If you have kiddos running around, you’re bound to end up with a rogue piece of gum in your carpet. I’ve got a simple way to help you conquer that sticky little wad with some simple tools you probably already have in your bathroom cabinet.

How to Remove Chewing Gum from Carpet

• Grab your electric hair dryer. Heat the gum, being careful not to melt the carpet fibers.
• Use a piece of plastic wrap or a plastic bag to lift the softened gum away. Just allow it to stick to the plastic, then pull it up. This may get most of it.
• Next, apply a muscle rub containing methyl salicylate such as Ultra Strength Bengay (the Equate brand will work just as well too).
• Use plastic again to pull more gum out. Repeat if necessary. A rag can also be used for this step.
• Once you completely remove the chewing gum from the carpet, clean the area with a few drops of dish soap in a cup of warm water.
• Rinse with warm water and dry the area.

Keep in mind that rough scrubbing will wear away your carpet fibers. Use a little elbow grease if you need to, but remember that you can accidentally cause a worn sport if you’re not careful. This is why we use a rag instead of a scrub brush or scouring pad. If the gum doesn’t come out easily, you’ll want to contact a carpet cleaning professional.

P.S. If you don’t have muscle rub on hand, you can try using a spoonful of peanut butter instead. Massage it into the gum, let it sit for a few minutes and then scrape it away. The down side to this method is that now you’ll have to work on removing the peanut butter, but it’s easier to remove peanut butter from the carpet than gum. You can let the peanut butter dry for a little while, then vacuum it up or you can sponge it off with a wet rag. If you end up with a light stain, just blot it with a little dish soap or vinegar. Dab with a damp cloth or sponge to rinse.