How to Remove Chewing Gum – Advices

Chewing gum is fun, but it can be a problem to remove if it ends up anywhere else but a paper and garbage can. Here is some advice on how to get out of this sticky situation, depending on the type of material.

How to Remove Gum from Hair

Kids sometimes end up chewing gum in their hair (don't ask us how – we were kids a long time ago.) Before you reach for scissors and cut an unflattering hairdo for your kid, try this: take a spoonful of peanut butter and put it on the chewing gum. Then (gently, not to pull the hair out), squeeze the peanut butter into the gum, mixing them as much as possible. Oils would "lessen the stickiness" of the gum, and it will start to release. Wash the mix from the hair with a shampoo. That should do the trick (without asymmetric haircuts).

Melted chocolate also works, as well as to use egg white. Leave it on the gum for a few minutes, and then remove the gum from the hair in small pieces.

How to Remove Gum from Cloth

If chewing gum leaves stains on a cloth, take two ice cubes. Place them on both sides of the fabric where the gum stain is until they melt. By then, the gum will cool down and become hard. You can then remove it with a non-serrated side of a butter knife. Also, you can wash excess chewing gum with a standard detergent. Instead of rubbing with ice cubes, place the cloth in a freezer if it fits. Soaking clothes in lemon juice is also a good idea. After some time, wash the fabric type, and the gum will disappear.

How to Remove Gum from Carpet

The first step in removing chewing gum from the carpet is to remove it as much as possible mechanically. You can use a blow dryer to melt it and then remove it with plastic wrap (be careful not to heat the plastic wrap – it will also melt) when you have removed all that. You could wash the spot with a small amount of carpet cleaner and a clean cloth, and then don't wait too long before you dry it.

How to Remove Gum from the Skin

Take a cotton ball and soak it with baby oil to remove the gum from the skin. Rub the place on the skin where the chewing gum is, and the gum will peel off.

How to Remove Gum from Microfiber

Gum can even be removed from a microfiber cloth, although with a weird method. To remove it from the microfiber, spray the gum with a bit of WD-40 and use a clean rug to remove the gum. Egg white also works here – place it over the gum, wait a few minutes, and slowly remove it by hand.

Vinegar and mayonnaise can also remove chewing gum differently. Vinegar will dissolve the gum significantly if heated before it is applied to the gum. Mayonnaise will soften the gum by mixing its oil with it and allowing it to be removed more easily. Some also recommend hair oil, cooking oil, or olive oil.