Flooring Tips & Tricks

How to Remove a Chewing Gum from Carpeting

It is fairly common for chewing gum to be accidentally dropped on your carpeting and then trodden, or squashed into the matting. The problem is that carpeting can easily be damaged if ingrained chewing gum is not removed correctly. There are a few ways in which chewing gum can be successfully and safely removed from carpet even if it has been there for a long period of time or become heavily ingrained. One way is to essentially freeze the gum until it becomes hard and brittle so it can then be either carefully prized off, or picked out of the carpeting.

A number of ice cubes gathered inside a plastic bag can be held against the affected area until the soft gum hardens up. Although this method is effective it may take some time for the gum to harden. To save time you can use a compressed ‘air-in-a-can’ type product that is designed for dust removal etc. Using this technique also means that you have a little more control when treating the affected area. Once brittle, the chewing gum can be carefully extracted or picked out with a thin, yet blunt, implement like an dull knife or spoon.

If the chewing gum has been squashed or trodden into the fibers of the carpeting, you may need to repeat the process and carefully pick out any smaller pieces bit by bit, ensuring that you do not pull out any fibers of the carpeting with it.

Once removed you should follow up by cleaning the area with a designated carpeting cleaning product to remove any residue and help return the carpet back to its prior condition. If you find that there is still deep ingrained chewing gum residue that cannot be picked out you can use a dry cleaning solvent based remover product to dissolve and lift it out. Apply the product onto a clean towel and work into the affected area.

Be sure to test a small area first to ensure that the product does not discolor or damage the carpeting in any way. Be certain to follow up this stage by applying a fresh water rinse and blotting that up the area afterwards with paper towels.

Supplies

To clean chewing gum from carpeted flooring, you need a few common household products. These include:

• Cotton Cloth
• Dull Knife or Spoon
• Cleaning Solvent
• Clean Towel
• Paper Towels

Method for Cleaning: Method 1

1. APPLY a dry cleaning solvent onto a damp towel
2. BLOT don't rub 
3. REPEAT solvent application as above—do not apply directly to carpet
4. BLOT don't rub 
5. APPLY water with damp towel
6. BLOT to finish with a weighted pad of paper towels

Method for Cleaning: Method 2

1. SCRAPE up the gum
2. FREEZE with ice cubes 
3. SHATTER with a blunt object (like the back of a large spoon)
4. VACUUM chips away before they melt 

The most important things to consider when attempting to remove chewing gum from your carpeting is that you take your time and don’t try to pull it all off at once too harshly as this will damage the carpet by pulling it up with the gum. It may take some time to safely remove it if it has really been worked into the surface. But, if you persist, ensure all of it is removed and then follow up with a designated solvent you should be able to restore your carpeting back to its original condition and never know where the chewing gum had been. If in doubt, call a professional.

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