Caring for clothes by washing them properly and treating them in the best possible way is essential to remain in good condition for as long as possible. Sometimes, it is very difficult to be safe from stains that affect the fabric of the garments, as is the case with chewing gum. The adhesion of gum remains to the clothing fabric is a great setback since many people try to remove it without success or damage the affected area of the garment. Therefore, it is important to know the best methods and products to eliminate them.
If you want to discover how to remove gum from pants or another garment, or if you wonder how to remove gum from clothes, keep reading.
How to remove gum from clothes?
Acetone
Acetone is a good product to remove gum from black clothes, without fear of fading and white or light garments. To know how to properly remove gum from clothes with acetone, follow these steps:
- Remove as much chewing gum as possible with your hands and with the help of a scraper or plastic so that only very sticky remains or stains remain.
- Spray or soak the area of the garment affected by the gum with acetone. Use a sponge or cloth to apply the liquid well.
- Wait a few minutes for the gum and clothes to be well impregnated with acetone, and then rub the stained area with the sponge.
- Scrape off the gum stain with a knife, scraper, or plastic, such as a card you no longer use. Do it gently so as not to damage the fabric of the garment.
- Repeat the process if you see that there is still a lot of gum left.
- Finally, put the washing machine’s clothes and program the usual wash cycle to remove any remaining gum.
- Other alternatives to this product are nail polish removers that contain acetone and pharmacy alcohol.
Ice
One of the solutions you can resort to if you want to remove gum from white or colored clothing is ice, as this does not affect the dye or the garments’ fibers. If you want to find out how to remove gum from clothes with ice, follow these instructions:
- Put the gum-stained garment in a plastic bag. Place the garment with the gum facing up not to continue to stick to the garment itself.
- Put the bag in the freezer. In this way, the garment is isolated and does not affect the food.
- Within 2 to 3 hours, the gum will freeze. When it’s frozen, remove the bag from the freezer. You can also do it using ice, but it will take longer.
- Take the garment out of the bag, separate the gum from the fabric with a spatula or knife, and be careful not to damage the fabric.
- Add stain remover to the affected area once you have removed the gum and wash the garment as usual in the washing machine.
Hot
Do you want to discover how to remove gum from clothes with the iron? The heat from this appliance will help you achieve this in the following way:
- Lay the garment out on the ironing board.
- Place a cardboard or parchment paper over the spot stained by the bubble gum, making sure the gum sticks together.
- Flip the garment so that the cardboard or paper is in contact with the ironing board and you can iron the garment directly and at medium heat.
- The heat will loosen the glob of gum from the fabric, sticking it to the cardboard. You will have to lift the fabric to see if it peels off little by little.
- Use a knife or scraper to remove more gum that is still hot from the fabric and when you cannot remove any more, wash the garment in the washing machine to finish removing the remains.
Boiling water
Another solution is to wonder how to remove gum from clothing with heat to use boiling water. Accomplish it by following this step by step to remove gum from clothes with boiling water :
- Heat water in a pot until it starts to boil.
- Put the garment in a bucket or bathtub with a stopper and pour the hot water on the gum stuck to the fabric.
- Leave the garment submerged for a minute to allow the heat to penetrate the fibers of the fabric.
Remove the gum by scraping it off with a knife or scraper. Be careful not to burn yourself from the water and scrape gently not to destroy the garment’s fabric. - Spray the gum-stained area with stain remover and wash your clothes as you usually do in the washing machine.
Vinegar
Another useful tip is to learn how to remove gum from clothes quickly because you use vinegar for it. With these simple steps to use vinegar to remove gum from clothes, you will:
- Heat vinegar (the amount of glass) in a pot or the microwave until it begins to boil.
- Place the garment in a basin or bathtub.
- When the vinegar boils, pour it over the gum.
- Gently scrub the stained area with a brush to loosen the gum, and carefully use a knife or scraper if necessary.
- Wash the garment in the washing machine regularly to remove any remains that may have stuck. If the garment dries, you still see the chewing gum stain, do not hesitate to repeat the process or use another of the mentioned methods to finish removing it.
Soap
Removing gum stains from clothes with soap is also possible.
- Wet the fabric with water and cover the stained area with mild soap.
- You will have to rub over the gum remnants with a toothbrush until they are completely detached from the garment.
The possible drawback of using soap is that you will need to scrub with great intensity and even brush. For this reason, it is not recommended for clothes made of delicate fabrics. So if your affected garment is delicate, use another method in which you do not have to rub or brush hard and make sure if your garment can be applied heat or not to know if some of the previous methods are suitable no.
