How to Remove Chewing Gum from Cotton
Make an ice cube sandwich., Bag it up in the freezer., Get scraping or tweezing., Spot-clean and launder the garment as usual.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Make an ice cube sandwich.
Soft, mushy chewing gum will harden like a rock when frozen, and be much easier to remove.
Often, two ice cubes are all you need to get the job started.Lay the gummed up spot of the garment, gum side down, on top of an ice cube.
Place a second ice cube on top of the spot.
Wait for the ice to melt.
By this time, the gum should be sufficiently hardened. -
Step 2: Bag it up in the freezer.
If ice cubes prove insufficient in hardening the gum, or if you have time to wait, you can put the garment, gum and all, into the freezer.
Give it at least one hour, or even better a day, to harden.Place the garment in a zip-close bag, with the gum stain facing out.
You could conceivably skip using the bag, but it helps prevent unwanted stains and having the cotton (or gum, for that matter) stick to a frosty surface in the freezer. , Once the gum is hardened, carefully remove it from the cotton.
The last thing you want to do is damage the garment you are trying to salvage through careless yanking or rough scraping.The back (non-serrated) side of a metal or plastic butter knife makes an excellent frozen gum scraper.
Work the blade in between the gum and fabric, without stabbing or digging into the cotton.
Take your time, because the more you remove now, the easier the final cleaning will be.
If you prefer, you can also employ tweezers to pluck away the frozen gum.
This may be preferable if you have several smaller gum spots on the garment.
Again, be gentle and thorough. , If there is still gum residue or staining on the garment, use a spot cleaner or a bit of laundry detergent and blot, wipe, or lightly scrub it away.Check that the spot cleaner is color-safe for your garment by testing it in an inconspicuous spot.
Launder the de-gummed garment as normal, following the recommendations on the tag. -
Step 3: Get scraping or tweezing.
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Step 4: Spot-clean and launder the garment as usual.
Detailed Guide
Soft, mushy chewing gum will harden like a rock when frozen, and be much easier to remove.
Often, two ice cubes are all you need to get the job started.Lay the gummed up spot of the garment, gum side down, on top of an ice cube.
Place a second ice cube on top of the spot.
Wait for the ice to melt.
By this time, the gum should be sufficiently hardened.
If ice cubes prove insufficient in hardening the gum, or if you have time to wait, you can put the garment, gum and all, into the freezer.
Give it at least one hour, or even better a day, to harden.Place the garment in a zip-close bag, with the gum stain facing out.
You could conceivably skip using the bag, but it helps prevent unwanted stains and having the cotton (or gum, for that matter) stick to a frosty surface in the freezer. , Once the gum is hardened, carefully remove it from the cotton.
The last thing you want to do is damage the garment you are trying to salvage through careless yanking or rough scraping.The back (non-serrated) side of a metal or plastic butter knife makes an excellent frozen gum scraper.
Work the blade in between the gum and fabric, without stabbing or digging into the cotton.
Take your time, because the more you remove now, the easier the final cleaning will be.
If you prefer, you can also employ tweezers to pluck away the frozen gum.
This may be preferable if you have several smaller gum spots on the garment.
Again, be gentle and thorough. , If there is still gum residue or staining on the garment, use a spot cleaner or a bit of laundry detergent and blot, wipe, or lightly scrub it away.Check that the spot cleaner is color-safe for your garment by testing it in an inconspicuous spot.
Launder the de-gummed garment as normal, following the recommendations on the tag.
About the Author
Edward Brown
Creates helpful guides on cooking to inspire and educate readers.
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