How to Remove Chewing Gum Stains

ServiceMaster Commercial Cleaning is pleased to announce that we are now adding chewing gum removal to the list of services we provide to clients in Roanoke, the New River Valley, and the surrounding areas. We use an industrial-strength chewing gum removal machine that delivers steam at the point of contact, which makes it possible to easily remove chewing gum from any surface without damaging your carpets, furniture, or hard surface floors.

While removing chewing gum from your workplace is as simple as giving us a call and having us do it for you, what about removing chewing gum at home?  A quick search of the internet turns up some pretty unusual and questionable suggestions involving everything from peanut butter to egg whites.

In honor of our new chewing gum removal service, we thought we’d post a quick guide to how to remove gum from various surfaces around your home, courtesy of HowStuffWorks.com. Hopefully this will help you separate fact from myth and avoid further damaging your property or making a mess in an attempt to remove gum.

How to remove chewing gum from fabrics

To remove chewing gum from fabric surfaces, begin by holding an ice pack against the gum until it hardens. Next, using a scraping tool, carefully scrape off the gum or rub the matter from the fabric. Sponge the fabric with a cleaning fluid before applying a dry spotter and covering with an absorbent pad. Keep the stain and pad moist with the dry spotter until the stain has been removed. To finish the process, flush the affected area with a dry-cleaning solvent.

How to remove chewing gum from hard surfaces

As described in the instructions for removing gum from fabrics, begin by freezing the gum using an ice pack. Once it is frozen, scrape the gum off of the surface and clean the surface with warm sudsy water. Dry the surface with a cloth to remove any residue.

How to remove chewing gum from leather

The procedure for removing gum from leather is a little different than the procedure for removing it from hard surfaces or fabrics. First, carefully scrape as much excess gum from the surface as possible. Then, mix a solution of mild soap in lukewarm water and stir aggressively to create as many suds as possible. Use a sponge to apply only the foam to the gum stain and scrub it gently until it has been removed. Dry the area with a clean cloth and then clean it with leather cleaner, following the instructions for the cleaner.

How to remove chewing gum from human hair

If you or a child is unfortunate enough to get chewing gum stuck in their hair, the easiest way to remove it is to simply cut the hair. However, if that is impractical or undesirable, the American Academy of Dermatologists recommends using vegetable oil to remove the gum. Simply cover the gum in oil, wait a few minutes, and then remove it from the hair.

Hopefully, this quick guide has provided you the information you need to remove chewing gum at home. However, if you have a facility of many thousands of square feet that needs dozens or hundreds of chewing gum stains removed, you’re probably better off giving us a call!