Removing Chewing Gum From Clothes With WD-40

I was recently unfortunate enough to wash and dry my clothes with a packet of chewing gum rolled into the mix. This resulted in the, what was thought of at the time, demise of some of my good business shirts.

This just didn't work with me, and I decided to do a bit of DIY dry cleaning.

Firstly you should obtain a can of WD-40 (apparently petrol also works if you are ever so inclinded). Before spraying, make sure to remove as much of the gum with a blunt knife (a non serrated butter knife will do) as possible (putting it in the freezer for a few hours will help if it is still soft).

Once the area is prepared, spray it with WD-40. After about 30 minutes, the gum should start to disolve and lift out of the fabric. Use the blunt knife again to scrape as much as you can off (be gentle and patient, try not to ruin the fabric with the knife). Spray the fabric again and repeat with the knife. Continue to do this until the gum is completely gone.

The clothes will now smell quite strong and might still have some oily residue from the gum. A nice long soak will soon have this gone. If you still have oily stains, use a stain remover of your choice.

Please note, make sure to test on an inconspicuous area first, as some clothes might not handle being treated this way. This has worked for me on cotton and some synthetic shirts, please see a specialist if you cannot afford to damage the garment in any way.