How to Remove Chewing Gum from Carpet
- Fantastic Team
- Published: June 25, 2019
- 6min read
- Views: 465
Ever stepped on a piece of chewing gum and then, unaware, walked through your carpeted living room with your shoes on?
We’ve all been there.
After the who-on-earth-spits-gum-onto-sidewalks moment has passed, you start to wonder how to free your carpet of the sticky and nasty substance. Luckily, we’ve done the research for you.
Read on to learn how to get out of this sticky situation and get the ingrained gum, whether fresh or dried, out of your carpet.
This method is most effective in situations where the gum wad is rather fresh and not deep-rooted into the fibres. Follow these steps to treat the gum and remove it from your carpet:
Being a hydrophobic material, chewing gum can’t be dissolved by water. The stickiness comes from the fact that gum contains polymers. So, to get gum out of something, you will need another hydrophobic material, like some sort of oil.
Apply one of the listed below to reduce the stickiness of the gum and get it out of your textile floor covering:
However, make sure to thoroughly clean the residue of whichever oil you’ve chosen.
Here’s how it’s done:
Use this method with caution. The hot air coming from the hairdryer can melt the fibres if the carpet is made of wool or synthetic materials. To avoid damaging your rug, test on a small inconspicuous area of the carpet first.
Another way to lift that bubble gum off your carpet is to use solvents. Solvents can dissolve the gum polymers, thus making your job easier. However, don’t forget to test the solvent on an invisible area of your carpet first. Try one of these:
Here is how to remove gum from your textile floor covering with the help of solvents:
If your carpet appears stained after all the gum residue is removed, employ a grease removal method. Check our post on how to remove grease from carpet for a detailed explanation.
For more carpet cleaning and maintenance tips, read our article on how to clean carpets. There, you will find tips on anything from vacuuming and stain removal to deep cleaning.
Things didn’t go as expected? You don’t have enough time to remove the gum on your own? Let Fantastic Services help you out!
We offer hot water extraction which is the most advanced carpet cleaning method on the market. The heat used via hot water extraction will soften the gum and the residue will be sucked up during the extraction phase, ensuring your carpet is left clean and fresh.
Gum on carpet? We got you covered!
Click more to learn about our carpet cleaning service.
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Now you know how to get gum out of carpets. Tell us how the gum got itself on your precious carpet? Did you manage to take it out and how? Let us know in the comments below.
Header image source: Shutterstock / Parilov
Please, note that we cannot be held liable for any damages occurring from using the information in this post. The cleaning maintenance of your sheepskin rug is your responsibility and the cleaning method you choose is at your own risk. Factors, such as your rug’s age, any tanning process used, storage methods applied in the past will have an effect on the cleaning process results. Please read our full disclaimer here.
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