There are plenty of ways of removing gum from clothes, and the one you chose depends mainly on the type of fabrics and your personal preference. Let’s take a closer look at the general and most common methods below.
You might think it is incredibly hard to get rid of wine or bloodstains. If so, you’ve probably never had chewing gum on your closes. The first flavored gums appeared back in the 1860s. So people have had these addictive things stuck on their clothes for more than a hundred years! Unfortunately, you might encounter such a problem even if you typically do not chew those gums. Someone might leave theirs on a chair or stick it to a wall. We believe everyone should know simple ways of removing chewing gums from clothes.
1. Liquid laundry soap
If you have liquid laundry soap, you can try using it as the main component. Just cover the area with it and scratch with a usual toothbrush, so that the gum absorbs all the liquid. Using a blunt knife or your fingers, gently rub off the chewing gum. The final step is to simply do the laundry as usual.
2. Iron is useful
Take a piece of cardboard and place the garment on it right where the chewing gum is. The gum should be between the garment and the cardboard. Iron the area (on medium setting) for a few minutes. The gum should transfer onto the piece of cardboard from the clothes. Do the usual laundry afterward.
3. Freeze the gum
Take a plastic bag and put the garment into it. The point is that freezing cold can separate the gum from the clothes. Put the bag into the freezer and leave it there for a few hours. After you take the garment out, tear off the gum as quickly as possible. You can try peeling off the gum with a blunt knife. Another similar way of removing chewing gum is with the help of ice cubes.
4. Boiling
Make sure that the garment can be washed in hot water before using this method. You need a pan of boiled water (a kettle can also work) and a knife. Submerge the area with the gum into the water. Using a knife scrape the gum off. Afterward, scrub the fabrics with a toothbrush, while it is still in the water.
5. Almighty vinegar
Microwave a small cup of vinegar to just below a boil. Tear off as much gum as you can with your fingers. Put a toothbrush into the vinegar and then rub off the rest of the gum. You can reheat the vinegar if needed. Do the usual laundry after the procedure is done to get rid of the vinegar smell.
Getting rid of chewing gum can be quite challenging, yet surely possible. You don’t have to throw your clothes away every time you encounter such a problem! We really hope these methods will help you and your friends cope with the chewing gum on clothes issue.
6. Lemon juice
Lemon juice works wonders when trying to remove chewing gum from clothes, is extremely cheap, and causes no damage to the fabric. All you have to do is soak the garment in lemon juice and scrape the gum off with a blunt edge. It is recommended, however, that you wash the garment as soon as possible after applying lemon juice.
7. Hairspray
Removing chewing gum from clothes is simple with this cheap method. Apply the hair spray directly onto the chewing gum and it will harden. Then just scrape the chewing gum off.
8. Duct Tape
You cut a strip of duct tape and press on the gum stuck on your cloth. Then, you peel off the taped area. Meaning removes the gum from duct tape. Repeat it till the gum gets removed.