Chewing gum has plenty of benefits such as keeping your teeth healthy, reducing feelings of nausea, and even improving your memory. However, as many of us know, gum is notoriously difficult to get out as it can get incredibly sticky and tangled up. Once it gets in surfaces like your hair or carpet, we often feel like we have no choice but to cut it out.
While it is indeed difficult to get out, did you know there are other ways of removing gum from carpets without having to destroy your precious carpet’s fibers?
To learn how to remove gum on the carpet, check out the details below.
Method 1: Freezing It Off
Once you get gum on your carpet, your best bet to get it out would be to try and do so immediately. The longer it sits, the harder it will be to get out. The first and most effective way of removing gum from the carpet is by freezing it off.
What You’ll Need:
- A zip lock bag
- Ice
- Scraper (a butter knife would do)
- Soapy water with a bit of vinegar
- Rag
Steps:
- Place the ice inside the bag and seal it.
- After doing so, put the bag of ice onto the gum. The cold temperature of the ice will make the gum harden and allow you to remove the gum from your carpet.
- Use your scraper to remove the hardened gum from your carpet.
- After most of it came off, dip your rag into a soapy solution mixed with a bit of vinegar and rub the spot gently to remove any gum residue.
- Pat it dry and avoid walking in the area until fully dry.
Method 2: Using Oils
Another method would be using oils like WD40 to make the gum slippery enough to be removed from your carpet.
What You’ll Need:
- Oil (ex. WD40, olive oil, and even peanut butter)
- Scraper
- Soapy solution
- Rag/ sponge
Steps:
Note: Before applying the oils, test first a small amount on a non-visible area of your carpet to ensure that it won’t make a bigger stain on your carpet.
- Apply the oil on your rag – don’t pour it directly on your carpet as this might make a bigger mess – and gently saturate the gum by patting it with the cloth.
- Once it’s slick enough, use your scraper to scrape off the gum. If it doesn’t come off in one scrape, scrape it repeatedly in the same direction to do so. Remember to wipe off the scraped off gum in-between sessions to prevent it from sticking to the carpet again.
- After you have removed most of the gum, clean the area with your soapy solution. Use grease-fighting dish soap to remove any oil residue from your carpet.
Method 3: Using a Hairdryer
It turns out that your hairdryer can actually be effective for removing gum from your carpet.
What You’ll Need:
- Hairdryer
- Plastic bag
Steps
- Turn on your hairdryer and put it on low.
- Aim it directly onto the piece of gum. Observe the gum if it’s melting as you don’t want to damage your carpet.
- Once it starts to melt, use the plastic bag to scrape it up and the gum should immediately stick to it upon contact.
- Continue the above steps until the gum is completely removed.
Removing gum from the carpet can be frustrating but with the aforementioned steps, you can now easily do so without harming your carpet while removing it.
