When you are worried about bad breath, gum comes in handy, but when it mistakenly or mysteriously ends up on your clothes, getting it out can be tantamount to impossible. Yuck! Now you have gum stain all over your fabric, you are trying to get it out with your fingers, but you are causing more damage. Everything is now messy, and you are at your wits’ end as to what to do. Guess what, good tidings we bring to you, Ice cubes have come to rescue you! Yes, you heard me, you can remove gum stains with ice cubes.
How to remove gum stains with ice cubes
Use this method to get rid of gum on a bulky fabric such as a duvet, curtain, etc.
You will need:
(1) a freezer bag
(2) ice cubes
(3) a blunt knife
Put some ice cubes into the freezer bag and place the bag on the affected area until the gum becomes hard. If you don’t have a freezer bag, rub the ice cube over the gum in a circular motion until it hardens under the ice cube. Using the blunt knife, scrape the hard gum away.
Use this method to get rid of gum on a delicate fabric such as a shirt, skirt, dress, etc.
You will need:
(1) a plastic bag
(2) an ice cube
(3) a soft toothbrush
Using your fingers, peel off as much gum as you can from the fabric and then wrap it in the plastic bag and put in the freezer to harden. Alternatively, you can rub an ice cube on the gum until it becomes hard. When it is hard, peel off again, as much gum as you can, but be careful not to pull the fabric together with the gum. It is advised to do this because of the texture of the fabric. The brush may be too soft that it won’t get out the gum or too hard that it will damage the fabric in the process. It will be more controlled with fingers. Scrub off the remaining with the soft toothbrush to completely remove any residue.
You can also remove gum stains with ice cubes on fabric without using a plastic bag and it works for both bulky and delicate fabrics.
You will need
(1) laundry detergent (enzyme detergent, preferably)
(2) 2 ice cubes
(3) a blunt knife
Place one ice cube directly under the gum, with as little fabric as possible in the way. Place the other ice cube right on top of the gum and underneath the other one. There should be as little fabric in the way, as possible. Wait until the gum becomes cold or for about 30 mins, then remove the ice cubes.
Put the fabric on a flat surface and use the blunt knife to scrape off the frozen gum. Pre-treat the affected gum area with the enzyme detergent or soap and then wash the fabric, and voila, the gum is out!
That’s it! Easy ways to remove gum stains with ice cubes. Ensure that you have ice cubes at home, so next time that gum finds its way to your clothing, do not fret, use ice cubes. To see other stain removal agents, read more here.
You can also read more on the removal of gums here