How to remove gum from clothing, hair, carpet and more

FROM CLOTHING:

For washable clothing, scrape off any excess gum with a dull knife and rub the area with ice until the remaining gum rolls off into a ball.

Or seal the dry garment in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer. Once it is frozen, remove and gently scrape with a dull knife.

FROM CARPET:

Scrape excess gum off your carpet with a dull knife and rub area with ice until the remaining gum rolls off into a ball.

Use an extra-strength deep-heating rub to remove the gum. First, heat the gum residue on your carpet with a blow dryer for 1 to 2 minutes. Then, using squares of plastic (sandwich bags will work nicely) remove as much gum as possible. Apply more heat if the gum hardens. This should remove about 80 per cent of the residue.

Next, spread half a teaspoon of the deep-heating rub evenly over the remaining gum residue. Heat with a blow dryer set on high for 30 seconds. Use plastic squares in a circular motion to remove residual stain. Apply a mild detergent and water solution with a rag and leave area to air dry. Test carpet first to ensure colour fastness.

FROM HAIR:

Natural solvent extracts from citrus peels often remove gum from hair. If a citrus peel solvent is not available, mineral oil, cooking oil or peanut butter sometimes work.

Add a small amount and knead the gum with your fingers to soften and disperse. Pull out gradually as gum softens. Rinse with soap and water. Shampoo hair to remove residue.

FROM SIDEWALKS, PATIOS AND OTHER HARD SURFACES:

When scraping is not enough, many commercial organizations and municipalities have found a power washer to be effective in removing chewing gum from hard surfaces. Warm water under pressure – with or without solvents – yields the best results.

From the International Chewing Gum Association: gumassociation.org.