How to Remove Chewing Gum Washed in Clothes

Chewing gum is messy enough when it sticks to one area on a piece of clothing, but if it goes undetected through the washer and dryer, that one blob of gum becomes amoeba-like, spreading itself over numerous garments. Remove that stretchy, gooey mess using several different methods such as freezing, scraping, or applying white vinegar, as the best method for one gummy mess isn't necessarily the same as for another bit of gum, even on the same garment.

As soon as you notice the gum, pull off any loose bits that seem like they'll come up with ease. Wear rubber gloves to prevent the gum from sticking to your hand, but be mindful of what you touch afterwards to avoid spreading the mess. If the gum is too sticky to deal with at all, hang the affected items on hangers or on clothespins on a clothesline in a cool area out of direct sunlight. Hanging the items up also helps you see all of the problem spots. Be sure to check inside items such as skirts, shirts, or socks, in case of a gummy mess inside.

Wait a while for the items to cool if they're fresh out of the dryer. Pick as much gum off as possible by hand and then by using plastic knives and spoons. Deposit any picked-off gum into a trash bag, doing your best to avoid making a secondary mess.

Heat makes gum tremendously sticky and stretchy, as you've likely realized at least once before if you've ever stepped in gum on hot asphalt on a sunny summer afternoon. On the flip side, the colder the gum, the more it retains its current shape and the easier it is to pull away from anything it's currently stuck to.

Hold the garment or garments up to discover all of the gum, as there's a good chance it's in more than one place. Set the item in the freezer with the gum on top, not touching anything else. For a large garment, fold it as needed to fit it in the freezer. If the gum seems to be everywhere, setting the item on wax paper or putting wax paper between folds prevents the gum from sticking to other areas of the fabric. Leave the gummy item in the freezer for an hour or until the gum feels hard.

If you don't have room to put the affected items in the freezer, place ice cubes or an ice pack in a zippered plastic bag and set the ice atop the gum on the clothing. To speed up the process if several areas have gum on them, use multiple small bags of ice. Leave the ice bags in place for 15 minutes or so, or until a bulk of the gum is hard enough to pull away. Pry the gum off by hand, depositing it in the trash. Use a plastic spoon or knife to coax the rest of the gum bits out of the clothing fibers.

For colorfast clothing, a soak in hot white vinegar often loosens any lingering gum. Heat a little white vinegar in a microwave-safe container, such as a glass measuring cup, or on the stove in a small saucepan. Allow the vinegar to warm until it's fairly hot but not scalding or boiling.

Soak any remaining messy areas on each affected clothing item in the white vinegar for several minutes. The vinegar should loosen the gum from the fabric. Using a plastic spoon, scrape the gum off the clothes and into a trash bag.