While most stains come out of clothes with a bit of detergent and few spins in the washing machine, gum stains are another story. Not only is gum immune to machine-washing, but attempts to wipe, scrape, or peel gum out of clothing with bare hands often result in an even bigger mess. So what should you do when you find a piece of Trident affixed to your favorite sweater?
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#1
As it turns out, there are plenty of nifty hacks to deal with this particularly sticky situation. Some recommend freezing gum and scraping it off once it hardens, others suggest the exact opposite: Heating gum until it's soft and gooey, then using a range of substancesincluding peanut butter, orange oil, and Bengayto loosen it from clothes.
First, water alone is no match for chewing gum, and second, both heat and cold can be used to remove gum from clothes in different ways. When gum is stuck to clothing but not mashed into its fibers, freezing is generally a good way to quickly harden it and scrape it off in one chunk. But when gum is stuck to more delicate clothes, heating tends to be a better strategy for removing it without damaging clothing. Since heating alone just makes gum more pliable, another ingredient is needed to loosen it from fabric.
#2 What You Will Need
Consumer Reports has just released its proven method for removing gum from clothing. So from now on you can get rid of that sticky gooey mess with little effort if you just follow these easy steps.
You'll need the following:
A blow dryer, a plastic knife, a Ziploc bag, a scraper, Polyethylene plastic and some BenGay.
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#3 Use The Blow Dryer
And heat the hardened on gum with the hot blow gun until it turns back into a sticky mess.
#4 Scrape The Area With A Plastic Knife
Or use a scrapper, but gently coax off the now softened mess from your article of clothing. Try to get as much as possible with the scrappers.
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#5 Rub In Some BenGay
Yes, we really mean BenGay. While it's not the only way to get gum out of your clothes, it's one of the most effective and is supported by the International Gum Chewing Association as they recommend deep-heating rubs, of which Bengay is a popular brand. It's also the most potent.
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#6 How It Works
The ingredients, Methyl Salicylate, will quickly dissolve the gum base as you rub it into the material, making it so that it isn't 'sticky' or gummy anymore. Rub it long enough to make sure the entire glop is dissolved enough to form beads like droplets.
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#7 Use Your Polyethylene Plastic
And then grab at the droplets of nonsticky gum until they are all removed from your garment. The plastic will stick to whatever gummy particles are left over and pick them up easily.
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#8 Finish With The Ziploc Bag
Use a zippy or sandwich baggie to remove whatever may be left, which should not be much. The plastic, like the Polyethylene, will help you as you pinch and grab the remaining gum.
Be careful where you stick your gum.. and your butt!
*This method also works when removing gum from hair.
