There is nothing as disgusting as stepping onto a piece of sticky gum stuck in your carpet. If you have kids at home, and they like to chew gum, chances are you are going to come across this situation more than you expect.
If stepping on gum is bad, then imagine sitting on it or even worse, imagine having guests over and they sit on it. So, enough about the problem, let’s talk about a solution. There are ways you can remove that gum.
In fact, if you have the right ingredients on hand, it can be quite simple. Up next we’re going to tell you about simple ways you can get rid of gum from your carpet and upholstery.
Using Ice Cubes
Put a bunch of ice cubes in a plastic bag and place the bag on the gum. Hold it there so that the gum hardens and hence becomes easy to remove. With the help of a scraping tool, scrape off the hardened gum.
Use a wet wipe or rag to pick up the loose pieces. Using a wet wipe helps so that the gum doesn’t stick onto your hands.
Sponge the gum stain with a cleaning detergent. You don’t want your carpet holding onto obvious chewing gum stains, therefore, cleaning it with a cleaning detergent ensures any residue leftover is removed.
Of course, the affected part is damp as well, therefore pat it dry to avoid a bad smell. For an even fresher smell, add fabric softener to the cleaning detergent.
Using WD40
Spray a substantial amount of WD40 spray directly on the gum on your carpet (or upholstery). Let the WD40 sit for a few minutes as the gum absorbs it.
Using a fingernail brush or any other soft brush, brush off the gum stain from your carpet following the same direction. You want to ensure that you keep the direction of brushing consistent.
If you start by brushing left to right, continue that way. Repeat the process of applying WD40 followed by vigorous scrubbing with a brush until there is no more gum in sight.
After all the gum is off, clean the area using either a degreaser or detergent. Apply it directly on the stain. Get a clean sponge and rinse it with warm water and use it to clean the stained part.
Clean the stain gently with the warm sponge until the stain disappears and the carpet is uniform. Pat the wet area dry so that your carpet doesn’t smell moldy.
Using a Hairdryer
Get your hairdryer, turn it on and aim it directly at the gum stain. Ensure you are watching the gum because if the heat is too high, it might melt the carpet fibers too.
To avoid this, try to focus the dryer right over the gum area rather than the larger area of the carpet. If possible, cover the surrounding carpet with something that is not affected by heat.
When the gum starts melting, use a plastic bag to pull off the melted gum. The plastic bag helps because when the melted gum gets in contact with it, it sticks and hence is easy to remove.
Keep aiming the dryer and pulling off the melted gum until it is all removed.
Gum Removal Pointers
When you notice that chewing gum has just fallen on your carpet, remove it immediately before someone steps on it and it sticks further. It is easier to remove a piece of ‘new’ gum than one that’s been sitting there awhile.
Also, when you leave it on your carpet, you increase the chances of spreading the gum to other surfaces by sitting or stepping on it and then moving it to other places.
Conclusive Remarks
Keeping your carpet and other areas of your home clean isn’t easy when you’ve got kids. Gum in particular can be difficult to remove. You can’t just start rubbing it or use water to remove it.
Use one of the items above and with a little elbow grease, your carpet or upholstery will be as good as new.
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