How can chewing gum be removed from clothes? It is this question that people who have noticed a characteristic spot on their favorite thing are asked. There are several ways to remove chewing gum from various types of fabric, and all of them are an excellent solution for saving things from recycling.
What are the spots?
But before proceeding directly to the cleaning work, it is necessary to determine the type of stain from chewing gum. Contamination on clothing may be:
- fresh, that is, put on clothes no later than a few hours ago;
- eaten, that is, chewing gum stuck to clothes more than a day ago.
In addition, the stain may already be washed or have never been washed before. It is worth noting that the easiest way to remove chewing gum from things is sticking to clothes more recently. But the stain from stubborn or smeared chewing gum can be very difficult to remove.
It is worth remembering that the difficulty of removing such a stain from clothes directly depends not only on the type of pollution itself, but also on the type of fabric and style of clothing.
That is why, before proceeding with the description of cleaning methods, it is necessary to talk about some of the nuances of this procedure on various types of fabrics.
Features of cleaning fabrics
Choosing a specific method of cleansing can and should be based on the type of tissue:
- for example, jackets made of genuine and artificial leather must not be frozen or boiled. You can not try to remove the chewing gum from them using various solvents;
- sweaters and sweaters made of natural fabrics, such as wool or cotton, require maximum gentle cleaning. If there are no skills to remove defects from these tissues, and you doubt that you can do all the work correctly, it is better to hand over the clothes to the dry cleaner.Otherwise, aggressive cleaning agents such as solvents, oil mixtures or high concentration vinegar should not be used to remove chewing gum from such things on their own;
- jeans in this case is the most picky stuff. Denim pants are cleared of chewing gum much easier than all other tissues. In addition, for jeans, or rather their cleansing, you can use almost any of the methods that will be described below.
If you choose the wrong product and method of cleaning, the fabric can be severely damaged, and the clothes will no longer be suitable for further wear. Best case scenario chewing gum will not be removed from things completely, and the stain from it will remain for a long time.
Funds
Today there are quite a lot of various means, using which you can clean your favorite clothes from sticky mass:
- ice or cold water. These simple tools that every housewife has at hand are perfect for cleaning things, even for clothes made of the most delicate fabrics;
- boiling water, hot steam or dry air. These hot cleaning products also allow you to soften the sticky chewing mass and quite simply remove it from the clothes in the future. In this case, it is best to use an iron, because it allows you to get both hot steam and evenly warm up almost any kind of fabric;
- detergents and cleaners. This includes stain remover, laundry soap and standard washing powder. These products are safe for clothes from virtually any type of fabric. In addition, there are similar compounds in every home;
- chemical solvents. These include special sprays, oil mixtures, a solution of vinegar, kerosene, acetone and pharmacy alcohol. These funds should be used separately from each other and their choice should be approached very carefully;
- non-standard means. This includes peanut paste, scotch tape or another chewing gum. Despite the fact that such funds seem very doubtful, in most cases, only they allow you to effectively clean things from chewing gum.
Each product can show different efficiencies depending on the type of tissue, the amount of composition used and the proper preparation for the cleansing procedure.
Preparatory work
Before proceeding with the direct removal of chewing gum from clothes, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work. The procedure in this case is as follows:
- neatly on a flat horizontal surface, it is necessary to decompose the thing on which the chewing gum remains;
- it is necessary to determine the type of material and the size of the pollution. This information will help to decide on the choice of means for removing chewing gum and its quantity;
- prepare the necessary tools, as well as a clean cloth, a new toothbrush or clean clothes, paper towels, toothpicks, a small knife, like a stationery knife or a metal nail file.
After all the necessary manipulations have been carried out, there will be one last thing - be patient and proceed with direct cleaning. The upcoming work really requires attention, accuracy and does not tolerate any haste.
How to wash?
Now let's talk directly about how you can clean the chewing gum from clothes at home alone:
- ice, cold water or freezer can help remove a chewing gum stain pretty quickly. The damaged area of the fabric must either be wiped with a piece of ice for a couple of minutes, or substitute under a stream of cold water. Under the influence of low temperatures, as a rule, chewing gum freezes and can be easily removed from the thing if you pry it with the sharp edge of a knife. And you can just roll up clothes so that the chewing gum section is on the outside and put in the freezer for a couple of hours. Then the chewing gum is simply picked up and easily removed from the clothes;
- you can clean your favorite thing from chewing gum in the opposite way - by hot exposure. It will be possible to warm the contaminated place through a sheet of paper with an iron or a hot hairdryer. If they are not at hand, you can use a steamer. An extreme case is boiling clothes for a couple of minutes. After the chewing gum has softened, it should be brushed off with a sharp and quick movement.
At the same time, chewing gum should not only be shifted along the fabric in one direction, but also slightly raised above the material;
- You can remove chewing gum from clothing using conventional hair products, for example, soap or powder. The clothes should first be soaked in hot water with the addition of powder or stain remover, and when the trace softens and the water cools to a pleasant temperature, the area with contamination should be washed thoroughly with your hands. Movement must be rubbing. Pieces of gum that will separate from the fabric should be removed immediately. Use the stain remover only strictly according to the manufacturer's instructions;
- you can wipe the rest of the gum from your pants using special mixes. For example, it can be a solution of hot vinegar, kerosene or pharmacy alcohol. Using cotton, any of these products is applied pointwise to the area of contamination and left for 10-15 minutes. After that, the chewing gum softens and is easily removed from the fabric. If it was not possible to remove the chewing gum at a time, you can repeat the procedure, but no more than three times in one go;
- you can remove chewing gum with scotch tape or another gum. Both adhesive tape and previously chewed chewing gum are stuck to the fabric, and then they are torn off with a sharp movement. Repeat the procedure as many times as needed to completely remove the sticky dirt;
- peanut butter - This is not only a tasty and satisfying treat, but also an excellent tool for removing gum from clothes. A thin layer of the mixture is applied only to the chewing gum itself and left for 5 minutes. And then carefully removed with a knife, along with chewing gum.
Depending on the chosen product, the cleaning process takes from 15 minutes to 3 hours. Also, the stain type affects the rate of contamination removal.
It may take more than one day to eliminate it. Removing such defects is not worth the rush.
The final stage
Do not think that after removing the chewing gum from the clothes, all work is over. Care should also be taken to ensure that there are no traces of the cleaning products themselves, so immediately after the chewing gum has been removed from the clothes, the thing must be thoroughly shaken in order to get rid of its smallest particles.
If aggressive cleaning products or compositions based on a soap solution were used for work, then the clothes should be thoroughly rinsed several times in cool water. You can do this either manually or using a washing machine.
If you used tools that can dye the fabric, for example, special cleaners or greasy-based mixtures, then before the final washing, the gum stain must be wiped with a strong solution of vinegar or lemon juice. You can also sprinkle the desired area of tissue with ordinary salt. In this form, the thing is left for a couple of minutes, then sent to be washed in an automatic machine with the addition of washing powder. In the end, the thing should be thoroughly rinsed and dried in the usual way.
The final step in removing chewing gum from clothing will be direct stricken things and their further drying.
Recommendations
In the end, it’s worth listing a few simple tips, which should be noted by each person:
- choose a tool to remove chewing gum from things is necessary, based on the type of fabric and type of stain;
- since the implementation of this procedure involves the use of sharp objects, as well as hot water or steam, safety precautions should be followed.All work is best done with protective gloves;
- if aggressive cleaning agents are used, it is better to wear a medical mask to protect the respiratory tract;
- Do not try to speed up the process of cleaning things with too much rubbing the fabric. Firstly, the color of the material in this area may change, and secondly, the material itself is deformed. But the rate of removal of chewing gum will not change much.
Compliance with these simple recommendations, as well as strict adherence to instructions for removing sticky stains in any way will save clothes from chewing gum quickly and easily.
See the top 5 methods for getting rid of chewing gum in 10 minutes.