Chewing gum is fun. However, it can also be healthy if you don’t do too much of it. It helps relieve stress and exercise your facial muscles. Beloved by both children and adults, chewing gum, unfortunately, finds its way to the places where we least want it. Sometimes we drop our gum on our clothing or worse – sit on it. And you may agree that there is nothing more frustrating than a piece of chewing gum stuck in your hair. On such occasions pulling is useless. Instead of chopping off chunks of your hair, keep reading to find out how you can easily remove gum from your hair, clothing, and fabrics according to proffessional cleaners.
1. Vinegar is a natural ingredient that will help you quickly get rid of stuck chewing gum. Pour vinegar into a microwave-safe bowl and heat it up for a minute. Pour some vinegar over the affected area, let it sit for a couple of minutes, then use a clean toothbrush to gently brush it away. Wash your hair as usual.
2. Rubbing alcohol is another ingredient that is easily found in most households. If you got some chewing gum stuck in your hair, pour a small amount of it over the piece of hair where the gum is. You can also use a cotton pad soaked in alcohol. Once you soak the whole area thoroughly and after a few minutes, the gum will loosen up. Gently pull the gum out of the hair strand and use a comb to completely get rid of any residue.
3. Peanut butter is an old remedy for removing chewing gum from hair. Grab the jar from your pantry and rub some of the peanut butter on your hair. Massage it in, then rinse your hair under tap water to remove any stuck chewing gum completely.
4. Mayonnaise is the perfect solution when it comes to getting rid of gum from hair. Similarly to peanut butter, grab some mayonnaise and gently rub it in with your fingers. After a few minutes, the stuck chewing gum will loosen up and you will be able to easily rinse it out of your hair. If needed, use the help of a comb in order to brush any residue out.
5. Ice is one of the easiest and quickest ways in which you can remove chewing gum from your hair. All you have to do is wrap an ice cube in a piece of cloth and rub it on your hair. The gum will freeze and you will be able to easily pull it out of your hair.
6. Cooking oil is another kitchen product that will help you get rid of gum that is stuck in your hair. Its greasiness will help the gum slide down your hair with ease. Massage the oil (you can use olive, sunflower, avocado, or hemp oil) into your hair, then use a comb in order to brush out the gum.
7. Baking soda is a common ingredient that we all have in our homes. Put some baking soda in a bowl, add some water to form a thick paste, and generously apply it to the affected area. Let it sit for a while. The baking soda will neutralise the stickiness of the gum and help remove it with ease.
1. Freeze gum off or heat it up to remove it from clothing. To harden the gum stuck on your pants or shirt, rub it with an ice cube. When it is hard enough, scrape or peel it off. You can use a plastic scraper or a butter knife to do that. If the garment is small enough you can place it in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer. Let it sit there for a couple of hours, just make sure the gum does not touch the plastic bag.
In the same way, you can use heat in order to loosen up the gum from your hair. Use your hair dryer to warm the gum and help remove it. If you would rather submerge the item in hot water, keep in mind that you may need to repeat the process a few times until the gum is ready to be completely removed. If there is a lot of gum stuck to the fabric, make sure you use an old toothbrush and scrape it off as you go. Once it starts melting it may get messy.
2. Coconut oil can be very effective in chewing gum removal from clothing. Heat up a bit of oil and submerge the affected area. Make sure it is completely saturated. Once complete, remove the oil to prevent staining, then wash the piece of clothing as usual. This method can also be used for gum removal from your hair.
3. Scrape off and wash. Sometimes, if you are lucky and the gum is still fresh, it might have not had the chance to really get into the fabric fibres. Gently try to scrape it off, then wash the garment as usual. This method might be efficient for small amounts of gum stuck on your clothing. However, it might not work for a big chunk of chewing gum.
Regardless of the technique you chose to use, it is of crucial importance that you wash your clothes in the laundry machine after removing the gum. By doing this, you will ensure that all residue is completely removed from the fabric.