How to get gum out of your clothes or furniture

5/17/2022 (Permalink)

Chewing gum is one of the most difficult substances to remove from cloth, hair, and other areas where it does not belong. You can't just scrape gum away or pick it out of fibers or hair like you can with other issues because gum is so sticky. The simplest way to remove gum out of anything is to change its consistency from a sticky mess to something more manageable, which you can do using items you already have.

For Clothing

Remove as much gum as you can with your fingers, then place a few ice cubes in a freezer bag and place the bag on top of the remaining gum until it has stiffened. Gently peel the gum off, then scrub away any remnants with an old toothbrush.

For your upholstery

The same products and techniques can be used to remove gum from both upholstery and carpet. You can place a few ice cubes in a sealed plastic bag and set it onto the gum stain for a few minutes to freeze and harden the gum.

Use a very dull knife or a spoon to gently scrape off the gum, removing as much as possible. Apply a dry-cleaning solvent to spot-treat the stain on upholstery, following the manufacturer's directions. Be sure to test the solvent on the fabric in a hidden area to make sure it doesn't remove any color from the fabric.