# Help me clean up chewing gum. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 19, 2007, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-clean-up-chewing-gum/396612 "2007-03-19T18:50:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2007, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-clean-up-chewing-gum/396612/1 "2007-03-19T18:50:38Z")
So I have a bad habit with Trident sugarless chewing gum. I fall alseep chewing it. It’s everywhere. When it’s in the carpet I just cut it out with a utility knife. It’s also in my clothes and on a painted wall; I don’t know what kind of paint it is, it’s about 30 years old. What’s the best way to clean each of those? The former is more of an IMHO question because I’ve heard of using ice or cooking oil, but I don’t see anything on what to do with paint. ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2007, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-clean-up-chewing-gum/396612/2 "2007-03-19T18:55:55Z")
If you can freeze the gum it should come right off most surfaces. Oil is good for removing it from hair, where the oil can be easily be washed out. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2007, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-clean-up-chewing-gum/396612/3 "2007-03-19T19:40:50Z")
I used to work in the grounds department at Six Flags. I think it was something called Goo Gum that we used. It came in an aerosol can and it would harden the gum so that you could scrape it up. Applying an ice cube to the gum will also do the trick. On the other extreme, you can use peanut butter to soften it and then wipe it away. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-clean-up-chewing-gum/396612/4 "2007-03-27T02:34:27Z")
It’s really worked into some pants; freezing didn’t work. I don’t want to add peanut butter to the equation. Oil might be a problem because the washer and dryer say never to wash and dry something that has ever been soaked in oil. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-clean-up-chewing-gum/396612/5 "2007-03-27T02:44:21Z")
Goof Off or Goo be Gone. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2007, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-clean-up-chewing-gum/396612/6 "2007-03-27T03:56:07Z")
If you spray canned air upside-down, you’ll get a super-freezing spray that can harden gum for removal. (Presuming it’s not at the worked-in stage) ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2007, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-clean-up-chewing-gum/396612/7 "2007-04-10T21:45:10Z")
Update: the correct answer is “take it to a dry cleaner and let them figure it out.” Edit: I never figured out the paint though, I have tried anything yet. I don’t want to soak it, or to rip the paint off the drywall. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-clean-up-chewing-gum/396612/8 "2007-04-11T17:35:03Z")
Zippo lighter fluid works wonderfully for getting it out of hair and clothing!