How to Remove Gum From Carpet
There’s nothing worse than stepping on a wad of gum—except, of course, stepping in gum that’s been stuck to the carpet for who knows how long. If your first instinct is to reach for the WD-40, think again. You don’t want to risk damaging your carpet with chemicals.
Here are three simple ways to remove gum from carpet:
Freeze It Out!
To freeze gum out of your carpet, put ice cubes in a plastic bag and place them over the gum. After a few minutes, the gum should be frozen and you can scrape it off with a spoon.
If you cannot freeze the gum, you may have to put it in a bag. Put the bag in the freezer for a few hours, but this is difficult with large carpet fragments.
Dissolve It!
If that doesn’t work, you can try using a gum solvent. Apply a small amount of solvent to a clean cloth, then blot the gum until it dissolves. Be sure to test the solvent on an inconspicuous area of the carpet first to make sure it won’t damage the fibers.
There are a variety of solvents that can dissolve gum, including: acetone, alcohol, mineral spirits, and petroleum distillates. If you use a solvent that is too strong on the carpet, the carpet fibers will melt, crumple or burn. This can cause the carpet to look worn and dull.
If the solvent is not strong enough, the dirt and stains will remain in your carpet. As a result, the stains will penetrate deeper. If you are not 100% certain, be sure to call a carpet cleaner in your area. They will be happy to answer your questions.
Cut It Out!
If all else fails, you can try cutting the gum out of the carpet. Use a sharp knife to cut around the gum, then pull it out with a pair of tweezers. You may need to cut out a small section of the carpet along with the gum. If the gum is deeply ingrained in the carpet, you may need to use a carpet cutter or a utility knife to remove it, but be careful not to cut too deeply and damage the carpet backing.
If you’ve made it this far then you might be thinking about hiring a carpet cleaning professional to repair your carpet. Remember your investment and take that into consideration. If you don’t, you may end up spending more.
You Can Remove Gum from Your Carpet
There’s no need to panic if you step on gum. With a little patience, you can remove it without damaging your carpet, but be careful. A nice carpet is great but you don’t want the fix to cost more then the issue.
