Even if you’re not a gum chewer, you can still fall victim to it just by walking on the concrete floor outside and accidentally stepping on it. You may not realize it immediately until it goes home with you and ends up becoming a permanent resident in your carpet.
Once this happens, you’ll be tempted to remove it right away by pulling it by hand. However, this approach can cause collateral damage to the delicate fibers of your carpet and ruin its appearance.
Here’s how you can remove the gum from your carpet without too much effort.
- Remove Gum from Carpeting with Vinegar
Is there anything vinegar can’t do? This household hero can help eliminate gum stains leftover from either of the first two removal methods.
Materials needed:
- White vinegar
- Damp, clean cloth
- Soft-bristled brush or old toothbrush
Once you have the supplies, here’s what to do:
- Apply a small amount of white vinegar to the gum stain.*
- Gently work the vinegar into the stain with an old toothbrush or soft-bristled brush.
- Let it sit for about 20 minutes.
- Blot away the vinegar with a clean, damp cloth.
*Again, be sure to test the vinegar on an unseen area before using it on the stain. For delicate carpets, consider diluting with a 1:2 or 1:4 ratio of vinegar to water. Source: Angi
- Removing Gum via The Ice Cube Method
Give gum wads a chilly shoulder to prevent things from getting even stickier. Ice cubes are the answer to removing stuck-in gum wads. This is why having ice on hand is advantageous. After that, fill in the blanks with the following instructions:
- For easy gum removal, try this hack: place a few ice cubes in a Ziplock bag. Then, apply the ice directly to the gum for one minute or longer. The freezing temperature will make the gum stiff and lifts it right off!
- Remove the gum from the carpet using your fingers, a scraping tool, or a butter knife, gently picking at and pulling it away.
- To remove chewing gum from your carpet, start lifting along the edges and moving toward the center of the wad. Be careful not to remove any of the carpet fibers and gum! (If you master this technique, use it on upholstery messes and gum-covered clothes!)
- When the gum is completely out of sight, most of it should be out of mind, but if stubborn debris persists, use a few drops of a rub containing methyl salicylate to pick it out (such as the pain-relieving cream Bengay).
- Sc scrubs any discoloration or stains left in the gum’s path away with a mild carpet-cleaning detergent.
- Rinsing the region with warm water will send your gummy experience packing! Source: Carpet Cleaning Force
- Remove Chewing Gum Using The WD-40 Method
Another household workhorse, WD-40 is also effective for getting gum out of carpet and rugs. Chewing gum is hydrophobic, which means it can’t be dissolved by water. To break it up, dissolve it using another hydrophobic material, like WD-40. (The WD-40 technique should be a quicker fix than the ice technique, because you won’t have to wait around for the gum to harden.) Here’s what to do:
- Spray a liberal amount of WD-40 on the chewing-gum stain. Point the spray straw as close as you can to the underside of the area, where the gum meets the carpet. You may need to use your fingers to work the WD-40 into the carpet fibers.
- Wait 5 or 10 minutes.
- Using a rag or small scrub brush, wipe or lightly scrub the gum in one direction.
- Add more WD-40 as needed to remove remaining gum from the carpet. Continue wiping in the same direction. Source: Bob Vila
Hopefully, this guide has helped you get rid of the sticky substance from your beautiful carpet. If you need more information like this, be sure to check us out or give us a call for other services.
