How Can I Get Gum Out of My Clothes?

Regardless of how it got there, having gum stuck in your clothes is always a nuisance. Getting it out of there is complex, and not many people know how to do it. Apart from that, doing it incorrectly could permanently damage your clothes. 

However, you can’t go around with gum stuck to your t-shirt or pants, so how can you take gum out of your clothes? We are here to answer that question. Although we are commercial cleaning experts, we know a thing or two about cleaning other things, so don’t hesitate to try any of the tips given in this article.

Remember you can also check our website whenever you want to read any commercial cleaning industry news, tips, or guides. You can either go there to read some other blog posts or hire our cleaning services. Hiring us only takes you a few minutes!

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How to Take Gum Out of Clothes 

Here you can find five methods to take gum out of your clothes. None of these things can damage the fabric, so don’t worry about that when trying them. 

#1 Use Detergent 

Almost all the methods listed here are based on using different products to take the gum out without damaging your clothes, and some are more creative than others. The first one is detergent, and although it may seem obvious to use this, it’s an excellent alternative. 

This method requires you to spread some detergent across the gum. Make sure you pour enough of it since not doing it can make the process not work at all. After that, you need to spread the detergent around the gum with a toothbrush until you cover it all. 

While many people keep on with the process right away, it’s best if you wait at least three minutes for the detergent to work. Then, you can scrape the gum off your clothes with a butter knife and use your fingernails to get rid of the rest. 

If you already did that, the only step left to do is to wash your clothes as if nothing happened. You can use a stain remover if the gum stained your clothes in any way. 

#2 Toothpaste 

On a normal basis, you would never want toothpaste to get in your clothes, but it’s something that can help you a lot if you have gum on it. You only need a drop of toothpaste to go on with this method, so use your hand or fingers to fill the gum with the toothpaste drop. 

Unlike the previous method, using toothpaste requires you to wait until the toothpaste dries. Trying to take the gum off your clothes before it dries completely can worsen the problem a lot, so it’s best if you stick to our recommendations. 

You know the toothpaste dried completely when it makes the gum hard and makes it lose its stickiness. After that happens, you can easily take the gum off your clothes with your bare hands. As it happens when using detergent, make sure to wash your clothes right after to take any residues off.

#3 Iron the Gum

When we said almost all the methods named in this article included using products to take off the gum, we meant this is the only one that doesn’t require you to pour anything in the gum. However, you need an ironing board and an iron to do this. 

Put the affected part of your clothes on your ironing board and leave the gum-stained part of it facing the cardboard. Make sure your iron is on a medium setting since using a lower level could not have any effect on the gum and a higher one can damage your clothes. 

Naturally, the next step is ironing the fabric, which progressively makes the gum stick to the cardboard instead. If the gum is already off your clothes, move the cardboard to make the gum stick to a different section of it and wash the garment to finish everything up. 

#4 Use Peanut Butter 

If you thought using toothpaste was an odd thing to do, then wait until you read this one. As it happens with toothpaste, the thought of peanut butter staining your clothes may gross you out, but peanut butter is one of the best things you can use to get rid of gum. 

This process is similar to the one used with detergent since you first need to spread the peanut butter all over the gum and then wait a few minutes for it to work. You know you can go on with the process when the gum is soft and less sticky. 

Scrapping the gum off the fabric should be easy with a knife, and it doesn’t require you to use your fingernails as the detergent method. The only downside to using peanut butter is that it can sometimes stain your clothes, but it’s nothing you can’t fix with stain remover.

#5 Use Vinegar

The last method on this list involves using vinegar to take the gum off the fabric. However, you can’t simply grab a bottle of vinegar and pour it all over your clothes. This method requires you to grab a cup of distilled white vinegar and heat it in the microwave for at least 20 seconds. 

Use a toothbrush you don’t brush your teeth with and dip it into the cup of vinegar. You have to use that toothbrush to spread the hot vinegar across the fabric. Doing that should lift the gum and make it fall off your clothes, so do it until it’s done.   

Conclusion

Although those are some of the most effective methods to take gum off your clothes, they are not the only ones, so feel free to try anything you want. However, all the things we mentioned here have been tested and work perfectly, so we recommend you go for them. 

You can also visit our website to read more about commercial and residential cleaning! Our contact number is there, too, so call us any time you need someone to clean your house or office building.

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