You are walking through your home and you suddenly discover it; there is chewing gum stuck to your carpet! Those with little kids know the pain of keeping your carpet clean all too well, but nothing is worse than a child leaving their gum on the floor to get squished into the carpet. In another scenario, a pet may have found the gum in the trash and the smell may have encouraged the pet to take it. They then discover it is no good and leave it on the floor. There are a number of different scenarios that may occur. When they do the ending is the same, you will need to get the gum out of the carpet. Heart of Texas Chem-Dry will share what steps to take to remove gum from the carpets.

What Solvent, Tool & Method Removes Gum from Carpets?

Step 1. Gum Carpet Stain Preparation – The first step is to get a piece of cardboard, you will want to cut a hole in the cardboard the same shape and size of the gum. The cardboard will act as a protective guard for the surrounding carpet. Next you will want to get the tool and material used to remove the gum. You will need to get some ice in a bag, a dull knife or similar tool, a lacquer removal, carpet stain cleaner, and a sponge or paper towel.
Step 2. Freezing the Gum – With the cardboard placed on top of the carpet, expose only the gum. Place the plastic bag with ice on top of the gum. You may need to rub the ice over the gum or place it on top and leave for 15 minutes or until the gum freezes and hardens. The gum will be easier to remove once it is frozen. So make such the gum is properly frozen before moving on to the next step.
Step 3. Scrape the Gum Up – With your scraping tool which can be a dull butter knife or even a kitchen scraper, begin scraping the gum. The gum will begin breaking up into pieces. Remove the piece as you go. Continue scraping the gum. You may need to re-freeze the gum if the gum didn’t freeze all the way through. Repeat freezing and scraping up the gum from the carpet until the gum is gone.
Step 4. Cleaning Gum Residue – There may be some sticky gum residue left in the carpet. To remove the remaining residue you will want the lacquer thinner or you can also use a citrus-based adhesive remover. Apply the lacquer or adhesive remover over the gum’s site. Either scrape out the pieces or wipe the site using a sponge.
Step 5. Removing the Stain – The gum may have left a stain in the carpet. Once all of the gum and residue has been removed, it is now time to deal with the stain. Using a carpet cleaner, apply the cleaner to a sponge and then press the sponge over the stain. A recommended cleaner for gum stains is a mixture of 1/8 part of mineral oil to a liquid dry-cleaning solvent like Forcefield. Blot at the stain with your carpet cleaner until the stain is gone. Avoid scrubbing at the stain.
Step 6. Rinse & Dry Carpet – Once the stain been remove you do not want to leave the cleaner in the carpet. Make sure to rinse the site with plain cold water. Pour small amounts of water on the carpet, then using a dry cloth press down on the water. The cloth will absorb the water from the carpet. Repeat pour and press over the stain until the cleaner is gone. Let the area dry and vacuum the carpet to help restore the pile.

Chem-Dry Carpet Cleaning, Stain Removal & More in Waco, Dallas, Harker Heights, Cedar Park, Allen & the State of Texas

If you find you need help removing stubborn stains, or you need quality carpet cleaning services, contact Heart of Texas Chem-Dry today.