“How didthatget there?”
Here’s how to get gum out of clothes.
Do not put the garment into the dryer until you are certain the gum or gum stain is gone.
Credit:BHG/Alicia Long
Use another wad of chewed gum or a piece of duct tape to pull off the stuck-on gum.
Gently pull away from the material.
Remove Gum with Ice
Set ice cubes or a freezer pack atop the gum for about 20 minutes.
Credit:BHG/Alicia Long
Clorox cleaning experts advise removing any gum left in fabric fibers with a dry-cleaning solvent beforetreating the remaining stain.
Freeze Gum off Clothing
More hands-off than ice, this technique lets the freezer do the work.
Throw the gum-studded garmentwith the gum facing upin your freezerfor an hour or so.
Credit:BHG/Alicia Long
Once the gum hardens, scrape it off as above.
Remove Gum with an Iron
Turn the garment gum-side down atop a piece of cardboard.
Press amedium-heat iron firmly on the backof the garment.
Don’t move the iron, as you will spread the gummy mess.
As the heat melts the gum, the wad will transfer to the cardboard.
Steam will soften the gum, making it easy to remove with a scraper or toothbrush.
Use Vinegar on Gum
Pourdistilled white vinegarinto a microwave-safe container and heat itin the microwave.
Dip a toothbrush into the warm liquid and rub it into the gum.
The acid will soften the gum and help release it from the fabric.
Tackle Gum with Canned Air
Canned air does more thanclean computer keyboards.
It acts as a freezing agent that solidifies the gum.
Spray canned air directly onto the gum until it is hard enough to be scraped off.
Use Gum-Removing Products
First, pull off as much loose gum as you could.
Apply asticker or adhesive remover, such as Goo Gone, to soften the remaining gum.
Remove the residue with a scraper or a clean white rag.
Remove Gum with Alcohol
Use a cotton swab to apply rubbing alcohol across the gum.
Let the alcohol soak through and dry (this will take less than a minute).
Pull off the wad with a strip of duct tape.
Clean Gum with Detergent
Rubliquid laundryor dish soap directly into the gum using a toothbrush.
This should break up the gum’s fibers and let you easily scrape off the wad.
Wash the garment, applying stain remover if needed.
Before you drop in another load, run your machine through a cleaning cycle to remove any remaining stickiness.
A little bit of toothpaste can remove chewing gum from fabricsbut use caution.
The whitening agents in some toothpaste brands can bleach and discolor dark fabrics.
