Get Bubble Gum out of Clothes

Though it tastes good when you're chewing it, gum can be a pain when it pops up in unexpected places like the bottom of your shoe, your hair, or your clothing. Luckily, there are several tricks you can pull to successfully remove bubble gum from clothing. Try one of the methods below to get your clothing gum-free.

Steps

Freezing

  1. Fold the fabric with the gum facing outward. You will need to fold it small enough to fit into a plastic bag the size of your choice. Avoid spreading the gum to other parts of the clothing.
  2. Place the clothing in the plastic bag. Seal the bag shut but make sure that the gum does not stick to the plastic bag.
  3. Seal the bag and place it in the freezer for several hours. The gum should freeze entirely and become hard, making it easier to remove.
  4. Remove the clothing from the freezer once the gum is hard. Take the clothing out of the bag.
  5. Scrape or peel the gum off of the clothing immediately. Don't allow the gum to warm back up at all if possible. You can use any sort of blade such as a butter knife or paint scraper to remove the gum. If it does not come off, place it back in the freezer.

Hot liquid

  1. Submerge the area affected by gum in very hot water. Let it soak in for a few minutes. Hold the clothing under water and use a toothbrush or sharp knife to scrape off the gum.
  2. Steam blast the gum. Place the area with the gum at the mouth of a kettle or any other pot that produces concentrated steam when water is boiled in it. Allow the gum to absorb the steam before scraping it off.
  3. Soak the clothing in hot vinegar. Scrub a toothbrush in small circles over the affected area until the gum loosens. You may have to continue to dip the clothing in the vinegar several times to apply a fresh soaking of the liquid. Be sure to wash off the toothbrush as it becomes full of gum.

Ironing

  1. Place the gum face down on a piece of cardboard. Make sure the cardboard is on an ironing board to avoid burning any surface underneath the cardboard.
  2. Turn the iron on medium heat. You want the iron to loosen the gum without melting it completely, as that can make it even messier.
  3. Run the iron over the side of the clothing without the gum on it. You should now have the gum sandwiched between the cardboard and the iron, with the fabric of the clothing providing a barrier between the gum and the iron.
  4. Iron the clothing until the gum sticks to the cardboard. It may take several minutes for the gum to heat up completely.
  5. Pull the cardboard away from the clothing. The gum should pull off of the clothing along with the cardboard. If the gum does not pull away, continue to iron the clothing until it is soft enough to do so.

Peanut butter

  1. Lather the gum in peanut butter. Be sure to coat the gum entirely on all sides. The oil in the peanut butter should loosen the gum's grip on your clothes.
  2. Allow the peanut butter to sit for about one minute. You want to give it enough time to loosen the gum without allowing it to stain your clothing too deeply.
  3. Scrape the gum off using a tool with a hard, thin surface such as a paint scraper.
  4. Wash the clothing immediately after using this method. While the oil in the peanut butter is what loosens the gum, it can also stain your clothing. Be sure to use a stain remover or heavy laundry detergent and wash right after use.

Using Household Items or Cleaning Products

  1. Try using liquid laundry soap. Pour a dollop of laundry soap directly on the gum. Use a toothbrush to scrape around the space where the gum is connected to the shirt. Then use a strong scraper such as a paint scraper to remove the gum entirely.
  2. Apply Goo Gone or Goof Off. Goo Gone and Goof Off are strong degreasing agents that make removing gum a breeze. Allow the product to soak into the gum and then scrape the gum off using a metal scraper.
  3. Use an adhesive removal spray. Spray an adhesive remover on the gum and let it soak in for several minutes. Use a toothbrush or a wire brush to scrape off the gum.
  4. Pour rubbing alcohol on the affected spot. Let the rubbing alcohol seep in and loosen up the gum for several minutes. Then remove the gum using a metal scraping tool.
  5. Spray WD40 on the area affected by gum. Let it sit for several minutes and then use a brush or metal scraper to scrape off the gum.
  6. Spray hair spray directly on to the gum. Immediately scrape off the gum, do not wait for it to harden, as hair spray is generally not strong enough to harden the gum completely.
  7. Press a strip of duct tape directly onto the gum. Like the peanut butter method, make sure the duct tape covers all of the surface area of the gum. Avoid pressing the duct tape too hard into your shirt. Peel off of the duct tape. Repeat with a new piece of tape if all the gum isn't gone.
  8. Apply Lanacane to the gum after scraping off as much as possible. Lanacane contains Ethanol, Isobutane, Glycol, and Acetate, which all help to loosen the gum off of the clothing. Let the Lanacane sit for about one minute and scrape off the remaining gum using a paint scraper or a butter knife.
  9. Rub gasoline or lighter fluid on the gum. Be careful to keep these flammable products away from fire while using them. Scrub the gum with a toothbrush and scrape off any extra with a metal scraper. Rinse the clothing with detergent and warm water by itself before putting it in the washing machine with other clothes.
  10. Put orange oil on the spot. Use a rag to rub the orange oil on the affected spot. Allow it to soak into the clothing and then use a metal scraper to remove the gum.
  11. Use paint thinner or turpentine.
    • Scrape off thick pieces of gum first.
    • Wearing gloves, apply a small amount of paint thinner or turpentine to the gum residue. Scrub it with an old but clean toothbrush.
    • Rinse off the scrubbed gum before laundering.
    • Launder as usual. The gum should be washed away.
  12. Stick the item in the microwave for about 20 seconds. The heat will soften adhesive in the gum, making it easy to scrape off. Use a paint scraper and scrape off immediately after taking it out of the microwave.
    • Only use on fabrics that can withstand being heated.

Tips

  • You can use a paint scraper, a butter knife, or any other blunt metal scraping tool to remove excess gum.
  • Be sure to wash clothing with detergent immediately after using one of the above methods. Many contain greasy products that can stain your clothing.
  • Try to remove the gum from the clothing as soon as possible after it gets attached.
  • If the method calls for scrubbing, use a firm toothbrush or a wire brush of some sort.

Warnings

  • Some of the products used in the above methods may stain your clothing.
  • Paint thinner and turpentine are flammable, so keep them away from flame sources, such as a hot water heater, and ventilate well while using and also while laundering the clothing afterward.
  • Be careful when working with hot liquids and flammable products.
  • Do not let a child use a sharp scraper object.

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