How to Clean Chewing Gum Stains From Your Clothes; It's Easy ( + Video Inside)

Intro: How to Clean Chewing Gum Stains From Your Clothes; It's Easy ( + Video Inside)

We all like and need chewing gum (ok, some people like TicTacs only :) ) but oh boy do we hate it when gum gets on our clothes.
It happened to me, I sat right on a gum at a concert. I thought it ruined my pants. Tried to scrub it with a knife off, washed it afterwards... NO USE!

Until I came across a new method to clean those stains:

STEP 1: Useless Normal Washing

Yeah, my pants have been washed yet the gum stain still remains.
I was considering to throw them, yet they were too comfortable to give up.

STEP 2: 2

Take a bottle of vinegar.

Take a glass and fill a small part of it

STEP 3: 3

Heat the glass of vinegar using microwaves or what you wish

Careful, use a cloth if the glass is to warm.

STEP 4: 4

now use a an old toothbrush you don't need any more,
dip it in the warm vinegar
start to scrub the gum stain area.

STEP 5: 5

Now put them in the washing machine and wash them normally.

After the pants dried up, you will notice that the chewing gum stain is gone.


MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! ;)

Comments

[Bells59]

After washing did it still smell like vinegar?

[AnujG8]

Just boil the water upto max temperature... and put the stain part of cloth in the pot containing water.... hold it for a minute and rub the stain part with brush... it will work :)

[KJezza.]

Brilliant result! Used on the collar of a cotton jacket, 5 day old gum, as instructed and the gum just lifted right off. No mess no fuss. Thank you!

[Yesenia199]

It worked!

[Chaiseleggett]

This is the best tip ever! Okay so I had a brand new school shirt that is almost $50, during spot i left my shirt in the change rooms because we have separate sport uniform any way half way through the day i realised there was something cold inside my shirt so i asked to go to the bathroom and there was fricken gum inside of my $50 school shirt but anyway this is the best tip ever i got it off in under 5 minutes you literally saved my life!

[Grieder99]

Hey Chaise,

Just an FYI: the heated vinegar did NOT work for me, using a toothbrush. Stains remained quite obviously.

Also, just another FYI: this did not "literally" save you life (as if you would have otherwise actually died), it may have 'figuratively' saved your life. SO many people mis-use 'literally' today. :-)

[HamzaA107]

grammar nazi

[LauraR130]

Just FYI, the New Oxford dictionary update the definition of literally to include the informal use meaning an expression of exaggerated circumstance. So technically she can say it "literally" saved her life.

[jessesnoopdog]

sory it didnt work for me

[IvyG4]

You would think that the inside of my husband's scrub pants pocket were white if the rest of it was also. They are black. That's how bad that stupid gun made its mess. BUT this trick saved the day! It worked flawlessly!

[BryanY11]

This worked very well! I didn't have enough room to put it in the freezer, so I sandwiched the gum stained area between ice packs a couple of times to remove all the large stuff.

[GSM1967]

This worked so well!!! My husband washed and dried a dress shirt that had a stick of gum in the shirt pocket, which then stuck to itself. He was going to toss the shirt, but I threw it in the freezer overnight, peeled the gum off (so easy!), and then heated the vinegar and scrubbed the residue. A quick run through the washer and dryer, and the shirt is as good as new!

[jvdavidd]

It worked!! Thank you! :)

[PureNaturalDiva.Tania]

Totally worked for - on gum & some random goop that got on my son's pajama top! They key is warming the vinegar!

[suer2]

WOW!!! This REALLY worked...and it was SOOOOOO easy! The gum lifted in seconds with just a few strokes of the toothbrush. Thanks for the post!

[Arham121]

Can I use something other than vinegar

[Mauigerbil]

This would've been useful when my brother's ex-friend put gum on his $200 real-leather jacket and tried to wash it in the washer. It broke the washer and we (luckily) fixed it, but it still has problems.....


Good instructable though!

[roulopa]

Or do not eat chewing gums.. it made with petrol you know..

[mribrahimali]

diesel works just as well, but i am not sure of it going onto colours, you'll have to test it first on an inconspicuous area

[intactos]

Nice tip! Thanks, man