The chewing gum dilemma

We’ve all had this happen.

You're walking along enjoying the day and notice a bit of stickiness underfoot.

You stop, awkwardly lift your foot and inspect the bottom of your shoe. Yep, there it is. A big glob of chewing gum. It's stuck there and seems to have taken up permanent residence on the bottom of the sole of your shoe.

Getting a bit of gum on the bottom of your shoe may be a common occurrence and yes, it is a little gross as well, considering it spent many minutes in someone’s bacteria-ridden mouth.

But the procedure for removing it from your shoe is easy, so you grab something to scrape it off and then just go about your business, with the friction of the shoe hitting the ground eventually removes any remaining stickiness.

However, when gum gets into clothing or other fabric, that’s a whole different game.

Removing gum when it is warm or room temperature is very challenging. Without special solvents that the professionals use, you might just make a mess of the job. So you make the best of what you have. And that’s something cold.

With gum in carpet or an area rug, use an ice cube in a small, zip-lock bag. Rub the ice cube on the gum until it starts to harden and when it seems hard enough, break the gum off the fibers. Just don’t force the issue as you could end up physically damaging the fibers. If you are successful in removing most of the gum, you now need to deal with what's left. A very small amount of dry solvent, such as rubbing alcohol, on a white cloth can help remove the residue. Contact your favorite carpet cleaner for complete advice and to avoid damage.

For clothing or garments, you can be a little more aggressive. Put the affected item in a bag and stick it in the freezer for several hours until it's completely frozen. Immediately after removing the item from the freezer, break off the gum. Any remaining residue can be removed with typical laundry pre-treatment products and then, of course, put the item in the washing machine. Upon removal after washing, before drying, make sure there is no remaining sticky residue. If there is, use a dry solvent on the spot and wash again. Drying it will set it even more.

Sounds like a lot of work? It is. That’s why when you need anything cleaned, it pays to call your pro! 770-765-1221