3 Ways to Remove Chewing Gum from Carpet and Rugs

One of the worse things to clean out of carpet and throw rugs is chewing gum! It can ruin the fibers, leave a stain on the fabrication and mold over time. It’s important to get the gum cleaned up as soon as possible to provent any damage. There’s 3 ways that you can successfully remove chewing gum from carpet and rugs.

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1. Hair Dryer or Heat Gun – You want to use warm but not overly hot heat. Use the heat to soften up the gum and then scrape it off. Once off, use warm, soapy water to clean up any remaining residue. Blot dry with a cotton cleaning cloth.

2. Ice Pack – Fill a sandwich zipper close bag with several ice cubes. Place the homemade ice pack on top. Let it “harden up” the gum. Use a scraper to remove it from the fiber (gently). Then proceed to use warm, soapy water to get the remaining residue out. Blot dry with a cotton cloth.

3. Goo Gone Goo and Adhesive Remover – I’ve sucessfully used the Original Formula of Goo Gone Goo & Adhesive Remover to remove chewing gum from carpets. Place a little bit of Goo Gone onto a cotton cleaning pad or sponge. Gently wipe the cotton pad over the gum until it comes lose. If it’s stubbornly attached onto the carpet you may need to add a few drops of Goo Gone directly onto the chewing gum. Let sit for 5-10 minutes so that the formula breaks-down the gum. Use a scraper to clean it off of the fibers. Go back over the area with warm, soapy water to finish cleaning up the residue. Blot dry with a clean cotton towel.

Once the carpet or rug has fully dried (after the spot cleaning) go back over it with a vacuum to get any remaining residue cleaned up. If you have a carpet shampooer, you can use that too. It’s important to get all traces of the chewing gum, including residue cleaned up.

Over the years I’ve read cleaning tips and cleaning hacks that recommend using peanut butter. I’ve personally found that PB can leave an oily mark on my carpets. During the summertime I’ve experienced ants being attracted to that spot due to the leftover peanut butter residue. If you try the peanut butter trick…you do so at your own risk. However, I don’t personally recommend it.

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