How to Remove Chewing Gum from Carpeting
Chewing gum can be one of the most annoying of all carpet stains, but not if you know the secret for removing it. Once you know how to remove chewing gum from your carpet you will never have to fear this common problem again.
For instance, did you know that you can use your hair dryer to remove chewing gum from your carpet? Just use your handheld hair dryer to heat up the gum, being careful to keep the heat low enough so that the carpet fibers do not melt. You can then use a piece of plastic wrap, or even a plastic shopping bag, to lift the softened piece of chewing gum away from the carpet fibers. Allow the gum to stick to the plastic wrap or plastic bag, and then pull it away. This technique often gets up most if not all of the gum.
The remaining chewing gum can often be removed using extra strength Ben Gay or a similar muscle pain preparation which contains methyl salicylate. Use a piece of plastic wrap or a plastic bag to pull more of the gum out after coating the carpet, repeating the process s needed until all the gum is gone. After the gum has been removed the spot can then be cleaned using a mild solution of detergent (a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid to a cup of warm water). The area can then be rinsed using warm water, then dried quickly, first by blotting and then using a fan.
In addition to these do it yourself techniques for removing chewing candy from carpet, many commercial carpet stain removers are good for gum as well. Goo Gone in particular tends to work very well. To use Goo Gone, use a brush to work it in and break up the chewing gum, then pick the gum out a piece at a time, repeating the process until all the gum is gone.
When using Goo Gone or another commercial carpet cleaner, be sure to rinse the spot thoroughly afterwards, using warm water and a Shop-Vac. If a Shop-Vac is not available you can rinse and blot the area with a soft cotton cloth. No matter what method you use, it is important that the cleaning solvent be completely removed from the carpet fibers.
Also be sure to dry the area as quickly as possible, especially if any stain has been left in the carpet from the dyes in the chewing gum. Drying the carpet quickly will help prevent any stains from coming back up to the surface.
If the chewing gum cannot be removed from the carpet using these methods, do not despair. Any commercial hot water extraction unit or steam cleaner will be able to remove even the most set in chewing gum.
