How to Remove Chewing Gum from the Carpet
Blowing bubbles with gum is a fun part of chewing this rubbery confection. No doubt, chewing gum is a favorite confection amongst children and adults alike. While it is usually disposed by wrapping in paper, it may happen that chewing gum gets stuck in carpets, clothes, hair and other surfaces. Taking it out randomly will create a mess and worsen the problem. Such a situation will be very frustrating, especially if chewing gum is dropped on your new carpet.
Tips to Remove Chewing Gum from the Carpet
Removing gum from carpet without leaving a trace is not so difficult if you follow proper techniques. If you try to remove it deliberately, you will end up with a gummy mess. Of course you will get commercial carpet stain removal products. But repeated application of these cleansers may cause discoloration of carpet and weakening of the fabrics. So, to make your cleaning task simpler, here are some tips on removing chewing gum from the carpet with less effort.
The Hair Dryer Method
The objective for using a hair dryer is to soften gum with the generated heat. Following this, the softened gum can be pulled off with a plastic wrap. If followed properly, it is useful to remove maximum gum from the carpet. The remaining gum stains can be cleaned with a dry-cleaning solvent or similar cleaning agents. But if you fail to carry out appropriately, heating gum may be quite messy.
Freezing Method with Ice
The best way to remove chewing gum from the carpet is proceeded with the help of ice cubes. Over here, gum is hardened first with the ice, after which it can be scraped off easily with a thin spatula. To start with your cleaning project, fill ice cubes in a plastic bag and place it over the gum. Wait for 2 minutes and check whether the rubbery substance is solidified or not. If yes, you can pull it off gently.
Use Peanut Butter
Removing chewing gum from your precious carpet by using peanut butter also works. But the drawback with this method is leaving behind oil stains. So, to check for the same, try a spot test and check whether this fatty paste results in tough marks or not. If you find it logical to use peanut butter, remove gum as much as possible and dab some paste over the spot. Clean butter and gum with a damp, soapy towel. In the same way, you can use mayonnaise for cleaning gum stains.
Apply Dry Cleaning Solvent
This method is applicable for getting rid of chewing gum traces from the carpet fibers. Over here, you can use a safe dry-cleaning fluid to dissolve this rubbery substance. Put some over the stubborn gum spots and leave for some time, or follow the suggested directions. Blot it up with a slightly soapy, warm detergent mixture. Finally, rinse off the cleaned portion with tap water.
Other Feasible Solutions
Scrape off the gum as far as possible. Vacuum clean gum pieces (if any), and then saturate the spot with warm vinegar solution. Leave this acidic liquid for 5 minutes, and you will see the gum gets dissolved in the liquid. Rinse thoroughly with water and soap to get rid of vinegar smell. Likewise, you can use lemon juice and egg white for chewing gum removal from fabrics.
Well, this was all about different methods for removal of chewing gum from carpets. As you see, this laundry project of removing sticky stains requires certain steps to restore stain-free look of your new carpet. After you accomplish your task, make sure you throw the gum away appropriately. Also, if you have kids at home, ask them to dispose chewing gum and bubble gum properly. Otherwise, it may again land on clothes and other fabrics.
