For many people, chewing gum is a flavourful treat that exercises your jaw, eliminates boredom and helps smokers stay away from cigarettes by replacing their oral fixation with a non-toxic alternative. Unfortunately, gum can get tracked into your house on the bottom of your shoe and stick in your carpet. There are ways to remove gum from carpet if it embeds itself in carpet fibres.
Method 1: Freezing
Gather ice cubes into a resealable plastic bag and lay it on top of the gum wad. Alternatively, a frozen cold pack for muscle pain relief also works. Allow the ice pack to sit for about 30 minutes before attempting to remove the gum from carpet.
Lift up the ice pack from the gum wad. Feel the gum to ensure that it’s frozen solid. The longer the ice pack sits, the harder the gum will become and the easier it will be to remove from your carpet.
Grab a metal spatula, butter knife or other chisel-like item with a thin, straight edge that won’t cut your carpet fibres. Kneel down and gently attempt to lift the gum up off of the carpet fibres. Allow it to crack and break into fragments and remove as much as possible. Rub ice over stubborn areas that won’t lift off and repeat as necessary.
Look to check if any gum is left on the carpet. Should you have additional gum stuck in the fibres, check around your house for a muscle-rub product that contains “methyl salicylate” as an ingredient. This is a plant-based wintergreen oil with loosening agents that will remove any remaining gum from carpet. Rub the product into the wad with a soft cloth, then use an old toothbrush to bring up any remaining gum from carpet as you continue brushing the gum up and away from the fibres.
Finish your cleaning mission by cleaning the spot with a mild detergent and a splash of vinegar to eliminate any odors. Blot dry with a thick towel and don’t walk on that area until it is completely dry.
