Gum removal is quite easy to do, but there are still a multitude of questions from people who want to know how to get gum out of the carpet. Some people even get so dispirited by the sight of ugly gum blobs they have difficulty removing, that they actually replace the carpet in frustration.

You will hardly ever have to do that. Here is the answer.

Depending on what the situation may be, you will need to have the following materials available:

Some ice

A plastic zipper bag

A hammer or similar tool you can use to pound or beat on the gum when it gets hard

A spatula or scraper

Canned refrigerant or liquid compressed air usually used to dust off computer keyboards.

Dish washing liquid

Citrus solvent or citrus gel

Vacuum cleaner or carpet steamer

Now here are the steps to follow:

First, try to get the gum hard and brittle by freezing it. Put some ice in a zipper bag. Close the bag, place it over the gum and leave it there for 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat if necessary, until the gum is brittle. Use the hammer or other heavy object to beat on it and break it into little pieces. Scrape off the fragments with the spatula or scraper and use the vacuum cleaner or carpet steamer to remove them from the carpet.

You may also try to freeze the gum by using the compressed air or canned refrigerant. Hold the can upside down, close to the gum, and squirt the gas unto it. When it gets hard, follow the procedure above.

If this doesn\’t get rid of all the gum, try using a citrus based solvent or gel, which you can get at any cleaning supply store. Spray the solvent unto the gum or cover it with the gel and leave it for 10-15 minutes. This will cause it to decompose, lose its stickiness and get hard so that you can scrape it off the carpet fibers.

Sometimes a stain is left on the carpet after the gum is removed. That is because gum is made from synthetic latex, but usually has various other additives like sweeteners, softeners, flavorings and colorants to modify its properties. These stains are usually easy to remove also.

First try a dilute solution of dish washing liquid – about half ounce per gallon. Apply this solution to the stained area and leave it to react for about 10 minutes. Blot with a clean white towel until all the color is gone. Blot – don\’t rub, because you may just cause the stain to spread to surrounding areas.

If this doesn\’t remove all the stain, try the same procedure, using the citrus solvent or gel.

Finally, vacuum and groom the carpet when it is dry.

Be sure to always wear gloves when handling cleaning chemicals.

Also, do not scrape the carpet too hard or you may damage the fibers.

Have fun!

Victor Nugent is President of AJS Carpet Cleaning with over 11 years carpet cleaning experience.
For more information visit our website at Carpet Cleaning Payson or Carpet Cleaning Salt Lake City or Carpet Cleaning Sandy

Victor Nugent is President of AJS Carpet Cleaning with over 11 years carpet cleaning experience.
For more information visit our website at Carpet Cleaning Payson http://bit.ly/LE0nvm or Carpet Cleaning Salt Lake City http://bit.ly/PvUQ8F or Carpet Cleaning Sandy http://bit.ly/Mkm7LE

Author Bio: Victor Nugent is President of AJS Carpet Cleaning with over 11 years carpet cleaning experience.
For more information visit our website at Carpet Cleaning Payson or Carpet Cleaning Salt Lake City or Carpet Cleaning Sandy

Category: Home Management
Keywords: chewing gum,carpet cleaning,salt lake city,sandy utah,payson ut