Getting gum stuck to your shoe is easily one of the most annoying day-to-day grievances a person has to deal with. Especially when you consider the effort required to get it off your shoes. Thankfully, there are now easier ways to remove gum from your shoe that will not take too much time or a lot of effort. What’s even better, you don’t have to ruin your shoes in the process. In doubt? Here are the 7 best ways to remove gum from your shoe.
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How To Get Gum Off Your Shoe
1. Use Ice Cubes
One of the easiest ways to remove gum from your shoe is to first find a plastic bag, then you fill the bag with ice cubes. Next, you place the side of the shoe with the gum stuck to it on the bag of ice cubes.
Note: To prevent the ice from melting faster, you should use a food storage bag like a Ziploc bag.
You can proceed to press the ice onto the gum until the gum freezes. It has to be frozen before you’ll be able to remove the gum from the shoe. With that in mind, it might take a little while. Once the gum is frozen, with a dull butter knife, you can now scrap the gum off your shoe. Be careful while you’re at it, so you don’t cut yourself.
2. Get Your Peanut Butter
Get your creamy peanut butter out and apply about two tablespoons on the gum on your shoe, leave it for ten minutes before you using a wire brush to scrub away both the gum and the peanut butter. This will require a little effort. Also, make sure to scrub the along the grooves of the sole and not against them so you don’t damage your shoe.
After you’re done, you should rinse the bottom of your shoe and clean out any remaining peanut butter with a sponge or something similar.
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3. Olive Oil
Rub olive oil on the gum to remove gum from your shoe. Be careful not to let the oil get on the leather or suede of your shoes, or else it might stain. Let the oil sit on the gum for a minute before rubbing it off with a paper towel. If you haven’t been able to remove all of the gum, dip a pointy ended tool in the olive oil and use it to remove the excess gum. And that’s it. Dispose of the paper towel when you’re done.
Best Ways To Remove Gum From Your Shoe
4. Freeze The Gum
First off, place your ‘gummed’ shoe in a plastic bag. Your whole shoe does not necessarily have to fit into the bag as long as the side of the shoe with the gum is placed against the plastic. Then you press the plastic bag against the shoe for a few seconds so it can stick to the gum. After this, you clear a space in your freezer and leave the shoe in there for an hour or two, long enough for the gum to get frozen.
Once the gum is frozen, you can remove your shoe from the fridge. Once you remove the shoe from the plastic bag, the gum would stick to the plastic bag now instead of your shoe.
Just like that, you’re home free.
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5. Use Sand And A Stick
Find some dry sand and a wooden stick. Sprinkle some of the sand on top of the gum and then use your stick to rub the sand into the gum, this will allow the gum come away in small chunks.
Keep adding the sand and continue rubbing the sand into the gum with the stick, more of the gum will chip away till its completely removed. The only catch, this might take a little while but it also allows you to act quickly before the gum dries and hardens to your shoe.
6. Dissolve The Gum
This can be done one of two ways, either with a nail polish remover or a lighter fluid.
With a nail polish remover (acetone-based), just soak a paper towel with the polish remover and then rub it into the gum until it vanishes. Remember to be careful with the polish remover because it can damage the finish of the shoe and can also affect suede.
For a lighter fluid, the same process should be applied. Soak a paper towel with the fluid and use the towel to continually rub into the gum until it disappears. For your health’s sake, do this in a well-ventilated area. Also do this away from fire or heat sources considering the lighter fluid is highly flammable.
7. Use Your WD-40
This simple solution which will help you remove gum from your shoe will also make you want to keep a can of WD-40 in your house at all times. First, you get a can of WD-40 which can be found in most cleaning supply stores or supermarkets. Then simply spray it on the gum stuck to your shoe. Allow it sit for at least a minute to be sure the WD-40 has loosened the adhesive bond of the gum.
Then simply wipe off the gum with either a rag or a paper towel. The WD-40 allows the gum to come off pretty easily from the sole of your shoe. If it doesn’t, then you should try again.
Dispose of the paper towel once you have removed the gum and be sure to clean your shoe till there’s no residue left behind from the spray. Toss the rag away too when you’re done with it. Easy as that.
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