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One substance in our universe is so heinous, so insidious, so DEPRAVED, it has led to unspeakable turmoil, untold heartache and billions of dollars in property damage.
That substance is chewing gum.
But fear not, devoted carpet warriors. As usual, the ol’ Rosster (that’s me) has you covered. I’m about to reveal a secret weapon that easily defeats gum.
Specifically, we’re talking about removing gum from carpet (does not work on hard surfaces like concrete). My foolproof method is so easy, you’ll wonder why you never thought of it.
Remember on Terminator 2 when Arnold used a tanker full of liquid nitrogen to stop the evil T1000? Arnold froze the T1000 and then hasta-la-vista-babied it into a million pieces, and that’s exactly what we’re gonna do to the gum stuck in your carpet.
You might be thinking, “Gee, Ross. I really love freezing stuff into oblivion, but I’m fresh out of liquid nitrogen right now. What can I do?”
Valid question. And, as usual, I have the answer for you.
All you need is a can of freeze spray, which you can buy at virtually any hardware or auto parts store for about 10 to 15 bucks. Even Walmart carries it. There are several brands, all with profoundly clever names like “Freeze Off” or “Super Cold”.
This stuff is no joke. It is really, really cold. Cold enough to injure your skin, so I suggest you wear heavy work gloves when using it. Eye protection would be a good idea, too.
Here’s what you do…
Locate the offending piece of gum. Kneel over it and offer a few silent curses to the memory of one John B. Curtis, the jerk who invented the first commercially viable chewing gum.
Following the instructions on the can, blast the gum with freeze spray for a good 10 seconds. As you’re doing this, it’ll seem like you’re spraying way too much. Trust me, you’re not. Ten seconds or so is the sweet spot.
Wait a few moments for the gum to harden. You’ll see the carpet around the gum start to frost over, which is kind of cool. Enjoy that for a moment, and then it’s time to start attacking.
Use a spoon, flat screw driver or other blunt metal object (sharp objects like knives may damage the carpet) to stab and scrape at the gum.
You need a fine balance between power and finesse. Remember, the surrounding carpet is also frozen, which makes it easier to damage. So don’t go full Lizzie Borden. Focus your stabs and scrapes on the gum itself, and try to leave the carpet alone as much as possible.
The process is very intuitive. You’ll understand exactly what to do, so don’t worry about it too much. Just use common sense and you’ll be fine.
The gum should start to disintegrate, breaking into chunks and crumbles. Suck them up with a vacuum before they return to room temperature and stick to the carpet again. Don’t use the actual vacuum–use the attachment hose. You don’t want the beater bar grinding those little bits of gum into the carpet.
Keep scraping until all the gum is gone. It shouldn’t take very long–maybe a minute or less.
If necessary, blast the spot a second time with freeze spray, and then resume stabbing and scraping.
The gum and the surrounding carpet will be unbelievably cold–enough to cause injury. Be careful not to place a bare hand or knee in the area. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I recommend gloves and eye protection.
Once the gum is gone and you’ve vacuumed it away with the attachment hose, the carpet will remain stiff for several minutes because it’s still frozen. Let it come back to room temperature and then use the actual vacuum cleaner to remove any residue. Then, you’re done!
You won’t believe how easy and fast this is.
Of course, some folks may not want to mess with this. Or maybe there’s so much gum, you can’t reasonably remove it all yourself.
If you’d rather have a pro do it and you live in or around Indianapolis, just give me, Ross, a call or text at 317-370-9075. If you prefer email, click here to send a message.
You might be thinking, “Gee, Ross. I really love freezing stuff into oblivion, but I’m fresh out of liquid nitrogen right now. What can I do?”
Valid question. And, as usual, I have the answer for you.
All you need is a can of freeze spray, which you can buy at virtually any hardware or auto parts store for about 10 to 15 bucks. Even Walmart carries it. There are several brands, all with profoundly clever names like “Freeze Off” or “Super Cold”.
This stuff is no joke. It is really, really cold. Cold enough to injure your skin, so I suggest you wear heavy work gloves when using it. Eye protection would be a good idea, too.
Here’s what you do…
Locate the offending piece of gum. Kneel over it and offer a few silent curses to the memory of one John B. Curtis, the jerk who invented the first commercially viable chewing gum.
Following the instructions on the can, blast the gum with freeze spray for a good 10 seconds. As you’re doing this, it’ll seem like you’re spraying way too much. Trust me, you’re not. Ten seconds or so is the sweet spot.
Wait a few moments for the gum to harden. You’ll see the carpet around the gum start to frost over, which is kind of cool. Enjoy that for a moment, and then it’s time to start attacking.
Use a spoon, flat screw driver or other blunt metal object (sharp objects like knives may damage the carpet) to stab and scrape at the gum.
You need a fine balance between power and finesse. Remember, the surrounding carpet is also frozen, which makes it easier to damage. So don’t go full Lizzie Borden. Focus your stabs and scrapes on the gum itself, and try to leave the carpet alone as much as possible.
The process is very intuitive. You’ll understand exactly what to do, so don’t worry about it too much. Just use common sense and you’ll be fine.
The gum should start to disintegrate, breaking into chunks and crumbles. Suck them up with a vacuum before they return to room temperature and stick to the carpet again. Don’t use the actual vacuum–use the attachment hose. You don’t want the beater bar grinding those little bits of gum into the carpet.
Keep scraping until all the gum is gone. It shouldn’t take very long–maybe a minute or less.
If necessary, blast the spot a second time with freeze spray, and then resume stabbing and scraping.
The gum and the surrounding carpet will be unbelievably cold–enough to cause injury. Be careful not to place a bare hand or knee in the area. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I recommend gloves and eye protection.
Once the gum is gone and you’ve vacuumed it away with the attachment hose, the carpet will remain stiff for several minutes because it’s still frozen. Let it come back to room temperature and then use the actual vacuum cleaner to remove any residue. Then, you’re done!
You won’t believe how easy and fast this is.
Of course, some folks may not want to mess with this. Or maybe there’s so much gum, you can’t reasonably remove it all yourself.
If you’d rather have a pro do it and you live in or around Indianapolis, just give me, Ross, a call or text at 317-370-9075. If you prefer email, click here to send a message. 
