How to remove chewing gum from carpet
Difficulty: Easy · Time: approx. 20 minutes
Chewing gum trodden into the carpet looks like a disaster – but with the right trick it's surprisingly quick to fix. The key is cold: once gum gets really cold it turns hard and brittle, so you can simply break it off instead of smearing it deeper into the fibres.
Everything you need is probably already in your freezer. Allow around 20 minutes, and above all resist one urge: never rub soft gum – that only pushes it deeper into the carpet.
What you'll need
- Ice cubes in a freezer bag (or freeze spray)
- A blunt knife or a tablespoon
- A few drops of cooking oil or citrus cleaner
- Two clean, light-coloured cloths
- Some washing-up liquid and lukewarm water
- Vacuum cleaner for the loosened crumbs
Step by step
- 1
Freeze the gum
Put a few ice cubes in a freezer bag and press it directly onto the gum. Let the cold work for 5 to 10 minutes until the gum is properly hard and brittle. Freeze spray from the hardware store works just as well.
- 2
Break off the hardened gum
Break the frozen gum into pieces with a blunt knife or spoon and pick up the bits. Work quickly while it's cold, and don't rub – otherwise it smears again. If it softens, simply freeze it once more.
- 3
Dissolve the leftovers with oil or citrus cleaner
Put a few drops of cooking oil or citrus cleaner on a cloth and dab the last gum residue out of the fibres. Test the product on a hidden spot first – oil can leave stains on some carpets.
- 4
Follow up with soapy water
To avoid a greasy ring, wipe the area afterwards with a cloth and a little washing-up liquid solution. Work from the outside in so nothing spreads any further.
- 5
Dab dry and vacuum
Dab the damp spot with a dry cloth and let it dry completely. Vacuum once at the end so the pile stands up again – and the gum is history.
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Upload a photo →Frequently asked questions
- How do I get chewing gum out of clothes?
- Even easier: put the garment in a bag and pop it in the freezer for one to two hours. The gum turns rock hard and usually peels off in one piece. Any residue comes out in a normal wash.
- Does heat work too, for example with an iron?
- We'd advise against it. Warm gum turns runny, sinks even deeper into the fibres and spreads over a larger area. Cold is the more reliable route because the gum becomes brittle in a controlled way.
- What if a dark stain remains after using oil?
- Then there's still grease in the fibres. Repeat the round with soapy water, dab thoroughly dry and let the spot dry overnight. If that doesn't help, use a little carpet foam following the manufacturer's instructions.