How to Remove a Chewing Gum Stain
Chewing gum is a sticky substance, and it takes patience to remove a gum stain. Never wash a chewing gum stain until it has been removed; in any case, cool the paste with a bag containing ice cubes. The chewing gum will harden and become easier to remove with a knife. Then all that’s left to do is rub it off with vinegar, rubbing alcohol, or rubbing alcohol at 90°.
Let’s see closer below.
Cleaning a chewing gum stain on leather
To remove a chewing gum stain from leather, suede, or nubuck:
Place a plastic bag with ice cubes inside on the stain.
Let chewing gum harden for a few minutes.
With a wooden spoon, gently remove the surface pieces.
Heat some white vinegar.
Then rub (without burning yourself!) with a vinegar-soaked cloth.
Let dry and wax with a wax of the same color as the leather.
Removing a chewing gum stain from fabric or clothing
Check the fabric’s composition on the label before cleaning a chewing gum stain from a garment.
On a synthetic fabric
Ice the stain to set the paste.
Scrape off the gum with a wooden spatula.
Rub the remaining gum with a cotton cloth soaked in lemon water.
Repeat if the stain remains.
On cotton
Place a freezer bag filled with ice on the stain.
Scrape with the tip of a knife.
If the cotton is white, dab the stain with bleach.
Another effective detergent is rubbing with rubbing alcohol.
If the cotton is colored, rub the stain with rubbing alcohol.
Another effective detergent: vinegar
Rinse.
On jeans
Put ice on the stain.
Remove the surface paste with a spoon.
Dab with a paper towel soaked in rubbing alcohol.
Other effective detergents are bleach and vinegar.
On linen
Pour ice on the stain.
Scrape with the blade of a knife.
Rub with a cloth dampened with bleach.
Other effective detergents are rubbing alcohol and vinegar.
On natural fur
Ice the stain.
Rub with a cloth soaked in alcohol and water.
On synthetic fur
Treat the stain with ice cubes.
Rub it with a cloth soaked in hot vinegar.
Other effective detergents are bleach and rubbing alcohol.
On white wood
Place a freezer bag filled with ice cubes on the stain.
Scrape off the excess with the tip of a knife.
Dab the remaining stain with a cloth dampened with white spirit.
If the stain persists, rub it with a square of sandpaper.
On waxed wood
Apply a bag of ice cubes to the stain.
Remove the dry part with a spoon.
Scrub the remaining area with a cloth soaked in white spirit.
If there are still traces, gently apply steel wool.
On painted wood
Place ice on the stain.
Remove the icy stain with a spatula.
Rub with a cloth soaked in white spirit.
Erase the residue with a steel wool pad if the stain is encrusted.
On carpeting
Apply a freezer bag containing ice cubes to the stain.
Wait a few moments.
Peel off the hardened part with your fingernail.
Remove the rest with a cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol.
Another effective detergent is acetone.
On tiles
Harden the stain with ice.
Scrape off the excess with tweezers.
Clean the remaining stain with a cotton ball dipped in acetone.
Rinse off.
On cement or concrete
First, treat the stain with ice cubes and scrape off the excess.
Dab on a cloth containing acetone.
On wallpaper
If the paper is not washable, replace the stained strip.
If the paper is washable:
Squeeze a bag of ice cubes onto the stain.
Gently apply a spatula to the stain and lift off as much paste as possible.
Dab a wadded cloth of household alcohol on the stain.
Press a damp cloth to loosen.
Dry.
Removing a chewing gum stain from a smooth surface
On plastic or rubber
Place the stained plastic in the freezer for a few hours.
Scrape the stain to remove some of it.
Rub the rest with a cloth containing hot vinegar.
Rinse.
On a window, glass, or crystal
Place a bag of ice cubes on the crystal.
Once the paste is hard, try to loosen pieces of it with your fingers.
Dab the stain with a cotton ball moistened with hot vinegar.
On ceramic, earthenware, or porcelain
Cool the stain with ice.
Loosen the stiff paste.
Rub the stain with a cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol.
On stainless steel
Place a bag of ice cubes on the surface.
Loosen the hardened gum with a spatula.
Scrub with a sponge soaked in hot vinegar.
On copper
Apply ice to copper.
Scrub with an iron straw to loosen the hard part.
Dip the remaining part in a vinegar-water bath.
Soap.
Rinse.
Shine.
Cleaning a chewing gum stain on stone
To remove a chewing gum stain from stone:
Place a plastic bag containing ice cubes on the chewing gum.
Wait a few moments.
Once the stain has hardened, remove the gum with a spoon.
To remove the rest, use a stiff brush.
On marble or stoneware
Place an ice pack on the stain and remove the hard chewing gum with a spoon.
Rub a bar of soap on the stain.
Rub with a damp sponge.
On granite
Cool the stone with ice cubes.
Scrape off excess with a steel wool pad.
Soap.
Wash with clean water.
Cleaning a chewing gum stain from hair
Coat strands with a paper towel containing olive oil.
Comb through hair.
Wash hair as usual.
List of detergents for cleaning gum stains
Baking soda
Soap
Liquid black soap
Scouring powder
Turpentine
White spirit
Sandpaper
Baby powder
Steel wool/iron wool brushes
Bag of soda crystals
Bottle of odorless mineral spirits
Shaving foam, spray
Tube of toothpaste
Can of bleach
Dishwashing liquid
