Does WD-40 Remove Chewing Gum? Try This Cleaning Hack

Co-authored by Raymond Chiu and Kyle Hall

Last Updated: January 17, 2022 References

Gum is great until it’s matted in your hair, stuck to the bottom of your shoe, or smushed into your expensive rug. There are all kinds of gum-removal hacks out there, and one you may have seen floating around is WD-40. Does using WD-40 to remove gum actually work though? We’re here to answer all of your questions and help you get to the bottom of it.

Question 1 of 5:

Will WD-40 actually remove chewing gum?

Yes, it really does work. The household staple used to lubricate squeaky doors, loosen stuck screws, and protect tools from rust can also be used to remove stubborn gum (it’s even listed as one of the best uses for WD-40 on the official WD-40 website).^{[1]
X
Research source} Whether you’re dealing with gum stuck to carpet, the bottom of your shoes, your favorite shirt, or even your hair, WD-40 may be able to help.
- Gum is hydrophobic, meaning it doesn’t dissolve in water. The best way to dissolve something that’s hydrophobic is to mix it with something else that’s also hydrophobic.^{[2]
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  Research source} That’s where the WD-40 comes in.^{[3]
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  Research source}

Question 2 of 5:

How do you get chewing gum out of carpet with WD-40?

1
Spray the gum with a liberal amount of WD-40. Stick the spray nozzle into the carpet fibers so you’re spraying right where the gum and carpet meet.^{[4]
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2
Let it soak in for 5-10 minutes. This will give the WD-40 time to work its magic.^{[5]
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3
Wipe up the gum with a rag. Alternatively, use a scrub brush to gently scrub the gum out of the carpet. Wipe or scrub in one direction so you’re not pushing the gum deeper into the carpet fibers.^{[6]
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- You may need to repeat the process more than once to get all of the gum out. Continue spraying, waiting, and scrubbing until your carpet is gum-free!
- You can even freeze the chewing gum by placing an ice cube on it.^{[7]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Raymond Chiu
  House Cleaning Professional
  Expert Interview. 15 October 2019.}
- Then gently scrape it with a butter knife.^{[8]
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  Expert Source
  
  Raymond Chiu
  House Cleaning Professional
  Expert Interview. 15 October 2019.}
4
Clean the area with a detergent or degreaser. This will get rid of any oily residue leftover from the WD-40.^{[9]
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Research source} Use a sponge and warm water to work the cleaner into the carpet until there’s no more stain.^{[10]
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Expert Source

Raymond Chiu
House Cleaning Professional
Expert Interview. 15 October 2019.}

Question 3 of 5:

How do you remove chewing gum from shoes with WD-40?

1
Spray the gum with WD-40. Completely saturate it.^{[11]
X
Research source} Just don’t get any WD-40 on the fabric part of your shoe—that could actually stain it. This method is best for those times when you've stepped in some gum and it's stuck to the bottom of your shoe.^{[12]
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2
Let it soak in for 1 minute. Give the WD-40 some time to dissolve the gum. This makes your job after easier.^{[13]
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3
Wipe the gum away. Use a rag to gently wipe the gum off the bottom of your shoe. It should come right off!^{[14]
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Research source} If it doesn’t, apply more WD-40 and wait another minute before trying again.^{[15]
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Research source}
- Wipe off the bottom of your shoe with a clean rag when you’re finished to remove any excess WD-40 residue.

Question 4 of 5:

How do you use WD-40 to get chewing gum out of clothes?

1
Spray WD-40 onto the gum.^{[16]
X
Research source} If you’re working with delicate fabric like satin, silk, or cashmere, try a different gum-removal method. WD-40 might damage delicates and leave you with a worse mess to deal with.^{[17]
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2
Let it sit for a few minutes. Give the WD-40 time to start breaking up the gum so it's nice and easy to get off.^{[18]
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3
Gently scrape away the gum with a blunt knife. Don’t reach for a sharp kitchen knife—a blunt knife is best here so you don't accidentally cut the fabric. Use the knife to scrape up as much gum as possible. Repeat a few more times if needed.^{[19]
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4
Wash your clothing. Apply some liquid detergent to the area and machine wash the garment like usual. Once it's done washing, any stains left by the WD-40 should be gone!^{[20]
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Question 5 of 5:

Can you use WD-40 to get gum out of hair?

1
Yes, just spray the part of your hair where the gum is stuck. Work in a well-ventilated area and be careful not to spray any in your eyes!^{[21]
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2
Gently comb out the gum. It should easily come out now thanks to the WD-40.^{[22]
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Research source} You may need to do this a few times if the gum is really stuck in there.^{[23]
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3
Wash your hair. This will get out any leftover WD-40 residue. Now your hair should be clean and gum-free!^{[24]
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Expert Q&A

Question

How can I harden the chewing gum to remove it?

Raymond Chiu
House Cleaning Professional
Raymond Chiu is the Director of Operations for MaidSailors.com, a residential and commercial cleaning service based in New York City that provides home and office cleaning services at affordable prices. He has a Bachelors in Business Administration and Management from Baruch College.

Raymond Chiu

House Cleaning Professional

Expert Answer

Place an ice cube on the chewing gum for a few minutes until it hardens. You can even spray compressed air on it.
Question

What can I do to remove chewing gum from furniture?

Raymond Chiu
House Cleaning Professional
Raymond Chiu is the Director of Operations for MaidSailors.com, a residential and commercial cleaning service based in New York City that provides home and office cleaning services at affordable prices. He has a Bachelors in Business Administration and Management from Baruch College.

Raymond Chiu

House Cleaning Professional

Expert Answer

Freeze the chewing gum. Then scrape it gently with a butter knife. After that, use a solvent to clean the remaining stains.