Chewing gum is a wonderful thing, a great pick me up with its bright minty flavour, a supposed mental stimulator and it freshens your breath too. We've all had a moment where gum has accidentally fallen from our mouths, usually we just sigh and pop the piece in a bin if we're at home, but if its on the streets nine times out of ten it'll be left where it fell.
But what do we do when we have a minor accident and that piece of gum you were chewing gets stuck in your hair? Or your clothes? I've seen it happen when people have accidentally fallen asleep chewing gum. Well, I'm going to go through a few different places where gum can get stuck and how you can remove it.
Most ways to remove gum from your hair involve using oil, it can be any type of kitchen oil; olive, vegetable, cannola. You can even use peanut butter as long as the jar you have is smooth and high fat, it'd be even worse having crunchy peanut butter in your hair with the gum!
Work a small amount of the oil into the chewing gum and the hair around it then leave it for a few minutes. After a good few minutes have past begin to gently comb at the gum, it should slide out a lot easier with little to no mess. Using peanut butter is much the same method, work the peanut butter into the gum, its a lot easier to do this with a toothbrush than your fingers. Using the toothbrush, or a comb, begin to brush both the peanut butter and gum out of your hair, you may need to place something behind the piece of your hair so the toothbrush or comb can work all the way through to the back. Combing down and out should slowly remove the gum.
Don't forget to wash your hair afterwards!
Another method of chewing gum removal is to use WD40 by spraying it on the chewing gum, then using a rag or some paper towels you should be able to wipe the gum off.
Sometimes gum can get smeared on and that is a little trickier, if this happens you can douse the affected area with washing up liquid then scrub it with salt, the tiny grains should help remove all the ground in bits of gum. Rinse it off under the tap and wash your clothes like normal, then ta-daa the gum is gone!
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But what do we do when we have a minor accident and that piece of gum you were chewing gets stuck in your hair? Or your clothes? I've seen it happen when people have accidentally fallen asleep chewing gum. Well, I'm going to go through a few different places where gum can get stuck and how you can remove it.
A Hairy Situation
Hands down hair is the worst place to have chewing gum get stuck. It's sticky, messy and if it happened while you were asleep its had a good chance to get tangled into more of your hair. You may have head lots of ways to remove chewing gum from your hair, here are a few that really work.Most ways to remove gum from your hair involve using oil, it can be any type of kitchen oil; olive, vegetable, cannola. You can even use peanut butter as long as the jar you have is smooth and high fat, it'd be even worse having crunchy peanut butter in your hair with the gum!
Work a small amount of the oil into the chewing gum and the hair around it then leave it for a few minutes. After a good few minutes have past begin to gently comb at the gum, it should slide out a lot easier with little to no mess. Using peanut butter is much the same method, work the peanut butter into the gum, its a lot easier to do this with a toothbrush than your fingers. Using the toothbrush, or a comb, begin to brush both the peanut butter and gum out of your hair, you may need to place something behind the piece of your hair so the toothbrush or comb can work all the way through to the back. Combing down and out should slowly remove the gum.
Don't forget to wash your hair afterwards!
Sticky Shoes
Summer heat and chewing gum do not mix. We had an awful moment in the car the other day after shopping, my husband sat down, went to put his foot in the car and swore. Long strings of melty gum were dangling from his shoe. After managing to scrape off the worst of it on the tarmac we drove home and, to his confusion, I bound his shoe up in a plastic bag and popped it in the freezer. After taking it out an hour or so later the gum was hard and easy to pick off.Another method of chewing gum removal is to use WD40 by spraying it on the chewing gum, then using a rag or some paper towels you should be able to wipe the gum off.
Fashion Disaster
Getting gum on your clothes can happen without you even realizing it until someone points it out, sitting on a bus seat, park bench or maybe even a cinema seat. If its a big piece of gum there's the simple solution of putting the piece of clothing in the freezer and then picking the hardened gum off later.Sometimes gum can get smeared on and that is a little trickier, if this happens you can douse the affected area with washing up liquid then scrub it with salt, the tiny grains should help remove all the ground in bits of gum. Rinse it off under the tap and wash your clothes like normal, then ta-daa the gum is gone!
About the author
Nat Slater hates being sticky so makes it a point to know at least two different ways for chewing gum removal.Image source