How To Remove Chewing Gum

Chewing gum can be fun, but only as long as it's being chewed. If it gets spit out or stuck somewhere, it can just be a sticky, stretchy mess. Here are some easy and direct methods for getting un-stuck from chewing gum.  The information is organized in two categories:  GUM REMOVERS and WHAT'S STUCK?

Gum removers talks about what you can use to get rid of unwanted chewing gum.  What's Stuck? talks about what the gum might be stuck on and how to deal with specifics.

Ice - This is the #1 technique for getting unstuck from FRESH (soft) chewing gum. It works for clothing and carpets, hair and even some surfaces. Applying ice causes the gum to harden, and then it can be picked off or removed by hand or by scraping.

A sharp knife - For gum that's stuck to a smooth surface and is hard, you can often just scrape it away using a sharp blade. Be careful not to scratch the surface the gum is stuck to.

Oil - Oily substances recommended in folk and professional gum removal techniques can range from peanut butter to mayonnaise, from WD-40 to modern, specially-formulated gum removers. In all of these instances, you will need to make sure the oil won't damage what you are putting it on, and then the surfaces will need to be washed afterwards to get rid of the oil.

Vinegar - Often found in your pantry or kitchen, vinegar can work to dissolve chewing gum.

This section talks about all the things that gum gets stuck to and how you can unstick it.

HAIR - This is one of the most annoying places to get chewing gum stuck. Ice works best, freezing the gum so that you can pick it out of the hair. For really bad gum sticks, it's sometimes necessary to cut off the hair with the stuck gum.

TEETH - If you get gum stuck in your teeth, hold some really cold water in your mouth. This will make the gum firm up. Then take dental floss and gently floss to remove it.

CLOTHING - Depending on the fabric, using ice to freeze the gum or vingear to dissolve it can work well. Be careful using anything oily as that can stain the clothing. Do NOT use oil on synthetics as sometimes this can dissolve them and be careful with heat as this can melt them.

CARPET - Unless you can clean the carpet afterwards, using any of the oil methods can be problematic. Ice or vinegar are good bets here. If the gum is really pressed down into the fibers, you might have to get it steam-cleaned to melt and remove the gum.

SHOES - If you've just stepped in chewing gum, try and scrape as much off as you can right away. Then when you get a chance, either put the shoe in the freezer or rub the remaining gum with ice cubes and then pick off what's left.

SIDEWALKS/CONCRETE - Power washing or steam-cleaning is best for removing gum from outdoor, ground surfaces.