Carpet Cleaning: 3 Tips For Removing Gum
At Zerorez®, we are experts in carpet cleaning and that means that we've seen just about every kind of carpet spill and stain, especially when it comes to carpeting in homes with children. If you have children, specifically, young children, then you know that it's never a surprise to find grimy messes on your carpets. You also know that one of the worst messes your kids can leave for you is ground-in gum. If you have gum embedded in your carpeting and you're not sure how to get rid of it, here are 3 things to try:
1 - Freeze It
One of the easiest ways to get gum out of carpeting is to freeze it. You can either use a single ice cube and hold it on the gum or get a plastic, sandwich bag and fill it with ice to place on the gum. Generally, the less wet the gum gets, the easier it will be to remove so try not to let the ice melt directly on the gum. Once the gum feels hard, pry it up with your fingers or a dull knife. The frozen gum will be brittle and will come up in pieces so it may take a while to remove it all. If it softens, refreeze it and start over. Avoid fraying or pulling up carpet fibers by holding them down with one hand while working on the gum with the other. Once you've got most of the gum up, you may need to use a small amount of liquid soap blotted onto any remaining sticky residue.
2 - Heat It
Because of the danger of burning or melting your carpet fibers with heat, this is not the best choice but may be effective if everything else has failed. First, place a paper bag or clean cloth over the gum. Then use a hair dryer (or iron) to heat the area and soften the gum. As the gum softens, it will stick to the bag or cloth placed over it. Gently lift the bag or cloth to remove at least some of the gum and continue the process as many times as necessary to remove the majority of the gum. As with the freezing process, you may need to use some liquid soap to blot up any remaining residue.
3 - Dissolve It
If freezing and heating seem too labor-intensive, you might consider using a solvent to break down the gum. There are a number of commercially-available products that you can buy at department and hardware stores that are made to remove sticky residue and dried paint. The most important thing you can do is to read the instructions carefully and apply just a small amount on your carpeting to ensure that it will be safe to use. You will likely have to brush the solvent into the gum to soften and dissolve it and this process can sometimes be just as time-consuming as other gum-removal methods. Once you've gotten the gum out of your carpeting, be sure to flush the area clean with water and blot it dry with clean cloths to remove any remaining chemical.
At Zerorez carpet cleaning in Las Vegas, NV, you can be sure that no matter what kinds of stains and dirt your children inflict on your carpeting, we've got the tools and experience to make it look like new. Give us a call at 702-567-0016 or visit us online at www.zerorezlasvegas.com to make an appointment for a carpet cleaning in Las Vegas, NV.
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