# How Does One Remove Baked-In Gum From the Drier? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 24, 2002, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-remove-baked-in-gum-from-the-drier/125404 "2002-08-24T20:42:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-remove-baked-in-gum-from-the-drier/125404/1 "2002-08-24T20:42:21Z")
So, some chewing gum made it into the drier and there are now colorful streaks of spearmint baked onto the “wall” or whatever it is that you call that cylinder thing that spins around and around. I’ve been informed that it probably won’t scrub out and that it’s possible to damage the drier by trying. I’ve also been told that if I just leave things alone, the gum will probably melt in the next drying cycle and potentially ruin whatever clothes are in there at the time. So, how does one go about getting rid of the gum? Alcohol? Some other household cleaning product? Any particular things to try or to stay away from? Do they make “gum-dissolver?” Any help would be very much appreciated . . . especially since the gum came from one of my pockets and I’m in trouble . . . ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-remove-baked-in-gum-from-the-drier/125404/2 "2002-08-24T20:52:22Z")
dry some peanut butter… no, seriously, there are many gum-removing products out there. i believe there is actually one called Gum-Off. but this might not be cool for inside the drier (the drum may have a coating which the solvent could damage). even if it is, you should allow the drier to air out _ **completely** _ (read: maybe at least a day) before you use it, to reduce the risk of explosion or fire. have you tried the ice-cube-and-butter-knife gambit? jb ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-remove-baked-in-gum-from-the-drier/125404/3 "2002-08-24T20:55:48Z")
wowee zowee! sorry bout the lack of clear antecedents in that last post. jb ---
**Author:** ![xcheopis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bc8723/32.png) [@xcheopis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xcheopis)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2002, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-remove-baked-in-gum-from-the-drier/125404/4 "2002-08-24T21:23:31Z")
Isopropyl alcohol works just fine, costs little, can be applied with a rag or with cotton balls, and evaporates quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-remove-baked-in-gum-from-the-drier/125404/5 "2002-08-25T00:23:21Z")
Thanks for the advise! As it turns out, it was the anti-gum properties of peanut butter which saved the day. My wife remembered that’s how somebody got a bunch of gum out of my niece’s hair one time. ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-remove-baked-in-gum-from-the-drier/125404/6 "2002-08-25T05:44:28Z")
you really did dry peanut butter? ha! jb ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-remove-baked-in-gum-from-the-drier/125404/7 "2002-08-25T14:29:59Z")
Well, you didn’t expect him to _ **wet** _ peanut butter, did you? ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2002, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-remove-baked-in-gum-from-the-drier/125404/8 "2002-08-25T16:16:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jb\_farley \* > \*\*you really did dry peanut butter? ha! > > jb \*\* haha, no, just applied and wiped. 🙂