How to Get Gum Out of Clothing in 15 Easy Steps! (2023)

How to get gum out of clothing? This a question a lot of us have come across.

We go outside for various reasons. It could be for our job, to carry out errands, hanging out with friends or in children’s case, to play with friends. More or less, everybody has a life outside of their homes which pulls them to go out for various reasons.

In the process, encountered various cloth enemies as usual. What I mean by cloth enemies isn’t a physical person who is out on the run to ruin your clothes but other inanimate things that well, ruin your clothes!

This could include tough stains, paint stains, mud or grass stains, dust and of course chewing gum. It can be infuriating when removing gum because it sticks tightly to your cloth fibre, not letting it go! However, worry not, we have got you covered here for the same.

1. How to Get Gum Out of Clothing?

Nobody is ever aware of how it happens, maybe you carelessly sat on a bench or whatever, but most of us have at least once in our lives encountered a gum stain. You must have too which is probably why you are here right now, currently reading this post.

Theoretically, gum stuck in hair is more difficult to get rid of than gum stuck in your clothes. However, the latter is equally annoying. In addition to being sticky, they can also leave some discolouration on your clothes after being removed and also some sticky residue.

Here are some ways to remove chewing gum from your clothing.

1.1. Ice Cubes

To remove gum from your clothing, freeze it first by putting ice cubes over it, or you can make an ice pack and then place it over the gum. Once it has frozen, you can gently peel it off using your hands and remove the remaining gum using a butter knife or a paint scraper.

You can also put your garment in a plastic bag before placing it inside the freezer. Leave it until the gum hardens. Make sure not to put the area with the stuck gum face down. Once the gum hardens, it gets less sticky and enables effective removal.

1.2. Peanut Butter

Peanut butter has some natural essential oils that aid in removing gum out of clothes. First apply a thick coating of peanut butter on the chewing gum, to avoid staining your cloth with it, leave it on for just 1 minute.

After that, you gently scrape out the gum with a tool with a sharp end such as a butter knife. Once done, if the peanut butter left any stain, then use a stain remover before putting your garment for washing.

1.3. Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is also a really effective way to remove chewing gum. Rubbing alcohol is isopropyl alcohol which breaks the polymers of gum. It also doesn’t stain clothes which is a plus point.

Dab some alcohol over the gum with a cotton swab, and let it dry before removing the gum with a butter knife. You can then wash it off!

1.4. White Vinegar

Another effective solution! Take some warm vinegar, and then dab it on the affected area using an old toothbrush. Scrub the soiled garment, within a minute, the gum will start coming off and instead get balled up in the bristles. You can then wash your cloth.

1.5. Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is another good solvent to remove chewing gum. Pour a little lemon juice on the gum. Afterwards, peel it off with a butter knife. Then like the above processes, send your garments for washing to remove any stain or lemon juice that might have remained in your clothes.

1.6. Hair Dryer

You can use a hair dryer to melt the gum. For the same purpose, you can use hot liquids such as warm water and steam too.

After melting and in the process loosening the gum, gently pull it off. However, once the gum starts melting, it can be a sticky mess, beware to do it carefully and use an old toothbrush to wipe it off.

1.7. Vegetable Oil

Get any vegetable oil available in your kitchen. Pour some of it on a spare cloth and then rub the cloth over the gum. The process will reduce the gum’s stickiness and the bond between the gum and the garment.

After this, you can easily scrape off the gum from your garment and further send it to get washed.

1.8. Toothpaste

Toothpaste doesn’t only whiten your teeth but also helps in removing gum from clothes. Toothpaste can break down a gum’s stickiness and polymers letting you easily scrape it off using any object with a hard edge such as a dull knife or an old credit card.

1.9. Duct Tape

You can remove the gum from clothing using duct tape too. Duct tape is sticky in nature. Place it directly over the affected area and try to pull the gum off.

Beware to place it over the gum directly and not mistakenly in the nearby area as you don’t want to add more sticky substances to your garment.

1.10. Dish Soap

Once you succeed in removing chewing gum, you can use dish soap and warm water to rinse off any gum residue.

1.11. Hot Iron

Place cardboard over a flat surface. Then place the garment gum-side down on top of it. Adjust the iron settings to medium as too hot can result in a sticky mess whereas too low might not be enough heat to soften it.

Once it starts melting, it will start sticking to the cardboard and get peeled off of your garment.

1.12. Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil, while having numerous benefits for your skin and being a hydrating agent is also an effective tool to get gum out of clothes. You would need to heat the coconut oil and then dip the affected area in the oil.

The oil starts to work and dissolve the gum. Once done, peel the gum off and wash the cloth to avoid staining due to the oil. Coconut oil isn’t only useful to remove gum from your clothes but also your hair.

1.13. Facial Oil Cleansers

Oil cleansers are beneficial to remove makeup and oily skincare products. Everyone is well aware of that, however, what a lot of people might not know is that they can also aid in removing gum. Like heavy moisturisers and creams, chewing gum is also a non-polar solvent.

Hence, using oil cleansers can be an effective method to remove gum out of your clothes.

1.14. Hairspray

Another effective method! Spray your hairspray over the gum. This will harden it. Once it has hardened completely, it should get relatively easy to peel off! After peeling it off, send it down to wash!

1.15. Mayonnaise

Other than making your sandwich tastier, Mayonnaise can be an effective gum repellent. Dab some of it over the fabric with the stuck gum. Massage it gently which should lead to an easier peeling off of the gum.

End the process by sending your fabric for washing as usual.

Final Note

These were many useful, totally working and super easy methods to save yourself from the catastrophe of chewing gum sticking to your clothes. One may try to remain cautious and on guard but one can never be too careful.

It is normal to encounter such mishappenings and knowing these solutions make your job of getting out of them way too easier, time-saving, and also cost-effective!

Also, most of these methods can be applied to remove gum from delicate clothes so use them. Just beware of some that may cause harsh stains or affect the cloth’s quality.

I hope this post helped you learn new things and more and you overall enjoyed reading it.

If interested then check out similar posts at IcyTales and I will see you soon ^^.