How to remove chewing gum from trousers: how to quickly remove and clean stains

Fruit or menthol chewing gum will help you quickly freshen your breath without resorting to toothpaste or mouthwash.
But what to do if, due to those who like to stick a sticky mass to the seat of a chair or bench, a problem arises with chewing gum stuck to their trousers. There are a sufficient number of folk methods or special chemicals that can help restore your favorite item to its original appearance at home.

We will tell you in this article how to remove chewing gum from trousers and how to clean fabric from smeared chewing gum.

Method 1 - cooling

If you want to quickly and easily remove chewing gum from jeans, you can use the refrigerator for this. Work like this:

First, take an ordinary plastic bag. Fold your pants so that the stain is on top and place the item in this bag. Make sure that the cellophane does not stick to the fabric.
Place the bag in the freezer and seal it there for a while. Wait until the tissue is completely frozen.
After the fabric has frozen, remove the item and clean any remaining elastic from it with a brush.

Video: removing chewing gum by freezing:

Important:

work the fabric very quickly. Make sure that the gum does not melt. If you do not have time to completely remove the stain, you will have to put the pants back in the freezer.

Special formulations

The chemical industry produces a large variety of preparations for removing chewing gum. TOP 3 best special products:

Premiere Chewing Gum Remover Spray

An effective product for removing sticky masses from the surface of furniture, carpets, and fabrics.

The method of application is simple: in the upper part of the bottle, a tube is inserted into a special hole, through which the cleaning agent is sprayed onto the chewing gum.

After traces of freezing (white frost) appear on the sticky mass, scrape it off with the blunt side of a knife or scissors. The smallest particles are shaken off or removed from the fabric with a brush.

The average cost of Premiere Chewing Gum Remover (300 ml bottle) is 1,100 rubles.

RAPIDO CHEWING GUM REMOVER DR.SCHNELL

The product of a German manufacturer is effective in combating stuck chewing gum , plasticine and other adhesive substances.

Unlike drugs of similar action from other manufacturers, it does not contain organochlorine or organofluorine compounds. During the processing process, the sticky mass does not freeze, but dissolves, which makes the cleaning process as fast and simple as possible.

Directions for use: Apply a dry, clean cloth generously moistened with RAPIDO CHEWING GUM REMOVER DR.SCHNELL to the chewing gum. After five to ten minutes, when the sticky mass becomes very soft, it can be easily rolled with your fingers or removed with a special scraper.

The average cost of RAPIDO CHEWING GUM REMOVER DR.SCHNELL is 1250 rubles. (500 ml bottle).

Pramol-Chemie AG Gumex

An effective remedy in the fight against chewing gum (as well as tape, plasticine) stuck to fabric, carpets and upholstered furniture. The basis of this cleaning product is a combination of various organic solvents.

Method of application: apply the composition undiluted to a sponge or piece of cloth, which is used to cover the stuck chewing gum. After two to three minutes, the contamination can be easily removed with a plastic scraper.

The average cost of Pramol-Chemie AG Gumex is 700 rubles. (250 ml bottle).

Before using any special product, you must carefully study the instructions and conduct testing on an inconspicuous area of your trousers.

Method 2 - boiling

How to remove chewing gum from rough tissue without special chemicals? Use ordinary boiled water for this purpose. Proceed like this:

First, put a small amount of water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and place the part of the product to which the gum is stuck into the water. Wait until the water cools down a bit, otherwise you risk getting burned.
Take the knife without removing the product from the water, then use it to remove the sticky dirt. After this, rub the fabric to remove any remaining adhesive from it.

How to clean your chewing gum if you didn’t manage to remove it completely the first time? Just repeat this manipulation by heating the water again. Please note: this method is only suitable for jeans. There is absolutely no need to use it for delicate fabrics.

Folk remedies

Let's start with “folk methods”. We do not recommend using aggressive media, since you can almost always get by with household products.

Unstick with cold

It is very easy to tear off the gum by the force of cold and we will need a freezer.

Freezer

The easiest way to remove gum from jeans is to simply put them in the freezer.

We work according to the instructions:

We put the pants in a bag so that the elastic is on top.
We put the package in the middle of the chamber, it freezes the most there.
Leave for half an hour.
The rubber band becomes stone, so we just remove it.

Often small pieces remain that can be scrubbed off with a toothbrush.

Ice compress

In winter, you can also remove chewing gum from jeans outside. We look for an icicle and apply it to the chewing gum. We wait until it freezes completely. Just tear it off and you're done!

Freezing Spray

Probably the most convenient method. This spray is sold in any pharmacy and is intended for treating wounds. You can clean off chewing gum in just 5 minutes.

Just spray the spray on the toffee and wait for it to freeze completely. When it hardens, tear it off with your hands and clean off the residue.

Peel off using high temperatures

If you can't freeze it, you need to heat it up! For example, flannel pants cannot be cleaned by cold. The taffy strongly adheres to the fibers of the fabric and can damage the trousers.

Boiling water

Before the procedure, you need to remove the main mass of gum with your hands or a brush. Boiling water will soften it and the stain can penetrate inside. Then nothing can be removed.

Cleaning is best done by two people. We will need boiling water and a toothbrush:

Boil water and place the trousers in a pan with a colander.
One person pours boiling water on the stain, and the second quickly brushes off the residue with a brush.
We carry out the procedure until complete cleaning.

Iron

A method that requires, at a minimum, accuracy. To remove chewing gum from pants, place a cutting board or wooden block under the stained area. Place a napkin or paper on the stain. Using an iron, heat the elastic through the gasket until it softens and quickly remove it with tweezers or a brush.

Hairdryer

Similar to an iron, but more convenient. There is nothing complicated here - we just direct a stream of hot air. But there are several nuances:

To remove chewing gum from pants, you need to blow from the inside. Under air pressure it will penetrate into the fibers and it will be impossible to remove it.
As soon as it begins to soften, immediately remove it with tweezers and then scrape it off with a knife.
Heat it again and clean it with a brush.

By the way, if there are any pieces left, try freezing the jeans and then brushing them out.

Rub with vegetable oil

You can clean it with regular oil: vegetable, linseed, olive. The fact is that toffee is not oil-resistant and becomes soft under the influence of any fats.

Cleaning is simple: drop some oil on the toffee and cover with a sponge. Leave for 10 minutes. After this, use a cotton swab to tear off the chewing gum from the pants, and clean off the remaining residue with a brush. We act quickly, otherwise you will have to dry clean the oil stain.

Immediately after, cover it with salt or wash it off with gasoline.

Remove with stationery tape

Wipe off the gum with tape? Why not, especially since it’s convenient if you’re away from home. Apply a small piece to the area of contamination and quickly tear it off. You may have to repeat 5-6 times.

Remove with nail polish remover

If all else fails, acetone from nail polish remover will help remove the gum. Essentially, it is an organic solvent. First, remove the main part, and collect the remains with soaked cotton wool.

It is important that acetone eats away the pigment of their fabric quite well, so use it in extreme cases.

How to quickly remove hairspray?

Hairspray or antistatic also contain solvents, but gentle ones. They do not cause catastrophic harm to the fabric, so it is easier to work with them. We proceed in the same way as with nail polish remover.

Other methods

Nothing helped? Then we move on to heavy artillery. They will definitely help clean the chewing gum from the tissue.

Remove with vinegar

Heat the vinegar a little on the stove or in the microwave. First you need to remove as much of the gum as possible. Then soak a napkin in acid and wipe off the dirt.

Clean with solvents

Acetone, gasoline, turpentine, solvent - all this will help remove chewing gum from trousers. We work as with any aggressive environment.

Be careful, industrial solvents easily damage fabric. And a number of combined solvents (for example, 647) easily dissolve plastic. Therefore, synthetic fabrics cannot be wiped with them.

Method 3 - hot water

This method of cleaning chewing gum is suitable if the dirt is not very ingrained. It can only be used on rough fabrics. Apply it this way: open a hot water tap, bring the contaminated area under the stream, and after a few minutes try to clean off the remaining gum with a toothbrush.

Important:

If you use this method to remove chewing gum, do not rub the cloth too hard. If you overdo it, you can easily ruin it.

You can also use a stream of warm air from a hair dryer instead of hot water. Heat the sticky mass and remove it with a spatula or a dull butter knife. All the work in this case will take you only a few minutes.

Removing chewing gum from trousers by heating

The most well-known method for removing chewing gum from pants is heating.
When treated with a hot iron, hairdryer or boiling water, the chewing gum melts and lags behind the fabric. The method cannot be called the safest and always effective. When hot processing delicate fabrics, damage to the fibers is possible; in addition, the molten sticky mass can be deeply absorbed into the material and cannot be removed without the use of specific products. How to remove chewing gum with an iron:

The pants must be straightened and laid out on a flat, hard surface. It is more convenient to use an ironing board for this purpose.
On the back side of the stain you need to place a thick sheet of cardboard wrapped in clean cloth. This will help prevent your trouser legs from sticking together and prevent gum from contaminating other areas of your clothing and causing sticky marks.
Place a sheet of thick paper or cloth directly on the stuck chewing gum. You need to iron your pants through the lining material.
The iron is heated on medium setting, then passed several times along the trouser leg with sticky gum.
After repeating the procedure three or four times, the Velcro comes off the fabric of the pants and remains on the top piece of fabric.

After finishing the work, wash the clothes as usual, but first you should degrease the area to which the chewing gum was stuck. Dishwashing liquid or laundry soap will do.

Instead of a hot iron, you can use a hair dryer. Blowing hot air can get rid of chewing gum, but the heat must be strong enough. During work, precautions should be taken to avoid getting burned by household appliances or damaging the material.

Important! The heating method is not suitable for cleaning pants made of lightweight fabric or items with a high synthetic content. In order not to spoil the thing, you need to use other methods.

Method 4 - gasoline

What's the easiest way to remove smeared gum? This can be done using gasoline (it is best to use purified lighter gasoline for this). Use it like this:

Immediately you need to pour a little gasoline directly onto the dirt.
After this, you will need to wait a few minutes until this product separates the elastic from the fabric.
Next, all that remains is to clean off the remaining dirt. This can be done with an ordinary toothbrush.

Important:

Typically, after such cleaning, a small amount of dirt remains on the fabric. How to remove chewing gum and gasoline stains from a product? You will simply need to machine wash your pants, following the manufacturer's recommendations. Use the most ordinary washing powder for this purpose, and not a trace will remain of the stain.

This option for removing stubborn chewing gum can be used for various types of fabric. You can even use it on silk, wool and cotton.

How to Remove Old Gum Stains

To get rid of an old stain, you need to follow this algorithm:

Before removing a chewing gum stain, you need to soften it. To do this, just iron the pants through the fabric with an iron.
Remove any remaining gum with tape.
If necessary, apply a little solvent to the stain itself with a sponge.
Clean the item with a brush.
Wash the product with powder in the washing machine several times.

You can remove old chewing gum stains from thick fabric trousers by alternating the methods of freezing and boiling. First you need to freeze your pants in the freezer, then scrape the gum off of them. Then you should place the trousers in hot water with soap and brush to remove the remaining stain.

Iron the pants through the fabric

Remove any remaining chewing gum with tape

Apply solvent to the stain

Clean the item with a brush

Wash the product several times with powder

Method 5 – iron

This is another simple method for removing such stains from pants. Apply it like this:

First, place the cardboard over the chewing gum mark itself. Turn the pants over so that the cardboard is directly on the ironing board.
Heat your iron to medium heat.
Iron the fabric until the chewing gum is completely transferred to the cardboard.

How to remove a stain that may remain on the fabric from an elastic band? After it transfers to cardboard, simply wash the item. This is necessary in order to remove any remaining stains.

Hot method

There are many variations of this method described on the Internet, and we, in turn, can also say something about it. We would not recommend it as the best and most reliable. The essence of the method is to heat the chewing gum in any suitable way: hot water from a kettle, hair dryer, iron, and even boiling. According to advisers, the chewing gum should lose its stickiness and come off easily from the fabric.

But practice shows that this method works in about half of the cases; no less often, the melted toffee penetrates even deeper into the fibers or leaves persistent greasy stains that harden when heated.

Many things should not be exposed to high temperatures at all; they can fade, deform or melt. Before ironing or boiling clothing, read the label attached to the item. Graphic instructions inform the consumer how to properly clean the product, what can and cannot be done.

We described the hot method in detail in an article on how to remove chewing gum from clothes, you can read it here.

Method 6 – vinegar

How can you remove stains from rough fabrics? An ordinary 9% table vinegar does the job well. Work with it like this:

First, pour this product into any tin container and heat it well in it.
After this, take a clean toothbrush. Soak it well in vinegar while it is still not completely cool.
Gently and carefully rub the stain until it is completely removed from the pants.
If your vinegar gets cold while working, just reheat it and start over.

Video: how to remove chewing gum using vinegar?

How to clean pants from the unpleasant odor that may appear after such treatment? Just put the product in the washing machine and wash it in express mode as you usually do. Then dry your pants thoroughly. After this, neither the chewing gum nor the smell of vinegar will remain on them.

Will a washing machine help?

You can try to get rid of the stuck substance using a regular washing machine. But without preliminary treatment of the contaminated area, the result is unlikely to please. Before washing, wet the soiled item, apply stain remover or dishwashing gel, and scrub off the sticky stain until all chewing gum residue is removed. After this, you can wash your clothes with your usual detergent on the delicate cycle.

You need to get rid of stubborn dirt as early as possible. Ideally, immediately after detecting stuck Velcro. The more time has passed since the moment of adhesion, the deeper the rubber mass penetrates into the structure of the fabric, and the more difficult it will be to cope with the problem at home.

Method 7 – tape

How can you remove such dirt if you don’t have any special chemicals at hand? You can use ordinary tape for this purpose. All you have to do is stick it on the gum and then quickly tear it off. The tape will be able to remove the elastic from the fabric.

Important:

Use this method only for fresh contamination. If the elastic band has already melted and gone deeper into the fabric, the adhesive tape is unlikely to cope with it.

You can also use new chewing gum instead of regular duct tape. Just knead it well with your fingers, then stick it on top of the old one, press it down well and tear it off sharply. If you do it right, the new chewing gum will remove the old one. All you have to do is simply use a knife to clean off any remaining dirt, and then wash the trousers well.

If you need to act quickly

If gum is stuck to your clothes and you don't have time to wash or freeze it, there are a few other methods you can try. Some of them are suitable even if trouble happened on the street.

Saving jeans with vinegar

If you are faced with the problem of how to remove chewing gum from jeans, the surest way is to do it with vinegar. We will also need a toothbrush again. The whole action takes place in four steps.

Heating. The vinegar should be slightly warm.
Application. Dip a toothbrush into the seasoning and immediately apply to the gum.
Delete. Using a brush, remove the chewing gum.
Wash. We send the prepared item to be washed. But if you are in a hurry, and there is nothing to change into, then that’s all for now, and go about your business - the remains of the stain will not be noticeable. However, the vinegar smell may remain, so it's best not to walk for long periods of time. When you return home, you should wash your jeans immediately.

We remove chewing gum... with chewing gum

If the chewing gum is very stuck, and there is nothing at hand, you can quickly run to the nearest store and buy... chewing gum there. This is a convenient way to get rid of chewing gum outside the home. Once we have everything we need, we need to do two things.

Chew. It is advisable not to prolong the pleasure.
Clean clothes. Now, using a fresh rubber band, peel off the stuck layers from your clothes step by step. So - until the successful ending.

Scotch tape works on a similar principle. Peel off the top of the sticky rubber band and stick the rest to pieces of adhesive tape.

If the “trouble” stuck to the shoes

Even if such a problem happened to the boots you just bought, don’t be upset. There is a way. You will need a liquid containing acetone or itself.

We apply. We apply the liquid to a rag and carefully try to saturate the unfortunate area.
We wait. We will need a few minutes for the chemical processes to begin.
Delete. This is where a knife comes in handy. Or any sharp object. We use it to remove gum from shoes.

There are quite a few ways to deal with the “chewing” problem and they help. You can even remove old chewing gum from clothes. But it is important to understand that not every experiment ends successfully. Therefore, if the item is very expensive and the fabric is delicate, then it is better to play it safe and go to a dry cleaner, where they can remove chewing gum from clothes using professional methods.

Video on the topic

Method 8 – liquid soap

This is a universal, gentle way to remove chewing gum from pants. It should be used like this:

To begin with, pour as much liquid soap as possible onto the dirty area. You can take a product of any brand, but it is better to use a product that has the least amount of dyes, as well as specific fragrances.
After this, you need to take a toothbrush and rub the detergent over the fabric.
Then you should take a dull knife and very carefully remove any remaining dirt with it.

Advice:

To prevent stains from remaining on your clothes, simply wash the product after such cleaning. Usually one wash is enough to completely remove stains.

Household chemicals

There are many products created specifically for removing such contaminants. These include stain removers, laundry detergents and professional products specifically for removing sticky substances: plasticine, chewing gum, bitumen, etc.

Liquid laundry detergent

If the chewing gum is stuck to the jeans, but has not yet smeared, then any liquid soap or detergent will do. You need to lay the item out on a horizontal surface, pour in the soap and wait a few minutes. The lump will soften and removing it will not be difficult.

Amway SA8 stain remover

Amway SA8 - spray is intended for treating dirty items before washing in an automatic machine. The composition of the fabric does not matter, the main thing is that the item is well-painted and does not fade.

It’s worth saying right away that the product is by no means cheap, but it’s really useful for removing difficult stains around the house. The spray is used to treat dirty collars and greasy sleeves of winter clothes immediately before washing; excellent results against greasy stains of various origins, chewing gum and plasticine.

You need to spray the gum with a spray and leave it for five minutes, after which the gum that has lost its stickiness can be easily removed with your hands or a nail file. The aerosol works equally well on fresh, old, and even smeared gum.

What should teachers do?

It makes sense for teachers, educators, coaches of children's sports sections and people whose work, one way or another, is connected with children to purchase one of the professional products for removing plasticine and chewing gum. After all, the problem of chewing gum arises among representatives of these professions almost every day.

Specialist. The product can be bought at a household chemical store or ordered from an online store:

This product should be in every training room - ICEMIX or Frost freezing spray. It is used during sports injuries; cold helps relieve swelling and alleviate pain from a fracture, bruise or sprain. Spray the chewing gum with the spray and wait a few minutes; when the piece has hardened, pick it off with your fingernail, knife or any other suitable object. If the Velcro is very smeared, it is better to wash the tracksuit at home.
These preparations also operate on the principle of instant freezing, but they are designed specifically for removing plasticine and chewing gum: Taski Tapi Gum, ANTI-GUM, HGChewing Gum Remover, VMD92, Gumex Spray.
This group of products includes solvents that clean not only smeared plasticine or Bubble gum, but also traces of bitumen, mastic, melted rubber and plastic, as well as glue and tape: Beckmann from glue, DOMO Anti-chewing gum, Gumex, Pro-Brite Axel- eleven.

When purchasing such products, carefully read the instructions. Some products are designed specifically for textiles, others are universal and suitable for cleaning wood, plastic, and metals.

If you don’t work with children and chewing gum is more of an unfortunate accident than the norm, then don’t waste your money and use one of the household methods described below.

Method 9 – fairies

How can you get rid of this stubborn stain in a few minutes? Do this with the help of fairies or some similar means. All you need to do is put a little bit of this product on a clean kitchen sponge and then rub the stain with the sponge. Don't stop until the dirt is completely gone.

Important:

Be sure to wash your pants thoroughly after removing the gum. Otherwise, there may be unsightly stains left on them, which will be extremely difficult for you to remove.

Using Chewing Gum

A fresh stain can be removed with carefully chewed chewing gum. Chewed gum should be stuck to the chewing gum on pants or other clothing and thereby come off along with the particles of sticky “taffy.” If you don’t have chewing gum on hand, you can use tape, sticking it to the problematic mark and quickly removing all the “bubble gum” particles.

Method 10 – acetone for nails

You can remove such sticky things from sweatpants and trousers with a regular acetone-based nail solution. All you have to do is pour a small amount onto the stain, and then scrape off the gum with a dull knife or razor. If the first time you do not manage to get rid of the stain in this way, simply repeat this procedure.

Important:

This product may discolor the fabric of your trousers. If you are concerned that this may happen, test this product on any inconspicuous area of fabric first. Once you are sure that it does not lighten your item, you can safely use it.

What not to do and why?

When choosing a method for removing chewing gum from trousers, you need to remember some limitations:

trousers made of corduroy, velvet or synthetic fabric cannot be heat cleaned;
light trousers made of silk or chiffon should not be cleaned using the blast freezing method;
bright, colored fabrics cannot be cleaned with acetone-containing compounds or acetic acid.

Under no circumstances should you clean gum using sharp objects (such as scissors). The result of such actions will be a smeared stain and final damage to your favorite item.

Peanut butter

Vegetable oils have the ability to reduce the adhesion of chewing gum to the fibers of the fabric structure of clothing. Peanut oil is the most effective. But when using it, you should exercise maximum care and attention, since this delicious product has a greasy consistency, and if it gets on a clean area of clothing, a greasy stain may remain. To eliminate the “toffee”, you need to smear it with peanut butter using a cotton swab, and then scrape it off with the back of a knife or a nail file.

Freezer and ice

A well-known method for removing sticky stains is the use of cold. At low temperatures, chewing gum changes its structure, becomes brittle, hard and can be easily removed by simply rubbing.

Place the soiled pants in a plastic bag, place in the freezer for an hour and a half, then scrape off the easily crumbling mass with a knife. The remaining small particles can be carefully removed without damaging the fabric using a stiff clothes brush. It happens that the damaged item of clothing is large and does not fit in the freezer. Then carry out the cooling procedure by applying a plastic bag with ice cubes to the stain. The “cold” method is good for fleecy materials: drape, wool, fur products.