How to Remove Gum from Carpet

Although you may be careful when chewing gum in a carpeted area, accidents happen. Regardless of how the gum ended up on the floor, the tricky part is removing it once it has been squished into the carpet. Many think of the task of getting gum out of the carpet as difficult, annoying, or even impossible.

Gum stuck in your carpeted flooring is unfortunate, but there are a few ways you can fight back. Some of these methods even use things you already have around your house, meaning you can get the gum out right away instead of making a trip to the store first. Try these ways to rid your carpet of sticky gum forever:

• Ice. Fill a zip lock baggie with ice cubes. Place the baggie over the gum on the carpet and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes. This freezes the gum and makes it easier to remove. After waiting, remove the baggie and break the gum apart with a butter knife to get it out of the carpet. Clean the area with a carpet cleaner if needed.
• Peanut Butter. This is a strange strategy to use, but it can work. Get as much of the gum out of the carpet as possible first, then apply some peanut butter to what is left. (Just work it completely into the remaining gum.) Now the gum will be less sticky and should be easier to wipe up. Once the gum is out, clean the peanut butter from the carpet with a carpet cleaner or some soapy water.
• Gum Remover. At the store, you should be able to find a special gum removing cleaner that can make the gum easier to get out of the carpet. You might have to go to a janitorial store to find this, but it can be very effective.
• Hair Dryer. This idea is great if the gum is stuck in a place close to a power outlet (or if you have an extension cord). Plug in your hair dryer and heat up the gum so that it becomes soft. Be careful not to over-heat or your carpet may be damaged. Once the gum is soft, you should have an easier time lifting it from the carpet. Use a plastic bag over your hand to pull up the gum.
• Muscle Pain Reliever. An ingredient in muscle pain removers (such as Ben-Gay), called methyl salicylate, can assist you in loosening gum from the carpet. Apply it to the gum, then pull the gum out of the carpet with a plastic bag. Clean the area with soapy water and dry.

With these cleaning ideas, cleaning gum out of the carpet isn't too terrible or time-consuming.