How to Remove Plastic Covers

Table of Contents:

You Will Need
Steps to Remove the Plastic
Additional Tips and Advice

Karen asked: I bought a new dining room set last summer. The chair cushions were wrapped in plastic. Although I got most of it off, there are still small pieces that I can’t get a good grip on to remove. Any suggestions? Thank you.

When new furniture is packaged for sale, it is often covered with a shrink-wrapped plastic cover. When the plastic coverings won’t come off easily, there are a couple of tricks you can try. Try out suggestions below to remove the plastic bits from even the tightest spaces.

You Will Need:

Tweezers
Exacto knife or razor blade
Screwdriver
Patience

Steps to Remove the Plastic:

Some chair seats can easily unscrew from the base. Once the seat is off of the base, remove any remaining bits of plastic. Reassemble the seat as normal.
If the seat cannot be removed, try pulling the small pieces of plastic out with tweezers. These will allow you to pull the smallest piece of plastic and get a firm grip on it.
If the plastic cannot be pulled out, consider cutting it right at the base. Use an exacto knife or razor blade to carefully trim the excess plastic away from the edge. Be careful not to cut the seat cushion or cover.

Additional Tips and Advice

If you have small children, consider keeping one of the seat covers on and designate it as the “child’s chair.” The plastic will help prevent stains and drips until the child is older.
If no tweezers are available, needle nose pliers will work as well.
Nail clippers may also work well to cut away pieces of plastic that are difficult to pull out.
If you are just beginning to remove the plastic covers, pull them slowly and steadily around the edges to help prevent small bits from being left behind screws and other attachments.