How to Remove Chewing Gum From Carpeting
Despite your best efforts to keep your carpet clean, it isn't always possible to keep it free from sticky objects such as chewing gum. Whether it is tracked in on a shoe or dropped by a child, getting it out can be a frustratingly difficult task. The right removal method however, will help you get the task done quickly and without causing damage to your carpeting.
What You'll Need:
- Gloves
- Dull Knife
- Ice cubes
- Plastic bag
- Vacuum cleaner
- Distilled vinegar
Instructions:
- Pick up as much of the gum from the carpet. For this task you may consider using gloved fingers, the edge of a dull knife or some other hard utensil. Try to pick up dropped gum as quickly as possible for ease of removal.
- Place several ice cubes into a plastic bag. Lay the bagged ice over the remaining gum until the ice becomes cold and begins to harden.
- Scrape the hardened, brittle gum using the edge of the knife again, chipping away at the ice.
- Replace the bag of ice over the gum to keep it hard if it begins to soften before you've finished removing it.
- Continue to chip at the hardened gum until it you have removed a majority of it.
- Vacuum over the area to remove any loose remnants of the gum.
- Examine the area after vacuuming. If there appears to be gum remaining, or residue from the gum, pour white, distilled vinegar on a clean white cloth wipe over the area. If necessary, let the vinegar soak into the carpeting for several minutes before wiping up the residue.
Tip
- Take care to gently scrape at the gum using your knife or utensil to avoid damaging the fiber.
- If you do not have ice cubes on hand, try spraying the gum with canned air. This will work to make the gum cold enough so that it can be chipped away.