How to Remove Gum From Vintage Clothing

When vintage clothing has been on display or hung in a closet for a long time, it can come into contact with many things, including chewing gum. Although chewing gum can ruin clothing if left on it, it is easy to remove.

• Make the gum hard to make it less sticky and easier to remove in one piece. Apply an ice cube directly to the location of the gum, and leave it in place for several minutes. You can also place the vintage clothing in the freezer to freeze and harden the gum.


• Use a butter knife or plastic chisel to scrape the gum off the vintage clothing. Do not use sharp objects such as scissors or steak knives because you could rip or puncture the clothing and ruin it.


• Apply a small amount of vegetable oil to the gum and surrounding area of the clothing. Vegetable oil removes the stickiness from the gum, making it easier to remove from the vintage clothing. Only use a small amount of vegetable oil on light colored clothing. It could cause the color of the gum to bleed into the fabric and stain the clothing. If you notice the gum bleeding, stop using the vegetable oil and spray the vintage clothing with a stain remover. Once the gum has been removed, you can wash the vintage clothing to remove the stain.


• Avoid washing the clothing until all the gum has been removed. Washing the vintage clothing will make the gum soft again and could cause it to spread to other parts of the clothing. Or, washing could liquefy and melt the gum into the clothing, making it more difficult to remove.