How To Get Gum Out Of Clothes In 7 Easy Ways? Read Here!

Are you in a bit of a ‘sticky’ situation? Wondering how that wad of gum, you were happily chewing landed in your clothes? Well, as clumsy as the situation might be, you need not worry about losing that favorite piece of clothing. Today, FictionPad shows you how to get gum out of clothes with a couple of easy hacks.

For those who are unaware of these, scroll down this post and find out ways in which some of the common household goods can help you get rid of the gum on your clothes. Along with these methods, we will give you some insights into removing gum from delicate clothing as well. Do not miss out on that! Here is how to go about it – 

How to get gum out of clothes in various ways? 

Here are some of the key techniques that you can use – 

1. Use White Vinegar 

White Vinegar is the ultimate problem solver! Here is how it solves the ‘sticky issue’ – 

• Blend water and white vinegar in a 1:2 ratio and heat it to a temperature just before boiling point. You can also heat it in a microwave for 15 seconds. Do not boil. 
• Soak the gum-affected area of the cloth with it for 1-2 minutes (use a dropper to dampen the area). If required, you can use a little more of it within that period to loosen it a little more. 
• Take an old toothbrush and dampen it with the solution. Now, brush against it from below and ensure that, little by little, the gum gets removed from the cloth. 
• If not over in one go, you can always re-dampen the brush and continue this process. 
• Once entirely out, simply use a stain-remover and wash it with a detergent powder. 

In case you don’t have white vinegar, apple cider vinegar works just as well! Follow the same procedure for that as well. 

2. You can use the Freezing technique 

If you are one of those who have read/heard somewhere that freezing clothes can remove the gum, in this section, you will get to witness how to get gum out of clothes precisely using this method – 

• Fold the garment in a way that the gum faces the outside. Take a plastic bag and either put the clothing inside, exposing only the gum portion, and place it inside the freezer. If not, you can also place the clothing on top of the plastic, exposing the gum part, and place it in the freezer. 
• Keep it in the freezer for 2 hours minimum (or till the gum has frozen completely). 
• Take it out and start scraping the gum using any blunt object. You will find that after constant scraping, the gum has been removed. Use a stain remover and wash it naturally. 

You must ensure that the gum is completely frozen before you start scraping it since, if not, there might remain remnants of the gum.

3. Hairsprays also work 

You wouldn’t perhaps believe this – but hairsprays do work to remove gum from clothes. This is how to use it – 

• Take that portion of clothing on which the gum is stuck. Cut a hole in a piece of cardboard (or any other hard object) and put it on the gum so that only that part of the cloth protrudes or is exposed. 
• Now, take the hair spray and hold it a foot away. Then spray it 2-3 times on precisely the gum. Hold on for 1 minute before trying to loosen it in any way. 
• If you see that it has become smooth, remove it with a blunt object first. If not, you need to spray for another 2-3 times, wait for 1 more minute, and then remove it in the same way. 
• Scrape off the gum and its remnants before you wash it. 

Also, ensure that no part of your clothing is exposed to the hair spray since that can leave stains. 

4. Rubbing alcohol works quite well 

For those who are unaware of how rubbing alcohol can help remove gum from your clothes, we will demonstrate how to get gum out of clothes for them to try out – 

• Take a sponge or cotton wool and dampen it with a small proportion of rubbing alcohol (that which roughly has 70% of isopropyl alcohol). 
• Hold it over the gum and press it down for 30-40 seconds. You will soon find that the gum is loosening, and you can almost pull it out. 
• In case you find that the gum is not completely removed, you can pour a little more rubbing alcohol to make it damp. You can also use a little more force. 
• After the gum loosens, remove it with the edge of a card or a blunt butter knife. Apply stain remover and launder traditionally. 

5. Iron the cloth to remove the gum 

You must have heard of this multiple times. However, it’s doubtful how many times you have practiced or tried practicing the correct method. So, let us give you an insight into the right way to remove chewing gum from your clothes by ironing – 

• You will have to start by placing a cardboard piece on your ironing board. After that, you will have to put the stained cloth in a way that the gum is on the cardboard. 
• Put your iron on a medium setting and heat it for a minimum of 15-20 seconds. When you start ironing on the cloth like that, you will automatically find that the gum gets transferred onto the cardboard. 
• This might take a little more time than usual. But when you keep ironing that piece of dress/clothing, you will see that the gum is getting transferred. 
• If required, change the cardboard’s position so that the gum can stick on other parts of the board (if the gum does not transfer in the first instance). 
• Once the gum is removed, use a stain remover or a detergent to ditch the gum stain. Launder the clothing as usual. 

6. Opt for the duct tape method 

For those thinking of out-of-the-box ways as to how to get gum out of clothes – the duct tape format, though tricky and time-consuming, does yield favorable results. 

• Cut a piece of duct tape that is similar in size to the gum and can almost cover up the gum. 
• Take the piece and place it slightly over the gum. After a couple of seconds, lift it carefully so that the gum also gets lifted in the process. 
• If it does not work in one go, then you can always try it a second or a third (mostly, it works well the second) time. 
• After removing the gum, use a stain remover or dip your cloth in detergent-mixed water and launder as usual. 

7. Try the ice-technique 

This is one of the easiest hacks to remove gum from your clothes, and in more than a single scenario, it works quite well. 

• Take a piece of ice cube and rub it smoothly against the gum for 10 minutes. You can use an ice pack as well. 
• Once you are done rubbing it on one side, you can do the same on the flip side. Otherwise, you can rub both sides simultaneously. 
• After 10 minutes, you will see the gum becoming loose. If still not, rub for another 5-6 minutes. 
• Once the gum loosens, you can use either a dull butter knife or the edge of a card (debit/credit card or any other card) to remove the gum. 
• After that, pour some stain remover and launder it normally. 

These are some quick hacks you can try to remove the gum from your clothes. You can pick the ones that suit your requirements and availability. Most of these work well. 

How to get gum out of delicate clothes? 

Finding a piece of gum stuck to your priceless clothing is one of the most heartbreaking things ever. But that’s not the end of your dress! For those looking for how to get gum out of clothes – especially lace, cashmere, or wool, try the rubbing alcohol technique. 

• Take a Q-tip and dip it in rubbing alcohol. After that, dab that onto the gum lightly. Either use the back of a spoon or any other dull object (paint scraper, blunt butter knife) and remove the gum slowly from that dress material. 

Once you have taken the gum out, you can simply wash the dress/clothing in detergent mixed water to remove any mark left whatsoever. 

What if you find the gum after drying your clothes? 

Sometimes, you might find a piece of chewing gum stuck on your clothes; once it has dried, you are set to iron them. Utmost bad luck! Nonetheless, you can still remove it. Here is how to get gum out of clothes that are dry – 

• Start by trying out the freezer method.  
• The next sureshot strategy to try is – the ironing method.  

Once you have tried any of the abovementioned methods, dip the cloth in any stain remover and then launder them as usual. 

Points to remember 

• If you have gum stuck in your clothes, never wash it directly in water/detergent water. That will only ruin your clothes and nothing else. 
• Never use too sharp an object to remove the gum. You may end up spoiling the dress. 
• The gum stains might not get removed in one go. When going for a second wash, you must use a little more stain-remover and keep the affected portion of the cloth for an additional 10 minutes before washing it off. 

Parting thoughts 

To find the chewing gum on your clothes that should have been in the bin (once you are done with it) is not the happiest of scenes. However, there are a host of methods, from rubbing alcohol to using vinegar or even freezing, that people who are searching for how to get gum out of clothes can use. Though for general clothes, any of these methods work, if you are dealing with delicate clothes, then pick only after proper research (the technique is mentioned above). Choose well, and write down your experience or any new trick that you know. For more updates, keep following this website.