It’s happened to all of us, you have come downstairs early on a Sunday morning and noticed one of your guests from the night before never put their gum in the bin. It has now wedged itself right down into the fibers of your carpets or upholstery. Don’t fear, there are many cheap and simple ways to remove the gum, but beware of which method you choose to use, as some of the methods can permanently damage your furnishings.
- Always test any method in an area that is inconspicuous to avoid mishaps !
Commonly Used Methods:
- Freezing
- Cutting (not recommended)
- Solvent Sprays – Freezing
- Gum Removal Tools
- Peanut Butter
Freezing
The most widely used method for removing chewing is known as the freezing method.
- Using a butter knife remove any excess pieces of chewing, paying extra attention not to destroy the pile.
- Vacuum away any extra pieces of chewing gum and dirt.
- Place several pieces of ice into a zip lock bag, this will stop our carpet/gum from becoming wet and sticky.
- Rub the bag over the gum until it has frozen solid.
- Pick away at the gum until there are only very small particles left.
- Vacuum away any excess.
- Wash area with warm soapy water to remove any remaining residue.
Cutting
Not recommended by professionals but still used by people in a panic to remove gum. This involves under cutting the chewing gum with a sharp knife or blade, removning carpet or upholstery fibers until the area has been ridden of the gum.
Solvent Sprays – Freezing
There are special solvents that have been developed specifically for removing gum from fabrics. The only downside to these solvent is that they can leave an oily stain in your carpet or furnishing that can never be removed. If you intend on using a solvent to remove gum make sure that you test the solvent on an inconspicuous area before tackling the affected area. Then follow the steps in freezing.
Gum Removal Tools
Only to be used in/on industrial carpet area. Gum removal tools are placed into a power screw driver and using the twisting force of the screw drive the tool removes the gum. These cannot be used on any wool or semi synthetic carpets that have a high pile. They must only be used on industrial tiled carpets.
Peanut Butter
Apply peanut butter to the affected area and work it into the gum. Leave settle for a few minutes and the gum should come pick right off. The only downside to this is that you will now have to deal with a peanut butter stain. To rid of the peanut butter leave it to dry for an hour and using a butter knife you can remove and vacuum away the dried peanut butter.
If all else fails you can always call a professional who can come remove the chewing gum for you.