How to Get Gum out of Clothing

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Get gum out of fabric easily with these simple home remedies

Co-authored by Rani Gorgis and Dev Murphy, MA

Last Updated: July 7, 2023 Fact Checked

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Yuck, you've got gum all over your clothes! You've picked off as much as you can, but that dreaded gum is still there. Thankfully, there are numerous tricks and techniques you can try to remove gum from clothing using materials you’ve likely already got around the house! Keep reading for our guide to getting gum off of clothes using everyday household cleaners.

1

More gum

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Applying more gum may sound counterintuitive, but it works—trust us! Chew up another piece of gum, and then apply the new gum to the gum stain. Press the new gum into the old gum to make it stick, and then peel the new gum off—the old gum will come with it!
- Just be sure not to stick your new wad of gum onto the fabric surrounding the old piece of gum, or you could wind up with one big gum stain.

2

Liquid laundry soap

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Apply laundry soap to the gum, then scrape it off with a knife. Cover the area affected by gum in liquid laundry soap. Use a toothbrush to work the laundry soap into the gum; the soap will break up the gum, making it easier to scrape off. After scrubbing for a minute or so, use a blunt knife to gently scrape away at the gum.^{[1]
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- After you've removed the gum, rinse the remaining laundry soap away, or wash the article of clothing as normally.

3

Ironing

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Place the garment or fabric on top of some cardboard so that the gum is between the fabric and the cardboard. Iron the affected areas on a medium setting. The gum will transfer onto the cardboard from the fabric.^{[2]
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4

Freezing

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Freezing the gum will harden it, making it easier to remove. Fold the garment or fabric so that the gum faces outwards, then place the garment into a plastic bag. Making sure the gum doesn’t stick to the bag, seal the bag and place it into the freezer until the gum is frozen (about 2 hours). Remove the bag, and scrape the frozen gum off with an old, dull knife or a butter knife.^{[3]
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- Be sure to scrape the gum away as soon as you can after you remove it. Once it thaws out, it’ll be hard to remove again.
- The bag is primarily to protect your clothes, so if you can’t seal the bag without the gum sticking to the plastic, place the garment on top of the bag instead. Just make sure there's enough room in the freezer so that the clothing isn't touching anything in there except the plastic bag it's sitting on.

5

Ice cubes

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Place ice cubes or a freezer pack on the fabric for about 20 minutes. If you don't want to put your clothes in the freezer, just bring the freezer to your clothes. Lay the article of clothing out on a flat surface like your kitchen table, with the gum side facing up. Fill a sandwich bag with ice cubes and set it on top of the gum stain, or use a freezer pack. After 20 minutes, the gum will be frozen and much easier to scrape off with a dull blade or credit card.^{[4]
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- If there are still small specks of gum residue left on the fabric, apply a dry-cleaning solvent to the spots to pick them up.

6

Hot water

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Soak the fabric in hot water and scrape the gum off with a knife. Place the article of clothing into a pot or tub of hot water. While the clothes are submerged, scrape off the gum with a toothbrush, butter knife, or putty knife.^{[5]
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- Alternatively, boil about 2 c (470 mL) of water in a kettle. Place the area affected by the gum directly over (not into) the mouth of the kettle for about a minute, so the steam hits it directly and softens the gum. Then remove the fabric and scrub the gum with a toothbrush to remove it.^{[6]
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7

Hot white vinegar

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Heat 1 c (240 mL) of white vinegar in the microwave or on the stove. Bring it to just below a boil. Then, while the vinegar is still hot, dip a clean toothbrush into the cup and use it to scrub the gum. Continue dipping and rubbing until the gum is gone, and then wash the clothes to remove the vinegar.^{[7]
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8

Rubbing alcohol

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Take a rag or sponge and pour on only a little rubbing alcohol. Then rub the gum with the sponge and wait a couple minutes for alcohol to loosen the gum. At this point, take a wooden spoon or spatula and scrape the gum off.^{[8]
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9

Toothpaste

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Scrub toothpaste into the stain to pick up the gum. First, flatten the gum as much as you can with a credit card or dull knife blade. Then smear a dab of standard white toothpaste onto the gum and let the toothpaste air dry (this will take a few minutes). As the toothpaste hardens, it'll harden the gum as well, making it easier for you to scrape off with a dull blade or credit card.^{[9]
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- Be sure to use standard white toothpaste, not whitening toothpaste, as the whitening agents can discolor the fabric.

10

Hairspray

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Hardening the gum with hairspray will make it easier to remove. Spray a small amount of hairspray directly on to the gum and wait a couple of minutes for the hairspray to harden, forming a “shell” over the gum. Now that the gum is hard, it’ll be easier to pull off the fabric. Once you’ve removed the gum, wash the clothes to remove the hairspray.^{[10]
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- Only apply a light coating of hairspray. A heavy coating will take longer to dry.

11

Peanut butter

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Massage peanut butter onto the gum to unstick it. Peanut butter may sound like a counterintuitive suggestion, but it works. Cover the affected area of the fabric with creamy peanut butter, and the fats and oils will work to make the gum less sticky. After a couple of minutes, scrape the peanut butter and the gum off with a dull blade or a credit card.^{[11]
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- Be careful applying peanut butter to clothing, as it could stain. Consider testing the peanut butter on a discreet area of the fabric to see if it stains prior to using it on the gum.

12

Duct tape

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Stick duct tape to the gum, then peel the gum off. Cut a strip of duct tape off of its roll and press it firmly onto the gum, being sure to cover the entire piece of gum. Then pull the tape off to peel the gum off as well. You may need to repeat this a few times if the gum is particularly stuck.^{[12]
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- Try not to stick the tape to the fabric, or getting it off will be more difficult.

13

Benzocaine topical cream

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Benzocaine topical ointment, such as Lanacane, will lift the gum. Remove as much of the gum as possible on your own first, and then apply a small amount of cream to the rest of the gum. Wait about 30 seconds, and then scrape off the gum with a blunt knife.^{[13]
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- Lanacane and other brands of benzocaine topical cream are available at drug stores or grocery stores.
- Benzocaine topical cream contains ethanol, isobutane, glycol, and acetate. This group of chemicals speeds up the release of the gum.

14

Gasoline

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Put some gas onto the fabric where you have gum. Dab a small amount of gasoline onto the gum—enough to cover it. The gas will dissolve the gum. Then, with a knife, toothbrush, or putty knife, wipe away any excess gum still left over. Wash the clothing according to its normal laundering instructions to remove any odor or color left over from the gas dissolution.^{[14]
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- Use as little gasoline as will work, since it's flammable, as well as a known carcinogen and is proven to cause cancer in laboratory animals. Avoid contact with skin and inhalation of fumes.
- Do not use flammable cleaning fluids near heat, sparks (including "static"), or any exposed electrical connection.
- If you don't have any gas, use lighter fluid. Soak the back of the area where gum is stuck in old-fashioned lighter fluid—the kind that comes in a can used to fill old cigarette lighters. Turn the item back over and scrape away the gum.

15

WD-40

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Spray some WD-40 on the affected piece of clothing, then rub the gum off with a brush. You only need a small amount—a thin layer, enough to cover the spot. Then take a rag or a wire brush and rub the spot vigorously to remove the gum. Wash the clothes as usual afterward to get all the WD-40 out.^{[15]
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Question

What method is best if the gum is really embedded and has been for a long time?

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In my experience, soaking the clothes in a sink full of equal parts vinegar and warm water will work best for gum that's been embedded for a long time.

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Do the above remedies work on fabric that has been washed and dried with the gum on the fabric?

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The Goo Be Gone and hot vinegar work great. It just takes elbow grease and a stiff toothbrush.

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For the ironing method, do I have to use cardboard, or can it be something else?

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You could also use parchment paper or something similar. Just be sure not to burn it.

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Tips

If all else fails, or if you don't want to risk damaging a delicate or expensive piece of clothing, take it to a reputable cleaner who can apply special solvents that will not stain or damage the fabric. It will cost you, but it's your best chance at saving a valued garment.

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