Choosing Fashion Is Easy
My mom always said, “Don’t chew gum”. I remember being a little kid and hearing her say it and thinking about how much fun gum would be if she didn’t tell me not to chew it. But then as I got older, I realized that chewing gum is actually pretty gross. It gets stuck in your hair and it’s hard to get out. You can try using peanut butter or olive oil but those don’t always work well either. When you’re trying to get your clothes unstuck from gum (or any other sticky substance), there are a few things you should know.
Why does gum get stuck on clothes in the first place? How can you prevent this from happening again? And what’s the best way to remove sticky substances from fabric without damaging your clothing? Let’s find out!
Use ice to freeze the gum and make it brittle
Once you’ve removed the gum, it’s time to get your clothing clean.
- Cover the ice in plastic wrap so that it doesn’t melt through your clothes while you work. This is a good idea if you don’t have a microwave or freezer and are using ice cubes (in which case, find one with a lid).
- Apply the ice to your stained garment for about three minutes. The freezing temperature will cause the gum to become brittle and break up into smaller pieces that can be removed with soap and water.
Scrape off as much of the gum as possible with a dull knife
Next, scrape off as much of how to get gum out as possible with a dull knife. Don’t use a sharp knife or you may damage the fabric. And definitely don’t use your fingers, it’s not worth getting stuck by a stray bit of gum to get it out of your clothes.
Rub the remaining gum with peanut butter and let sit for 10 minutes
If you have some peanut butter on hand, pour a generous amount into the stain and rub it in with your fingers. Let the peanut butter sit for 10 minutes or so, then brush it out with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Repeat until all of the gum is removed from the fabric.
Reapply the peanut butter if necessary
If you find yourself in a jam, peanut butter is an excellent gum remover. It’s not messy, and it can be used to remove gum from other surfaces as well.
If your clothes are made of cotton or some other natural fabric that can tolerate heat without shrinking, set them in the freezer for about 20 minutes. This will cause the gum to harden into a solid mass on top of their surface this makes it easier to remove without damaging the fabric underneath!
Wash the garment in your washing machine
You can remove gum from clothes by washing the garment in your washing machine. Wash it on the warmest setting recommended for that fabric and use warm water. If you have a front-loading washing machine, use hot water instead of warm water.
You may also want to wash the garment with other clothes so that they don’t get stained by any excess dye or chemical residue left behind by the gum removal method you used.
Air dry the garment
Air drying is best because it saves energy, extends the life of your clothes, prevents mold and mildew, and prevents bacteria growth.
- Air drying allows clothes to last longer. Heat from dryers can damage the fibers in fabrics; this means the item may end up having holes or wearing out faster than expected.
- Air drying helps prevent shrinking. While you do need to follow a few steps to ensure that your clothes don’t shrink too much during washing/drying cycles—you should avoid using hot water and opt for cold instead, you’ll still want to air dry most garments after washing them so that they don’t get any smaller than necessary (shrinkage isn’t always easy to predict).
If you don’t have a microwave, place some ice cubes in a plastic bag, cover them with a towel and apply to the gum-stained area until it hardens. Let sit for about 10 minutes or until the gum is brittle.
After you have removed all the gum, wash your garment as you normally would or dry clean it. If you have a stain that is beyond simple washing, try one of these methods:
- Use ice to freeze the gum and make it brittle. Scrape off as much of the gum as possible with a dull knife before freezing it on your clothes.
- Rub the remaining gum with peanut butter and let sit for 10 minutes (or longer if necessary). Reapply, if necessary, until all of the gum has been removed from your garment.
The best way to remove gum is to use ice and peanut butter
It’s not easy to remove gum from clothes, but we can help. Here are some tips:
- Use a dull knife to scrape off as much of the gum as possible.
- Rub the remaining gum with peanut butter and let it sit for 10 minutes (or until you can get back home). Reapply if necessary. If there’s still some residual gum left on your garment after this time, proceed with washing it in your washing machine on its warmest recommended setting, but know that doing so may cause damage to other garments in your load if they’re made from delicate materials like silk or wool.
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped you to see how easy it is to remove gum from clothes. I know that sometimes it’s hard to find the motivation or time to tackle these small problems but trust me when I say that if you want your wardrobe and home looking good then you need to spend some time caring for them now and then. So go ahead! Get started on those pesky stains today so that tomorrow will be a brighter day than ever before!