How to Get Gum Out of Sheets

Getting yourself into a sticky situation is not ideal, especially when you find gum stuck to your sheets!

It doesn’t really matter if the gum got stuck on the sheet by accident or if it was the butt of some joke. The thought of having to clean the gum off the sheet is daunting.

Just as well, you decided to stop here then. Below you’ll discover how to remove chewing gum from sheets. Keep on reading to find a method that suits you!

Things to Know Before Removing Gum from Sheets

Test your chosen cleaning solution out on a discreet patch of sheet before you dive into treating the gum stain! A quick patch test will reveal whether or not the solution you’re about to put onto the material will damage it. If some sort of damage occurs (for example, discoloration), stop what you’re doing and find another solution to use.
Don’t dry your sheet until it’s gum-free. If you use a tumble dryer, the chewing gum will melt and stick to the inside of the drum. This mess will be difficult to remove. Plus, the tiny wedge of gum can clog the vent and filter.
If the chewing gum leaves a stain on your sheet, you can pre-treat it with some detergent before you wash it.
Take your time when carrying out the steps below. One rushed move, and you could end up with gum all over your sheet/other items.
Remember to wash your sheet after treating it. Some of the methods below will leave a smell on your sheet, and you’ll need to remove it. (See the tag on the sheet for washing instructions and adhere to them).
Gather your tools before you start working on the gummy patch so that you can remove the chewing gum in one go. The more time you spend fussing around looking at tools and products, the harder the gum will be to remove. General tools include a spatula, duct tape, neutral-coloured cloths, water, and laundry detergent.
Not all sheets are made from the same material, so choose a suitable treatment for the fabric you’re handling. And as mentioned above, always do a patch test to make sure the method you use isn’t going to damage your sheet!
Remove the chewing gum, don’t just leave it on the sheet! If you don’t remove the chewing gum straight away, you’ll end up forgetting about it. At which point you’re likely to accidentally sit, roll, or smudge the gum around. Getting gum off clothes, furniture, and out of hair can be a right pain! So, get rid of the gum straight away.

Method 1: Ice or Freezer

Steps to follow when using ice:

Remove the sheet from the surface.
Leave the gum exposed and facing upwards – you don’t want it to touch another surface.
Put some ice cubes in a sealable freezer bag.
Hold the bag of ice cubes on the back of the gum.
Leave the ice alone for a few minutes – during this time, the chewing gum will go hard.
Grab a spatula or an old credit card and scrape the hardened gum off the sheet.
Repeat the steps above until the gum disappears.
If there’s a gummy stain on the sheet, pre-treat it with some liquid laundry detergent and then wash the item as normal.

Steps to follow when using a freezer:

Remove the sheet from the surface.
Fold the sheet up so it can fit inside a bag. Make sure the gum is facing upwards and isn’t folded up in the sheet.
Put the bag inside the freezer.
Leave the bag in the freezer for three to four hours.
Remove the bag from the freezer.
Take the sheet out of the bag – by this point, the chewing gum should be hard. If the gum hasn’t gone hard, put the sheet back in the freezer for a few more hours.
Gently tease the chewing gum off the sheet using a spatula or blunt tool.
Continue to remove the gum.
Clean the sheet as normal when all the chewing gum has gone.

Method 2: Hairspray (With a High Alcohol Content) or Canned Air

Steps to follow:

Place your sheet on a flat, covered surface with the chewing gum facing up.
Spray a generous amount of hairspray (must have a high alcohol content) or canned air onto the gum.
Wait a few minutes while the gum goes hard.
Re-spray the chewing gum if need be.
When the chewing gum is hard, you can scrape it off the sheet using a blunt tool like a teaspoon or a spatula.
Repeat the steps above until you’ve removed all the chewing gum.
Treat any stains on the sheet before you wash it.
Launder the sheet as normal.

Method 3: Boiling Distilled White Vinegar or Lemon Juice

Steps to follow:

Pop some gloves on.
Fill a microwave-safe tub up with either distilled white vinegar or lemon juice.
Pop the tub in the microwave for a minute or so (until the liquid gets hot).
Carefully remove the tub from the microwave.
Dip a soft toothbrush into the hot liquid.
Start rubbing the gummy patch with the toothbrush – at this point, you’re working the hot solution into the chewing gum.
The acidity in the vinegar/lemon juice will help to break down the gum.
As you brush the chewing gum, you’ll notice that tiny chunks will get stuck in the toothbrush.
Clean the chunks off the toothbrush using tweezers.
Repeat the steps above until the majority of the chewing gum has been cleared away.
If there are some stubborn pieces, treat them using the ice method above.
Wash your sheet as normal when you’re done.

Method 4: Cooking Oil or Peanut Butter

Steps to follow:

Remove the sheet from the surface.
Place some old sheets on a flat surface.
Place the sheet onto the covered flat surface with the gum facing up.
Grab some oil or peanut butter (the smooth kind, no chunks).
Coat the chewing gum with the oil or peanut butter. Cover every inch of the blemish.
Wait a few minutes.
Scrape the chewing gum off the sheet using a spatula or similar object.
Repeat the steps above until all the chewing gum has gone.
If the peanut butter stains your sheet, pre-treat it with an off-the-shelf stain before washing it.
Remember to wash your sheet when you’re done treating it.

Method 5: Iron

Steps to follow:

Grab your chewing gum-filled sheet.
Pop some cardboard down on a large, flat surface.
Lay the sheet down on the cardboard surface. The gum should face the cardboard.
Heat up your iron to a medium temperature. You don’t want to scorch the material.
Start ironing the back of the sheet. Make sure you iron over the chewing gum area.
Don’t leave the iron in one place for too long because you’ll burn the fabric. Move the iron around a little.
After a few minutes, the heat from the iron will have melted the chewing gum, and it should be stuck to the cardboard.
Carefully peel the sheet off the cardboard to see how you’re getting on.
The gum should stick to the cardboard and should peel right off your sheet.
Repeat the steps above to remove the rest of the chewing gum, but use a new patch of cardboard. Otherwise, you’ll stick the gum back on the sheet.
If you’ve got tiny bits of chewing gum left on the sheet by the end of this treatment, use the ice method above to get rid of the bits.
Pre-treat any stains before washing your item, and launder the sheet as normal.

Method 6: Hairdryer

Steps to follow:

Put some gloves on to protect your hands from the excessive heat that will come off the hairdryer.
Lay your sheet on a flat surface with the gum facing up.
Start the hairdryer.
Hold the hairdryer a few centimetres away from the gum. The dryer should be over but not on the chewing gum.
Keep the hairdryer in place for four to six-second blasts at a time, then move the hairdryer away. This will stop you from burning the material.
The gum will start to melt.
Remove the gum by peeling it off the sheet.
Repeat the steps above to remove the whole gummy stain.
Pret-treat the item with liquid laundry detergent and wash it as normal.

Method 7: Rubbing Alcohol

Steps to follow:

Pop your sheet on a flat surface. Pop an old towel behind the sheet so that liquid doesn’t drip everywhere.
Put some gloves on to protect your hands.
Grab some cotton wool/makeup pad/neutral-coloured microfibre cloth and dip it into some rubbing alcohol.
Blot the chewing gum with the cloth.
The rubbing alcohol will dry quickly.
Scrape the chewing gum off your sheet using a spatula or teaspoon.
Repeat the steps above to remove the whole blemish.
Pre-treat any stains with some liquid laundry detergent and wash your sheet as normal.

Method 8: Laundry Detergent

Steps to follow:

Place your sheet on a flat surface.
Pour a measure of liquid laundry detergent into a shallow dish.
Make sure you choose a suitable detergent that’s based on the material you need to clean. Choose a mild cleaner for delicates, for example.
Grab a toothbrush and soak it in the detergent.
Gently rub the chewing gum with the toothbrush that’s covered in cleaner.
As you rub, loose gum will get stuck in the brush head, so remove it and continue cleaning.
Repeat the steps above until you’ve cleaned away as much chewing gum as possible.
Launder the item as normal.

Method 9: WD-40

Steps to follow:

Remove the sheet from the surface.
Tuck an old cloth up behind the chewing gum patch. This will catch excess moisture.
Spray a generous amount of WD-40 onto the chewing gum.
Leave the solution to soak into the gum for a few minutes.
Brush the treated area with a toothbrush, or use a spatula to tease the gum off the material – the gum will dislodge itself from the sheet.
Repeat the steps above if need be.
Pre-treat the sheet before you put it in the wash because it will be a little smelly.
Wash the sheet as normal.

Method 10: Specialised Chewing Gum Removal Products

There are a number of products on the market that are tailored towards removing adhesive-related mess.

Here are some to think about:

Goo Gone is a citrus-smelling solution that removes sticky messes, including chewing gum, from hard and soft surfaces. It’s simple to use, gets to work in minutes, and can be used to treat other stains around the home! It’s a handy bottle to have around, especially if you’ve got kids or do lots of arts and crafts-related things.
De-Solv-It’s Sticky Stuff comes in a 250 ml bottle, can be used on a wealth of sticky surfaces, including gum, and is easy to use. All you need to do is remove as much chewing gum as possible from the surface, pierce holes in the gum so that the product can soak into the mess, then blot the solution into the gum. Within a few minutes, you can scrape the chewing gum off the surface and launder it.

Note: You must test the off-the-shelf products listed above before you use them to treat your sheets.

Can You Just Wash Gum Off Sheets?

No, you cannot wash your sheets in the washing machine and hope that the chewing gum will come off them. You must remove the gum from your sheets, pre-treat any stains, and then wash them in the washing machine.

If you toss your chewing gum-riddled sheets into a washing machine, the gum won’t just loosen up and attach itself to other items in the wash, but it will also get caught up in the machine.

The small amount of gum could cause tremendous havoc in the sense that it could coat the drum in sticky residue and block the drainage hose and filter.

As you might’ve guessed, these parts and areas can be challenging to clean and costly to repair. So, it’s just not worth throwing your gum-covered sheets in the wash.

Get rid of the gum, then clean your sheets in a washing machine, and save yourself the time and hassle.

Bethan

Bethan has a passion for exploring, reading, cooking and gardening! When she’s not creating culinary delights for her family, she’s concocting potions to keep her house clean!