gorilla’s Clear Grip page also says not to dry clean.
Using fabric glue
Gorilla Fabric Glue lists cotton, denim, polyester and felt, plus beads, sequins and ribbon.
You get 1 to 5 minutes to work, and it can’t be repositioned once it’s down.
Leave it 24 hours to cure fully.
Fabric to something else
For fabric to wood, metal or plastic, look for a glue that lists both. Gorilla Clear Grip and E6000 Plus list fabric along with wood, metal and plastics, and Titebond Original lists cloth for indoor jobs. Loctite Shoe Glue lists canvas and textiles, but not for two non-porous surfaces. J-B Weld goes the other way: it says most of its products won’t bond well to canvas.
Gorilla notes that its Fabric Glue may damage finished surfaces. Keep it off anything you don’t want marked.
The surfaces, times and washing rules come from Gorilla’s, Loctite’s, E6000’s, Titebond’s and J-B Weld’s own pages, data sheets and FAQs. Checked against published data from Henkel, J-B Weld, Eclectic Products, Gorilla Glue Company and Franklin International.