Have you ever walked through your living room and spied a chewed piece of gum stuck to your carpets? While the emotions flare up inside you and you question as to who would dare leave a sticky piece of gum on your clean carpets, your next thought will be how to remove the gum without damaging the carpet fibers. You can simply pull the gum out, but all too often the carpet pile comes with it. Steam Green Carpet Cleaning will share a few ways you can try to remove the gum off of your carpet without damaging it in the process.
How to Remove Gum from Carpet with Heat
One way you can remove gum is to involve a hair dryer. Turn the hair dry on and let the heat soften the gum to make it more pliable. Once the gum begins to soften and loosen up, use a plastic or paper bag and gently press on the gum. Don’t press down too hard because that will only push the gum deeper into the carpet. Use just enough pressure for the gum to stick to the plastic or paper but not where you push the gum deeper into the carpet. Lift the paper or plastic bag up slowly to make sure the gum is releasing from the carpet without pulling on the pile. The gum may remove away in sections you may need to repeat using the hair drier and lifting up the gum. Note: Some carpet pile types are sensitive to heat. If your carpet shows signs of melting, don’t use this method.
How to Remove Old Gum from Carpet with Ice Cubes
Another method to remove gum off of carpet is to use ice cubes. You can actually freeze the gum right off of carpet. If you want to avoid the hair drier method, try this one. Start by applying an ice cube or a bag of ice and cover the gum for 20 minutes or until the gum freezes. When gum freezes it becomes hardened. Once the gum has frozen, use a pick to break up the gum. Start by picking around the edges of the gum and pull away the pieces. Make sure that the gum doesn’t pull up the pile or carpet fibers. Go slowly. Using the ice should help remove most of the gum. Afterward, use a vacuum to remove the smaller particles. However, if some gum remains, apply a degreaser. This should loosen and remove the rest of the gum residue.
Carpet Cleaning Solutions
In the event the gum has been sitting on the carpet for a while, you may need to use a cleaning solution. You will want to use a dry cleaning or gel based solvent such as a grease, oil, or paint remover. These solvents work great on gum. Use a spoon or butter knife to scrape the gum off of the carpet. Don’t use anything with a sharpened edge or you can damage the carpet. Make sure after using a solvent or cleaner to rinse the area with water and baking soda mixed together to help dissolve and lift up any remaining cleaner.
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Steam Green Carpet Cleaning can help clean and revive your carpets. If it is time to give your carpets a deep professional cleaning, contact Steam Green Carpet Cleaning today.
