How to Clean Gum from A Carpet

09/01/2013 Back To Blog

Finding sticky gum on a new carpet is enough to send any homeowner into panic. Top on the list of concerns would be whether the sticky gum is removable. The good news is you can clean sticky gum without destroying your carpet. Read on to learn how to achieve this goal.

First Steps

It is advisable to start removing the gum the moment you notice it. Remember the more you leave it to solidify and settle into the carpet, the harder it will be to remove and clean. However, this does not mean that you should start scrubbing and pulling the gum hastily. You will only end up ruining your carpet. Useful techniques that you can employ to remove the gum include:

Use Ice Cubes

Put several ice cubes in a ziplock bag, seal it, and place it over the gum for several minutes. The aim is to freeze and solidify the gum making it easy to scrape with a knife.

Use a Hair Dryer

Although scraping the solidified gum works, it does not remove the entire mass of the sticky goo. Therefore, the next step is to use a hair dryer to melt and loosen gummy substances that remain. However, be careful not to apply too much heat on a single carpet spot. You will only end up burning the carpet material. With the gum loose, use your fingers to strip it off your carpet.

The beauty of using the two methods described above is they work and remove almost all of the sticky gum.

Other Gum Removal Techniques

In some cases, the methods described above may not work. Take note that the alternative gum removal techniques described below can damage your carpet and require steady hands.

WD-40

WD-40 lubricating oil comes in handy if you would like to loosen the bonds between your carpet and sticky gum. The rule of thumb is to test it on a small area of your carpet before using it.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter contains natural oils that form a natural bond with gum helping loosen it. You should only apply a small amount of peanut butter on the gum.

Wood Oil Soap

Wood oil soap works the same way as WD-40 to loosen the grip between gum and carpet fibers.

Use vinegar to clear stains that develop during the gum cleaning process.