Home |  Index |  Ask a Question |  Share Photos |  Share Tips |  Active Topics |  New Feedback  |  Contact Us  |  Search
 User Login:  Username:    Password:      Forgot It?  | Join ThriftyFun!
Search:
Web ThriftyFun

Popular Topics
 - Beauty
 - Budget and Finance
 - Cleaning
 - Consumer Advice
 - Craft Projects
 - Craft Tips
 - Food Tips
 - Garage Sales
 - Gardening
 - Gifts
 - Green Living
 - Home Improvement
 - Organizing
 - Parenting
 - Parties
 - Pest Control
 - Pets
 - Product Reviews
 - Recipes
 - Repair
 - Weddings for Less

More Topics

About:
RSS Feed
About Us
Media
Advertising
Contact Us
Privacy Statement
Disclaimer

Set in Gum on Clothing

1x1
Date: 12/08/2004 Topics: Cleaning > Clothing Stains | Readers Request > Cleaning  
1x1
1x1
Post Feedback! | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Print (With Feedback) | Rate: Thumbs Up Thumbs Down | Bookmark and Share
I need help, I washed and dryed a load of clothes and then found the gum. Well I've removed it from the dryer with WD-40, but I can't get it out of some of the clothing items. It's no longer a chunk of gum, it's set into the fabric and is very stiff and looks stained. Any ideas on how to remove it?

Thanks!

Beth
Related Links:
Previous: Removing Decoupage From Table ThriftyFun Next: Printing a Recipe Book Cheaply
1x1
1x1
 Feedback
1x1
1x1
1x1

By vic12345 (1) Profile Contact
Step 1: remove as much gum as possible with a spoon
Step 2: Use brown scotch tape to take as much more gum as possible off
Step 3: Use windex and a toothbrush to scrape gum out.
NOTE: the windex causes the gum to come out in little balls. Make sure you brush it off into the sink so you don't put gum lint balls all over your clothes. I windexed, toothbrushed, rinsed with cold water and repeated multiple times.
Step 4: Wash your garment
This made a brand-new polyester/spandex dress look like new, but it takes patience and work.

Posted on 05/07/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse


By sjane0110 (1) Profile Contact
Wow! My favorite snowboarding jacket is cured! I used warm vinegar and a toothbrush. Worked like magic and super easy. Thanks.

Posted on 03/04/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Cathy (Guest Post)
The vinegar worked but I had to have it steamy hot and use a toothbrush. Maybe because the gum was on a satin pillowcase. It worked great, just a little color left that should come out in the wash.

Posted on 03/02/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Maureene (Guest Post)
Thanks everyone! I sat in "green" gum in my good wool pants. I used the windex. It didn't work, so I used the vinegar. it worked somewhat. I used the iron and it finally worked. Maybe it was all three!

Posted on 02/28/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Henry C. (Guest Post)
My wife had the scissors out & was about to convert my favorite pants to rags, then I read your tips about Windex. It saved the day! I'm thrilled beyond measure. First big feat of the internet I've seen so far.

Posted on 02/21/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse


By mrs.messer (Guest Post)
Windex and a spoon is all you need.

Posted on 01/25/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse


By guest (Guest Post)
The Windex worked great on a fuzzy sweatshirt. I tried peanut butter, but it wasn't as effective.

Posted on 01/17/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Beth (Guest Post)
Hi, My daughter sat in gum wearing her uniform skirt, it was all over it. I tried the windex and it didn't work. I tried the fabric softener, didn't work. I didn't have any vinegar and I'm not a very patient person so, my sister just happened to have some "Goof Off". I tried this and it dissolved the gum right away.

Ha! I also tried it on a pair of uniform pants my son had gotten latex paint on it took a few applications and scrubbing with a toothbrush but it took that out too. She got the 'Goof Off" and Lowe's Home Improvement. Wonderful stuff!

Posted on 01/04/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse


By (Guest Post)
Windex and toothpaste totally worked, I also had to use a spoon to scrape the gum off the jeans.

Posted on 01/03/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Morgan (Guest Post)
Ok I just finished cleaning off my pair of jeans. I had sat in gum right at the seat of my pants. I read some of the reviews and saw warm vinegar, Windex, and even some ironing tricks. I went for the Scotch tape method. It worked beautifully. But keep in mind I did not wash my jeans with the gum, or try any other soultions with it. Make sure you are not trying to get off a whole lot of gum, but about the size of a quarter or smaller. Hope I can help!

Posted on 01/02/2009 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Lilly (Guest Post)
It works! I borrowed my fiances' shirt and he didn't know about it and I had set in gum and I thought I was done for. I used windex and a toothbrush it came out! YAY!

Posted on 12/17/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By cherry (Guest Post)
I had gum stuck in satin. Whoever came up with WINDEX and a TOOTHBRUSH is a genius. It worked like a charm!

Posted on 11/09/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By chancy (Guest Post)
I am stunned that the windex and toothbrush worked! I got gum out of a laser cut BCBG collection gala dress. I cannot get over the fact that the dress is saved!

Posted on 10/27/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Jen (Guest Post)
Windex & toothbrush on my favorite jeans worked!

Posted on 10/09/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By MSS (Guest Post)
Gum was on my airplane seat belt. 5 hours later, walking to another gate I noticed it on my fave work skirt. Sat in my closet for a week while I contemplated tossing or finding a removal method. Used scotch tape to remove the excess, then windex with a toothbrush. NO MORE GUM!

Posted on 10/02/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Maria (Guest Post)
Re gum on fabric: Froze the pants, scraped most of the gum off, the rest was imbeded in the fabric. Used the technique suggested about the laundry detergent, salt and brush method. That didn't work very well. Someone mentioned using a microfiber cloth. While the pants were still soaked with detergent and salt, I brushed the gum with a clean microfiber dish cloth and Voila! gum be gone. Thanks for your help.

Posted on 09/30/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By kevin (Guest Post)
Thanks girls!

Posted on 09/23/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By krisdadiva (Guest Post)
Thank you! Thank you! The white vinegar heated 45 sec in the microwave worked and toothbrush. It got the 3 spots of gum out of my fushia jersey dress. It was the first time I wore it and cost me a pretty penny. I previously tried ice, froze the dress, took it to 3 dry cleaners who refused to touch said it impossible to get gum out of dresses w/ lycra in it. I almost gave up before i came across these suggestions. Just remember to reheat the vinegar if the gum appears to be taking longer to come out. It doesn't work as well with cold/cool vinegar.

Posted on 09/21/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Emily (Guest Post)
Do not use the paper bag and iron trick on synthetic fabrics, the iron burned a hole right through the material of a chair I was using it on! It worked great on my jeans though.

Posted on 09/20/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By LIZ (Guest Post)
I tried everything from ice to vinegar. It was the paper bag and iron trick that worked for me. It's awesome.

Posted on 09/18/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By morgan (Guest Post)
Windex works the best on like a graphic t-shirt. My cousin got blue gum on a white billabong shirt and it came right off with out being washed.

Posted on 09/13/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Jenn (Guest Post)
Absolutely amazing! I tried Rochelle's paper bag/iron method on my husband's pants and it worked like a charm and it took less than 5 minutes to get the gum out.

Posted on 09/05/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By ParkBench (Guest Post)
Scotch tape worked beautifully for a fresh piece of gum on a polyester skirt. A good & easy method for a first attempt at removal- it might be all you need!

Posted on 08/29/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By (Guest Post)
I tried the vinegar and the peanut butter methods and both of them didn't work. My shirt with the gum is a polyester shirt and the gum seems to be really rubbed in :S

Posted on 08/29/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Theresa (Guest Post)
My husband wore a brand new black Alfani suit to a wedding in New York. On the way there, he leaned against a wall in the subway and got green spearimint gum all over his suit jacket and pants. I sat in a bar and tried the ice method for over an hour. I managed to get the thickest gart of the gum out. When I got home I tried the vinegar method and the hot iron method. I could not get out the ground in gum. I was reluctant to use the goo gone because I feared that it would ruin the suit. Ultimately, I used it and it worked like a charm. I applied it with a tooth brush and the gum disappeared. As for the goo gone residue, I used the vinegar, hot iron and a press cloth to get it out of the suit. The suit is like new.

Posted on 08/24/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By dramaqueen (Guest Post)
I did a science fair project on this. Peanut butter didn't work. Neither did the ice or the nail polish remover. The vinegar worked ok, but Windex works the best. :)

Posted on 08/20/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Ashley (Guest Post)
In a drunken stooper I thought I took the gum out of my mouth and placed it on the nightstand, instead I placed it on my Italian Duvet cover and during the night managed to creat 5 round gum spots on it. Thanks to a cup of White Distilled Vinegar heated in the microwave for 45 seconds, I managed to rub away the gum spots using a microfiber cloth. It came off easy, easy, easy. Thanks Rochelle, you saved the day!

Posted on 08/18/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Nunya BeezWax (Guest Post)
How do u get it off of a bra? A black one in particular...Experiences would be nice. =) Thx.

Posted on 07/28/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By 3 kids (Guest Post)
I used Rochelle's method but it's sticky. How do I get that out? I kept ironing it and get a new side of the paper bag but every time I lifted up the stickyness was still there.

Posted on 07/28/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By brenden (Guest Post)
Used the hot vinegar method on my black cotton t shirt. The gum was rubbed in and the freeze method would have never worked. Just rubbed it and finger picked out all the specs. It worked well :)

Posted on 07/14/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Scrapbook Mom (Guest Post)
I just tried the vinegar on my husband's police uniform. (He left the gum in the front pocket and when I washed/dried the shirt it glued the front, pocket, and back of the shirt together). I used the hot vinegar and it worked just great. The hotter the vinegar the easier it is to remove the gum. The shirt is navy blue and it did not fade the color. 70 % coolmax 30% polyester blend.

Posted on 07/10/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Melissa (Guest Post)
Thank you, Amy! I tried the Scotch tape method....worked like a charm! However I had not washed and dried my pants yet, so who knows if the tape would work if you've already washed and dried your clothes. But it was VERY easy! And you don't have to worry about burning down the house or using weird chemicals on your clothes!

Posted on 07/01/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Emily (Guest Post)
After a night out clubbing, an errant piece of gum had made it's way into the hem of my brand-new linen trousers.True to my teenage style, I didn't discover this piece of gum until a week later when doing washing. I know, I know. Shameful. By now, the gum had dried and set.

The joy. However, I was a bit hesitant on how to get the gum out as this was a rather expensive set of linen trousers, and they were bright red. So I tried the vinegar trick, and lo and behold, it worked perfectly.
I also used an old electric toothbrush I kept around for cleaning my horse's bit.

Posted on 07/01/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By hs (Guest Post)
Tried vinegar method on jeans and it worked okay, but not on knit shirt. Rochelle's method with iron worked pretty well there, though not 100%. When using Rochelle's method, I found that if I ironed in one direction only, it worked better.

Posted on 06/14/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Chris (Guest Post)
Im a guy and have no idea what to do in these situations but I washed all darks with a full pack of gum in a pocket. It was BAD. I filled the washer with cold water and dumped in a bunch of ice. Then poured a half bottle of palmolive dish soap in the washer with some Shout. This inhibited the stickiness of the gum and the ice cold water keeps the gum cold and unable to stick. The gum comes right out. Give it a try!

Posted on 06/05/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By BluesGal (Guest Post)
Hi People!

After trying ice to try to pick off bubble gum from a white cotton t-shirt, I tried Pam spray, alcohol and soaking in soapy water. I was ready to throw the shirt out. Nothing was working.
Then, I found a small silver box of Cutex Non-Acetone nail polish removing pads (individually wrapped). The small square pad has a rough surface. I rubbed the gum areas (2 large spots) each about 15 minutes while watching t.v. ALL CAME OFF! You don't have to pick at it, little pieces come off themselves and the rest seemed to disolve away.
Wash in a good detergent to remove nail polish remover smell. Should work for you, too!

Posted on 05/04/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By dozerdave (Guest Post)
What is rochelles plan?
Editor's Note: Here it is:

This is actually an easy one...cut a paper bag in half and turn on an iron on high...put the bag on the spot and iron the spot...it will get the gum out and it will get all of it out...just keep ironing and moving the bag around and u will get it out...it also works on candle wax if it gets on your carpet

Posted on 04/24/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By (Guest Post)
WOW! The Downy method works great. Be generous with the Downy and let the clothing sit (mine was a pair of jeans). I left mine for an hour. The gum just slid off when I scraped it with a penny. Neat trick!

Posted on 02/29/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By A guest (Guest Post)
Here's what I did. I had a MAJOR MESS, 4 PAIRS of pants covered in gum that had been washed and dried. I would have been scraping for a week, if I had tried that. What worked: Goo Gone took off the gum inside the dryer. Used the rest of it sprayed on one pair of the pants, then ran out and used WD 40 on the other pairs of pants. Let sit about 5 mins. Scrubbed a few tough spots with a vegetable brush, a toothbrush was not going to work here! Soaked in HOT water in my washing machine with Oxyclean and detergent overnight. Ran the load in the morning and dried as usual. All gum off the clothes. I wouldn't have tried this except I would have had to throw them away, as the gum was all over the pants. This must have been a pack of gum. Hope this helps someone else. I tried the vinegar first, but I would have needed a boat load to soak the pants in. It didn't seem to work on the area I tried.

Posted on 02/07/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Carli (Guest Post)
I set in gum in my new sweat shirt and I tried the vinegar method. It worked great!

Posted on 02/02/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By pdx_original (Guest Post)
I tried the iron and it didn't work on jeans with flattened out, ground in gum. The vinegar did. I had to scrape. I let it set first then reapplied the vinegar like suggested. Thanks everyone.

Posted on 01/31/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Chandra (Guest Post)
Thanks, I will try Carla's and Rochelle's method. Carla soaked her garment in Downy for 5 minutes and Rochelle used a very hot iron and old paper bag to remove the gum. Thanks again.

Posted on 01/17/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Carla (Guest Post)
OK guys, listen up. A piece of green Trident gum went through an entire dryer cycle and got all over a load of light colored clothes. Tried vaseline - it didn't work. Tried nailpolish remover with acetone - it didn't work. (I was hoping to find something that wouldn't stain the clothes so I was hesitant to try anything with oil). Here's what DID work & it was EASY: Soak the stain in liquid Downy fabric softener for about 15 minutes (I used Ultra Downy). Then rinse in very warm water & the gum comes right out as you rub your fingers over the stain. I will never try another method in the future... Although I hope I won't need to! :)

Posted on 01/05/2008 | Report Spam or Abuse


By carlie (Guest Post)
Ok so i JUST cleaned gum out of my pants like 5 min ago and the iron did not work, but I tired the vinegar one and it did work. just let the vinegar soak for five min and then reapply the vinegar before you start to work it out. then take a blunt knife, like a butter knife and scrape it off. Make sure to wash afterwards to get the vinegar stench out.

Posted on 12/12/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse


By NDR (Guest Post)
The Iron Thing worked GREAT! I am so happy to have my fave jeans back!
I got the gum in a ballpark about 2 months ago and gave up on them after a few methods and even went to the store to buy another pair, thankfully they didn't have them anymore.

Posted on 12/11/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse


By michele (Guest Post)
Thanks I'm going to try it. My daughter's left gum in their pockets and I washed it with my black clothes. Funny enough, only my stuff is ruined. Hope this works.

Posted on 12/11/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse


By FB (Guest Post)
I don't recommend the iron method. I tried it on a cotton t-shirt and it completely set the gum into the fabric and I had to throw it away.

Posted on 12/02/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Taylor (Guest Post)
haha i don't know what to do. Here in adult living we are trying to figure out what works best and its tuff there are so many good ideas.

Posted on 11/08/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse


By phil (Guest Post)
Nail polish remover works like a champ.

Posted on 11/02/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Kellie (Guest Post)
My daughter sat in neon green gum wearing white shorts. The bag/iron method didn't work in this case, but the vinegar did. It made the gum ball up so it could easily be removed. It left a little green color behind but it came out nicely in the wash with a little bleach. Thanks!!

Posted on 10/15/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Anonymous (1) Contact
I about burnt my house down with the iron.

Posted on 09/30/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Anya (Guest Post)
WHOA. i can't wait to try one of these methods.

Posted on 09/29/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Toughguy (Guest Post)
Thanks Rochelle -- can't wait to give it a try!:) Hope it works!

Posted on 09/02/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Brandi (Guest Post)
The vinegar did work in like minutes yay!

Posted on 08/28/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse


By (Guest Post)
No Dice. So jellous that this worked for everyone else. My favorite shorts are still on life support. Anyone else have a suggestion? Ciao

Posted on 08/02/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse


By shea (Guest Post)
the vinegar didn't work.
i'm going to use Rochelles idea.

Posted on 07/23/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse


By dt big boy (Guest Post)
the vinegar didn't work...:-(

Posted on 07/12/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse


By megan (Guest Post)
so i just used warm vinegar and a butter knife on set in gum. the gum was on my favorite pair of gauchos and it could not have worked any better! i warmed the vinegar in the microwave and scraped it with a butter knife and it came right off... i would recommend this method to everyone!

Posted on 07/09/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Sabine (Guest Post)
Rochelle's tip is excellent!!! And works like a charm... but it leaves a dark spot which comes out in the wash. Great tip!!! Thanks a lot!

Posted on 06/26/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse


By VERY grateful person (Guest Post)
THANKS ROCHELLE!
I sat in gum on the sidelines of our big soccer
game and it only came out of my game shorts
with your method!!

: )

Posted on 06/10/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse


By lisa (Guest Post)
where do i find rochelle method

Editor's Note: Rochelle's post is about halfway down the page. Just scroll down the previous feedback. It dated 8/7/2005.

Posted on 06/07/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Liz (Guest Post)
Using the iron, paper bag trick given by Rochelle, to remove gum from my son's T-shirt, A+!!!!

Posted on 05/14/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Calypso (Guest Post)
Thanks Rochelle!! I tried everything and ironing with the paper bag was the only one that worked.

Posted on 04/17/2007 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Ray (Guest Post)
where do i find rochelle method

Posted on 12/31/2006 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Diana (Guest Post)
Gum was set in my favorite pair of jeans. I used Rochelle's method. It worked like a charm. Gum came right out. I can wear my favorite jeans again. YESSS!!!

Posted on 10/15/2006 | Report Spam or Abuse


By nique (Guest Post)
i also used rochelle method . the gum had gotten one one of my favorite pair of lounge pants. i used an old paper shopping bag and the gum came off. thanks soo much

Posted on 08/11/2006 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Andrew (Guest Post)
I used Rochelle's method, but didn't have a paper bag. I used a sheet of wax paper instead. It worked pretty well! This stain was particularly nasty because it was on the inside of my back pocket in linen pants, so it had stained through.

Posted on 05/31/2006 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Dave (Guest Post)
Rochelle's method works! Thanks! Make sure that you turn the paper often, as the gum remelts onto the underside of the paper, and don't make my mistake and put the melted gum onto ANOTHER spot on the clothing.

Posted on 05/11/2006 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Nikki (Guest Post)
I just used Rochelle's method to get gum out of a pair of pants (I sat in it 3 months ago at a concert and was so mad I threw them in my closet). I used a tiny piece of newspaper instead of the bag, gum was gone in seconds! (I'll be wearing those pants to another concert this weekend)

Posted on 03/21/2006 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Amy (Guest Post)
Surely by now you have removed the gum from your clothing! For future reference, however, use scotch tape to remove the gum from clothes. The gum will stick to the scotch tape and peel off easily!

Posted on 02/22/2006 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Azareal (Guest Post)
my finace's sister sat in gum.. and washing/drying didnt get it out. the post from rochelle worked like a charm. THANKS ROCHELLE!

Posted on 11/26/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Rochelle (Guest Post)
This is actually an easy one...cut a paper bag in half and turn on an iron on high...put the bag on the spot and iron the spot...it will get the gum out and it will get all of it out...just keep ironing and moving the bag around and u will get it out...it also works on candle wax if it gets on your carpet

Posted on 08/07/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse


By GumFreak (Guest Post)
I'm a bit of a gum freak, so one night as I chewed on three pieces(sick, I know) I was playing with a bit of gum pulling it out of my mouth and letting it snap back and I accidentaly dropped in. I didn' t actually find it until the morning of the next day where it was wedged between my new bra and tanktop. I hardened the gum with and ice cube, then applied rubbing alcohol and pulled thegum off bit by bit with a tweezer

Posted on 04/10/2005 | Report Spam or Abuse


By Joyce (Guest Post)
Well when that happened to me I used lighter fluid. You put that on & let it set for a while then go back & put more on it then rub it or scrape it. It does work now.

Posted on 12/10/2004 | Report Spam or Abuse


By goodmom. (Guest Post)
This happened to my daughter's fuzzy nightgown years ago. I rubbed peanut butter into the hard spots, then started scraping with my fingernails and eventually scraping on the wrong side of the fabric with a paring knife. I got most of the gum out, then probably pretreated it with dish soap (that's what I usually do with any stain). I washed it and it came out clean, but with a grease spot. I treated the grease spot with either dish soap or shampoo and washed it again, and the gum /stain was totally gone. (If you cannot get grease out, you can actually rub cornstarch into a grease spot on a dry garment before wearing it and then brush it hard, and the spot usually will not show.) She wore that nightie till it fell apart.

Posted on 12/08/2004 | Report Spam or Abuse


1x1
1x1
 Post Feedback:
1x1
1x1
1x1

Login using the form on the top of the page to post feedback (if you are a registered user). If you have not yet registered, click here to do so. It's FREE!.

1x1

© 1997-2009 ThriftyFun.com - Design by Cumuli Design
Disclaimer: ThriftyFun.com cannot accept any responsibility for any injury or damage that you may cause to yourself, others, or property when following any advice given on this site. Read the full disclaimer. If you find any information on ThriftyFun.com or in our newsletters that is either erroneous and/or potentially harmful to others, please Contact Us, immediately.