Step on gum is not a pleasant experience, especially when you are wearing an expensive NIKE new pair of shoes. Unfortunately, this issue is unavoidable when many people like chewing gum but release it in the wrong places. We believe that you wondered how to get gum off shoes easily. Luckily, this article will show you 7 simple hacks to solve this problem.
- Freeze the chewing gum: Put the shoe in a plastic bag and leave it in the freezer. When the gum is frozen, you can remove it from your shoe.
- Use Ice: Use a bag of ice cubes and press it onto the gum. Wait until the gum is frozen; use a knife to get it off your shoe.
- Remove gum with WD-40: Spray the WD-40 onto and around the gum piece and use a paper towel or rag to wipe it off your shoe’s sole.
- Use Peanut Butter: Apply a layer of peanut butter to the chewing gum piece and scrub it away using wire brushes.
- Use a Stick and Sand: Sprinkle dry sand on the top of the gum piece and use a small wooden stick to rubbing it until it is totally removed from your shoe.
- Dissolve it: Dip a rag in naphtha or nail polish remover and rub it onto the chewing gum.
- Get gum off shoes with Olive Oil
Method 1. Freeze the Gum
Get gum off shoes by freezing the gum is the simplest way that you can do it by yourself at home.
Equipment required
- You only need to have a freezer in your house
- Prepare a plastic bag
After preparing enough pieces of equipment, you can follow our instructions below step by step.
Step 1. Put your shoe in the plastic bag
Place the gum-stuck shoe in the plastic bag. You can use a food-storage plastic bag, or you can use a small grocery bag you have in your house. It is necessary to use a clean one, not a new one. There is no need for the shoe to totally fit inside the plastic bag; you just need to make sure the gum-ridden part of your shoes is in the bag and pressed against the outside bag.
Key takeaway: Using a clean bag to keep your shoes clean while removing the gum.
If you’re dealing with a gum stuck in your synthetic shoes, check out this article on basic ways to stretch synthetic shoes. The methods here involve using heat, ice, and stretching techniques to loosen up the material of your shoe. Give it a try to see if any of these techniques can help you remove the gum easier.
Step 2. Press the bag against the gum-ridden part
After putting the gum-ridden shoe into the bag, press the outside plastic bag against the gum-stuck position firmly in a few seconds. This will have a direct impact on the result of this method. Therefore, do it carefully to make sure this whole gum piece is stuck in the bag before putting it in the freezer; otherwise, this method will not work effectively.
Key takeaway: Press carefully the gum against the bag will help you remove it entirely off the shoe when removing the bag.
Step 3. Put the bag-covered shoe in the bridge’s freezer in one or two hours
Place the shoe that you’ve already covered in the plastic bag in the freezer. If your shoe is not entirely put in the bag and there is not enough space for the shoe because there are some foods stored, you can take your food items out of the freezer to keep your food away from your shoe to avoid any probably spreading germs from the shoe.
Leave the plastic-covered shoe in the freezer and leave it in for freezing in an hour or two. The cold temperature will help freeze the gum and stick it firmly on the plastic bag. Once the gum is frozen, take your shoe out of the freezer and put your food back.
Key takeaway: Remember to take your foods off the freezer when leaving the shoe in it to keep them away from spreading germs.
Step 4. Get the gum off your shoe
After the gum is frozen, the gum will be stuck on the plastic bag but not your shoe. So you can get it off your shoe easily just by removing the bag from your shoe.
In short, freezing is the easiest way of getting gum off shoes. A Plastic bag is what almost every family has and the longer you freeze it, the easier you can get the gum off your shoes. Also, the longer you freeze it, the easier you can get the gum off your shoes from the freezer too.
Key takeaway: Remember not to take the bag out too soon. The longer you freeze it, the easier you can get the gum off your shoes.
Removing gum from your shoe is easier than you think. Use peanut butter to get rid of the stubborn chewing gum. Apply peanut butter on the gum and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Use a brush or old toothbrush to gently scrub the spot. Now, you can get back to flaunting those perfect fitting shoes which were once stained with gum.
Method 2. Use ice
Equipment required: For this method, you are also required to prepare only three things:
- A putty knife
- A Plastic bag
- Ice cubes
Step 1. Fill ice cubes in the plastic bag
Use a small plastic bag and fill it with some ice cubes. Place this ice bag on the gum-ridden position and avoid letting any ice cubes go inside or go around your shoe. If you let any cube go inside your shoe, your shoe may get wet and cause unpleasantness when wearing.
To keep the ice cubes cold and prevent them from melting too quickly, you can use a plastic bag used for food storage or the one that has a zipper to zip closed.
Key takeaway: It’s better to use a zipped bag to keep your shoes from getting wet.
To prevent work boots from getting ruined by gum, you may want to invest in a good pair of boots. If you already have a pair that are too tight, you can use this work boot stretching technique to make them more comfortable and avoid damaging them while trying to remove gum.
Step 2. Press ice cubes until it freezes and remove it off your shoe
After having put the ice bag on the ridden-gum part, place the entire shoe and the ice bag in a larger bag. Press the ice bag on the stuck gum firmly. Keep doing so until the gum freezes. The gum can be easily removed only when it was frozen solid. It might take a while to freeze it, so please be patient.
As soon as the gum is frozen solid, you can scrape it from your shoe. You should use a putty knife or a dull knife that is used for cutting butter to avoid damaging or leaving cut signs on your shoe. Move the dull knife carefully and slowly to remove it off your shoe.
Key takeaway: If you’re afraid that the knife can cut your shoe, you can use a flat spoon instead.
Method 3. Remove gum with WD-40
Equipment required: Before starting this method, you need to prepare these things as below:
- A spray bottle of WD-4D
- Paper towel
Using preventive measures like dryer sheets or talcum powder can keep shoes from squeaking, but if you do end up with a noisy pair of shoes, check out our article on how to stop shoes from squeaking.
Step 1. Spray the WD-40 on the gum
Prepare a spray bottle of WD-40. If your house does not have it, you can buy one from supermarkets or a cleaning supply store. Spray the WD-40 onto the shoe’s sole. You should spray directly on the gum and around it to make sure the whole gum piece is covered in the WD-40. Let the WD-40 sit for some minutes. The WD-400 will help loosen the adhesive bond of the gum.
Key takeaway: Use the small connected-spray to make sure the WD-40 is sprayed around the gum, not the whole shoe.
Step 2. Wipe the gum away and clean the shoe’s sole
After the WD-40 covered the entire gum piece, use a paper towel to wipe the gum piece away from your shoe’s sole. You can use a cloth or any other rag instead. The gum will be easily removed thanks to the effect of WD-40. If you still cannot wipe it off, take the second spray and try again. It’ll sure help.
When the gum is wiped away from your shoe, use another paper towel to clean your shoe’s sole. This will help you remove any residue that is still left from your spray. That’s it. You throw away the rag into the dustbin.
Method 4. Use Peanut Butter
Equipment required:
- Wire brushes
- Peanut Butter
A delicious spread is also an effective solution, as peanut butter can remove chewing gum from shoes. Simply apply a generous amount of creamy peanut butter to the affected area and rub it for a few seconds. Afterwards, use a cloth or tissue paper to wipe the peanut butter residue away. For more interesting household hacks, you can check out 34 common items that weigh 6 ounces.
Step 1. Apply peanut butter to the chewing gum piece
Get some peanut butter and apply it to the gum. You should take about two tablespoons or more for applying a thick layer on it. Then, leave it for more than 10 minutes before using wire brushes to wipe it off. The oil in the peanut butter will help the gum piece less sticky and make it stiffer that allows you to remove it from your shoes easier.
Key takeaway: Any other type of oil can be used as a replacement for peanut butter.
Step 2. Use wire brushes to wipe the gum off and clean your shoe with water
After the gum is stiffer and becomes less sticky, use wire brushes to scrub the gum piece and peanut butter also away from your shoe. It requires a little bit of elbow grease for doing so, but the chewing gum pieces will surely be removed from your shoe.
Then, place your shoe underneath the water faucet with the sole side up. Wash it carefully with cold water to totally scrub peanut butter from the shoe’s sole.
Key takeaway: Remember to carefully scrub along the sole’s grooves. If you scrub against them, the sole will be damaged.
Method 5. Use a Stick and Sand
Equipment required:
- Sand
- A stick
Make your work boots slip-resistant with our featured tips and tricks in this article. You’ll learn the importance of creating traction on the sole of your boots to prevent slips and falls on slippery surfaces. Keep yourself safe and comfortable while working by following our expert advice.
Step 1. Sprinkle some dry sand over the chewing gum
This method is suitable for those who are outside and accidentally step on the fresh gum that is still pliable for the equipment required for this method is just a little dry sand and a small stick.
Therefore, you should first find a little dry sand and a small stick. Then, take off your shoe and sprinkle the dry sand over the entire gum piece. Use a stick to rub the sand deep into the gum to make it break into small chunks.
Key takeaway: Remember to use dry sand, not wet ones.
Step 2. Keep adding more sand and rubbing the gum
This method is not like all the mention above. You do not need to wait any minute. All you need to do is keep adding the sand into the gum and rubbing it until it is totally removed from your shoe. The sand works like a special kind of exfoliator for your shoe’s sole. You’d better rub the gum quickly and continuously to remove the gum completely to avoid leaving the gum dry, which will make it harder to get the gum off shoes.
Key takeaway: Add more and more sand and rub it as fast as possible to make sure the gum will not become hardened on your shoe.
To ensure the gum is completely removed from your shoe soles, you may use sand and keep rubbing gently. For more shoe hacks, check out our article on how to make shoes non-slippery.
Method 6. Dissolve it
Equipment required:
- A piece of cloth or rag
- lighter fluid
There are many things you can use to dissolve the gum that is stuck on your shoe, and lighter fluid is one of them. Lighter fluid is the liquid that is used in the lighter, or you can call it naphtha.
Find a piece of cloth or rag and dip it into the naphtha. Then, rub this cloth to the ridden-gum, the gum will start dissolving away. Because naphtha is a flammable liquid, so make sure you use it in well-ventilated and safe places and far away from heat sources.
Key takeaway: Nail polish remover can be used as a replacement for naphtha, and it’s easier to find.
Method 7. Get gum off shoes with Olive Oil
Equipment required:
- Paper towel
- Olive oil
- Pointy-ended
If you need to bring some life back to your boots after using olive oil, check out our guide on how to polish boots in 15 minutes. We cover several methods, so you’ll be able to find one that works for you.
Step 1. Apply the olive oil to the gum
The last method we will bring you in this article is also the one that requires equipment that is easy to find and quick to remove the gum from your shoe.
First, find a little olive oil in the kitchen. Apply it onto the gum piece and wait for some minutes. This method is quite similar to the one using peanut butter, and it is a convenient replacement if your house does not have peanut butter.
Key takeaway: Make sure the olive oil is carefully applied on and around the gum. It will help the gum quick less sticky.
Step 2. Use a paper towel and pointy tool to get the gum off
After letting the olive oil over the gum piece for a while, use a paper towel or a piece of cloth to get the gum off your shoes. The olive oil will make the gum less sticky and make it easy to remove. If there is still some excess gum on the sole of your shoe, use a pointy tool to remove them. The entire gum piece is now removed all from your shoe.
Key takeaway: Dip the pointy tool into the oil also before rubbing on your shoe’s sole to prevent your shoe from any damaged.
How to Get Gum off Leather Shoes?
When gum is stuck on the leather, you can use some methods that we mention above, such as ice cubes and peanut butter.
These methods are safe for leather. However, leather has some different features to other kinds of fabric, so these methods also require some other steps. So if your leather shoe is stuck with gum, you can follow the two simple methods below:
Remove the gum with ice cubes
First, you put some ice cubes in a plastic bag to avoid making the leather damaged by the drips that come from ice cubes.
If your freezer has enough space, you can put your shoe in a bag and put it directly in the freezer. The purpose of this step is to harden the gum so that you can easily remove it with a butter knife or a flat spoon.
After the gum piece had been removed, use a little bit of saddle soap and apply it to the area that stuck with gum. Use a piece of cloth and rub this position until you can see the lather appear.
Continue to rub the spot to remove the remnants of the gum with a toothbrush. Remember to use a soft and dampened toothbrush to avoid damaging the leather surface.
Now, when all the gum has been completely removed, use another clean piece of cloth to wipe off the lather on the spot.
Finally, get some leather conditioner and apply it to the dried spot to make sure the leather will not be discolored due to soap lather, damp cloth, and gum.
Key takeaway: Leather conditioner will keep your leather shoes from discoloration so remember to apply it to your shoe despite using any removing gum method.
For a quick solution to remove gum from shoes, try using this method with ice cubes. Take some ice cubes and place them in a plastic bag. Then put the bag on the gum part of the shoe for a few minutes until it hardens. Now, take a plastic knife or any sharp tool and scrape the gum off gently. For more useful tips on shoe cleaning, check out these helpful tricks to make your shoes more comfortable.
How to get gum off leather shoes with peanut butter?
Do not like when using peanut butter on normal shoes. Before applying it to leather shoes, you should use a sharp and flat tool to remove as much gum as possible. You can use the fingernail to rub the gum in an emergency case; however, it’s better to use a butter knife or an old credit card.
Mix up the peanut butter before applying it to the ridden gum position. The oil in peanut butter will help break the structure of fibers in the gum and allow you to remove it easier. Leave it in several hours, and then use a clean rag to wipe the gum off your shoe.
If still has any excess gum remains on your shoe, some saddle soap is recommended to completely make the shoe clean.
The last but not least step is to apply the leather conditioner to the spot to restore any leather damage done.
Key takeaway: Besides peanut butter, use can also use olive oil or other cooking oil as a replacement.
FAQs
How to get gum off shoes if it already hardens?
If the gum is already getting harden on your shoe, you can use the second method in our list. Use some ice cubes and let the chewing gum wet. Then, use a pointy tool to scrape the gum off. If your shoes have accumulated mud, you can wash them using a hose. The excess gum will follow the water to come off your shoes.
What can I do to remove the gum that has been stuck on my shoe for several months?
In this case, the gum has already totally hard on your shoe. It’s quite difficult to remove it from your shoe. Don’t worry. The WD40 will work extremely well in this case. You just need to spray some WD40 on over the gum and rub it with a rag.
What if the gum is already dry and covered with mud, dirt, or other stuff?
First, you should use a sharp tool to pick at the ridden-gum to remove other stuff, and you can see the gum piece without dirt. Then, get a piece of cloth or rag and dip it into some lighter fluid or nail polish remover. Keep rubbing the rub until you can remove it easily.
How to get gum off inside my shoes?
If the gum, unfortunately, is stuck inside your shoe, the easiest thing that you would do to get it off your shoe is using ice cubes. Other’s method will leave unwanted things on your shoe, and you have to had to have it wash. Ice cubes will help freeze the gum and you only need to wait until it’s frozen to remove off.
What can I do to remove gum stuck on the top flip-flop’s topside?
The ice cubed method explained above is suitable for almost gum stuck cases because all you need is just a plastic bag, some ice cubes. For the flip-flop, you can also use a pointy tool. After freezing the gum, just use a pointy tool to remove it off your flip-flop.
Be careful to avoid leaving any hole on it.
How to get gum off fabric shoes?
It will be more difficult to remove the gum from fabric shoes, and you have to be more careful to avoid damaging the fabric. A bag of ice cubes or a small freezer pack is enough. Leave the back on the top of the gum in 20 minutes. Wait until the gum is hardened. You can scrape the gum off your shoe using a paint scraper, dull knife, or even a card. Then, clean the excess gum with a piece of cloth dipped in dry-cleaning liquid.
Final Words
There are many different ways to get gum off shoes. But to avoid damaging your shoes, you should get the right one that suitable for your shoes’ material. We hope that with these methods we mentioned above, your worry about stepping on gum will easily be resolved.
