Used chewing gum belongs in a rubbish bin, but sadly, not all people understand this concept and leave it in all sorts of places. Who hasn’t been a victim of a vicious chewing gum criminal on a bus or in a cinema?
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While it is frustrating, the good news is that you don’t have to lose your hoodie or a pair of jeans to this misfortune. The sticky substance can be removed, with your garment getting a new lease on life. Follow these simple steps.
Freeze the gum
Place the stained item in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer for several hours. This method is best if the gum has melted in the dryer or gotten smeared over a large area of the fabric. Alternatively, if the gum stain is relatively small, place ice cubes in a plastic bag and hold it in place on the gum for a few minutes.
Scrape the sticky substance off
Take the garment out of the freezer or remove the ice cubes and immediately scrape off the gum with a butter knife or the edge of a credit card. The goal is to remove most of the gum solids. Failing that, refreeze the item and scrape again.
Pretreat the stain
Treat the remaining spot with an equal mixture of liquid dishwashing detergent and white distilled vinegar. Gently rub in the solution from the front of the fabric, and allow the mixture to sit for at least 15 minutes.
Wash as normal
Wash the garment as you normally would, using your preferred laundry detergent. Inspect the stained area carefully before air drying or putting the garment in the dryer.
If any of the stains remains, treat it again with the soap and vinegar mixture, then wash again. Do not put it in the tumble dryer unless the stain is completely gone.
If there's any doubt, it's safer to air dry and check again for the stain once the garment is dry.
Keep in mind
Rubbing alcohol may also loosen gum from fabric or carpet. Rub it on with a clean white cloth or paper towel and leave it on for a couple of minutes before removing the gum.
You can also try spraying hairspray on the gum to harden it up before trying to remove it.
Steam may also do the job of loosening up gum from fabric. Try a steamer or if you don't have one, use a teapot with a spout. Hold the fabric so the steam directly hits the gum. Try removing the gum after a minute of steaming.
If trying to remove gum from pants pockets, pull the lining out of the pants to make it easier to work on.
If you find gum stuck on the inside of your washer or dryer, use the ice cube freezing method to harden it and use a dull utensil or credit card to scrape it off.
Sources used:
- The Spruce: 'How to Remove Gum Stains From Clothes & Carpet'
