Carpets can be difficult to take care of. They are subject to a number of different types of soils and stains. One thing that can be particularly troublesome is chewing gum. It can be difficult to remove, especially if you do not know the right steps. Read this article and get some tips to help you remove chewing gum from your homes carpeting.
The first thing you want to do is try to remove as much of the chewing gum as possible with a dull instrument such as a professional carpet cleaning bone scraper or just a dull spoon. Do not use a sharp instrument like a knife as this could easily damage the carpeting. Next you wan to freeze the gum so that it can easily be broken off. If you have access to a can of chewing gum remover this is perfect. It will quickly freeze the gum. If you do not have access to this you can simply use an ice cube. Get the gum as frozen as possible and then strike it with a hard instrument. It should break into pieces that can easily be removed. Pick up all the pieces being careful not to forget any. Finally you will clean the spot to get rid of any remaining chewing gum residue. Get a good citrus spotter and apply it to a spotting cloth. Now dab the spot with the cloth gently to remove the residue. Be careful not to rub the spot aggressively which could damage the carpet fiber.
That is it. you are done. Now just keep people off of the section of carpet until it dries and you have a nice clean carpet again.
If your cleaning company is responsible for carpet spotting or overall carpet cleaning, you are eventually going to run across gum that is smashed into the carpet fibers. You may be cleaning up just a piece or two or if you are cleaning the carpet in a school or bowling alley, you may be removing gum every few feet. So is there a fast, easy way to remove these rubbery pieces of goo?
Begin by using a bone scraper and gently, but firmly scrape up as much of the gum as possible. This may remove the bulk of the gum, but don't forget you still need to remove any sticky residue that remains. For any pieces remaining, use a product such as Unbelievable Goo D-solv-r Pro (from Core Products).
Spray the chemical on a white blotting cloth and then blot the gum - do not spray it directly on the gum or the carpet. Once you have removed the gum rinse thoroughly with hot water. This will remove any of the chemical that is left on the carpet and help to prevent it from resoiling. Some people have found that after using the bone scraper they can use a volatile dry solvent and hot water in their extraction machine to remove any remaining pieces of gum. The heat helps to soften the gum and remove any remaining residues. Or you can use a citrus gel, which is a non-volatile dry solvent. Just remember that you'll need to rinse the citrus gel to remove any residue. No matter which process you decide to use, do not apply too much chemical.
Another way to remove gum is to "freeze" it. Fill a plastic bag with ice and rub it over the gum. Then chip away the frozen pieces with your bone scraper. After removing the pieces of gum you will still need to use your extractor to remove any remaining residue. There are also aerosol sprays on the market that will "freeze" the gum. Use these products with caution, as they can damage the carpet fibers. The process you use will naturally depend on how much gum you need to remove. If the area is heavily caked with gum it may be easier to use a bone scraper and then a good solvent with an extraction machine as opposed to the time it would take to either "freeze" or clean each spot with D-solv-r Pro.
As you are cleaning up the gooey mess from gum, remember to do a thorough job and remove as much of the residue as possible or the carpet will resoil quickly and you may be called back by an unhappy customer who notices the carpet looks dirty!
Both James Carl & Steve Hanson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
James Carl has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lawn Mower, Museum Guide and Hotels and Hostels. Go to for tips on local carpet care.. James Carl's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.
Steve Hanson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cleaning Business, Business Plan and Home Appliances. Steve Hanson is co-founder of TheJanitorialStore.com, an online community for owners of cleaning companies. Sign up for Trash Talk:Tip of the Week at