One of the most annoying & irritating issues that you may have to deal with when cleaning your rugs or carpets, is the removal of chewing gums. If you have children at home, then chances are that you’ll notice such issues quite frequently, which is the reason why knowing the ways to remove or eliminate the same can be a time & energy-saver.
Therefore, in this extensive guide, we’ll be covering the various methods that you can use to remove pesky & sticky chewing gums from your carpets & rugs, in the most effortless manner possible.
Ingredients That You Need
According to a professional service provider for carpet cleaning in Auckland, you’ll need the below-mentioned items to get your work started:
- A pair of scissors & some cardboard pieces (even though this is not necessary, it can make the cleaning process neat & tidy)
- Ice
- A simple plastic bag (make sure that the bag doesn’t have any holes or the ice will melt all over your floor)
- Any scraping equipment (avoid using sharp objects that can damage your rug or carpet; ideally you can use a thumb scraper)
- Some amount of Lacquer thinner (will help in breaking up the remaining of the chewing gum stuck to the carpet or rug)
- Adhesive removers that are citrus-based (alternative to lacquer thinners)
- Dry carpet cleaning solvent
- Paper towels & sponges (can be used for either removing gums or blotting purposes)
Method For Eliminating Chewing Gums From Your Carpet Or Rug
Preparing The Area
Take a small piece of the cardboard and then cut a small hole into it, which is almost the shape of the gum. This small piece of cardboard will act as a carpet guard to protect the carpet surroundings while you remove the chewing gum. Proceed to place the cardboard over the affected area.
Freezing The Gum
Take one cube of ice and place it inside the plastic bag. Then place that plastic bag over the gum. The plastic bag will prevent the ice from melting and wetting the rest of the carpet or rug. Continue to rub the plastic bag over the gum until the structure of the gum becomes hard.
When a gum becomes frozen, it becomes easy to remove because all the molecules contract and thus the bonding with the rug or carpet fibres become loose. In case you cannot obtain ice, you can use a commercial aerosol spray for the same.
Scraping The Gum
Once the chewing gum has hardened sufficiently, you can use a spatula or a dull knife to remove the gum carefully. However, if you still find any leftover stains or pieces of gum stuck to the rug or carpet, you need to continue with the later steps.
Eliminating Residue
Take a sponge and apply some lacquer thinner to any remaining pieces of gum that are still stuck to the surface of the rug or carpet. Ensure that you follow the safety precautions when using lacquer thinners because they are flammable. If you’re not able to use lacquer thinners, then you can utilise adhesive removers that are citrus-based. Proceed to then carefully blot the leftover pieces of chewing gum, until they’re removed.
Removing The Leftover Stain
Once you successfully remove the chewing gum remainings, there will still be a leftover stain that you need to deal with. To clean the stain, you can proceed to use the dry carpet cleaning solvent using a sponge. Blot the stained area repeatedly with the sponge until the stain marks get lifted from the fibres of your carpet or rug. Take as much time you need.
Rinsing The Area
Finally, it’s time to rinse the area using clean, cold water. Then eliminate the excess moisture by blotting using a dry towel.
