How to remove chewing gum from a carpet

Stepping into someone’s discarded chewing gum is an unpleasant experience. Walking down the street happy as can be when, all of a sudden, your one foot begins to irritatingly stick to the ground with each stride taken.

This awkward situation leaves us with two choices. We could stop and try to remove the gum from our shoe, however, the embarrassment of doing this in public and the thought of touching the saliva of someone who clearly has no regard for hygiene usually puts an end to that idea.

So instead we go with option two, which means ignoring it and walking like the rapper Snoop Dogg until we eventually find somewhere secluded enough to try and scrape the gum off, usually by pretending we’re a one-legged figure skater.

An even more frustrating experience is when the gum sneaks into our homes unnoticed and firmly deposits itself into the weaves of our woollen carpet. Deep carpet cleaning services are sometimes the only solution for chewing gum that has been well and truly trodden into the fabric. Although, before going the route of a commercial carpet cleaning company, here are three interesting techniques you can try to get rid of that stubborn, sticky piece of gum:

1 Freezing the gum

This technique requires a resealable plastic bag with ice cubes or a frozen gel pack which you place on top of the chewing gum for half an hour before attempting to remove it. The more frozen the gum is, the more likely you are to be able to remove it. Use a hard flat metal object to slide under the gum and slowly begin to lift it from the fibres. Use detergent to clean any remaining stains

2 Heating the gum

For this method you will need to get out the blow dryer and turn it onto its hottest setting. You will also need a piece of plastic cutting, either from a plastic bag or plastic wrap. Aim the blow dryer at the edge of the gum at the lowest angle possible so that the force of the air begins to lift the edge of the gum from the surface. Use the plastic wrap to pull the gum slowly away from the carpet. You can then use a spray detergent to clean any remaining residue.

3 Eucalyptus oil

Yes, eucalyptus trees are not only good for getting Kuala bears high, but the oil they produce has many great uses, one of which is removing gum from a carpet. If you do not have eucalyptus oil then ordinary peanut butter can be used as a substitute. Dap oil using a cloth on the gum and try to avoid getting any of it on the carpet itself. Once the gum has absorbed the oil, gently use a butter knife or spatula to lift and remove the gum from the surface. Use lemon juice to remove any remaining stickiness from the carpet.

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