How To Get Gum Out of A Car Seats: Complete Guide

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If you have kids, then you know that sooner or later, they are going to leave some sticky residue on your car. Kids love to snack and being stuck in the car for a long period of time means they start exploring where they can hide their food. There’s no escape. Unless you want to drive around with a piece of tape over your kid’s mouth, there will be gummy bears, juice boxes and other assorted chewy snacks left on your seats. 

And once that happens, it is time for some clean up. Many people think that it is impossible to clean gum from a car seat – after all, it’s foam! However, do not lose hope because it is possible to clean gum from foam if you follow these simple steps:

How To Clean Gum From Car Seats

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But before we start, let’s make sure you know how to make a gum mess in the first place. Gum can be made from a variety of natural and synthetic rubber-based materials. If you don’t chew it correctly, you may end up with a gum blob on your car seat.

Once the heat kicks in, that gum bar may expand to fit the whole seat. If you are unfortunate enough to get a piece of gum on your clothes, you should try to remove it as soon as possible. If you leave it for too long, the gum will harden and become very difficult to remove. Gum can be challenging to remove from fabric and is best removed as soon as you become aware of the problem. Gum removal from clothing is best done using a warm wash and dry cycle followed by a warm iron. 

What You Will Need

• A scoop or a credit card – You will need something to scrape the gum if you don’t want to damage the seats. A credit card or a small plastic scoop can do the job perfectly.
• A bowl – You will need a bowl to mix the cleaning product.
• Dish soap – Any dish soap or laundry detergent will do. You only need a small amount.
• Water – You will need water to mix the soap and a sponge to scrub the seats.
• A sponge – You will need a sponge to scrub the seats. You can use a sponge that is made for the kitchen or a car sponge.
• A piece of cloth – You can use a rag or a piece of cloth to dry the seats once you are done cleaning them.

Step 1: Scrape As Much As You Can

If the gum is fresh, use a plastic card to scrape it away. If the gum is hard, try to warm the card before you scrape it – this will make the task much easier. Be careful not to use a sharp object such as a blade; you don’t want to damage the seat.

If the gum hasn’t hardened, it is best to scrape it off while it’s still soft. If the gum is hard, it may be best to leave it as a reminder that you need to clean your car more often. If you have a child car seat, it is best to remove the seat cover and clean it separately. You can also use a cloth to wipe down the seat and the rest of the car.

Step 2: Mix Dish Soap And Water

Once the gum is scraped off the seat, you can start cleaning the seats. Make sure that you have a bowl with water and a small amount of dish soap. Add the soap to the water. Use a sponge to scrub the seats. Scrub the seats until they are clean. Make sure that you clean the sides and the back of the seats as well. If you want, you can pour more water to rinse the soap off the seats. Make sure that you wipe the seats dry.

Step 3: Use A Brush To Scrub The Seats

If the gum is too hard to remove with a sponge, you can use a brush to scrub it off the seats. Make sure that you have a small paintbrush or a small brush that you can use on the seat. Use a brush with firm bristles to scrub the gum off the seats. The bristles will help you remove the gum without damaging the seat.

If the gum doesn’t budge, you can try to warm it up using a hairdryer. Turn the hairdryer to the hottest setting and hold the gum with a piece of cloth. The warm air will help the gum to become softer and easier to remove.

Step 4: Drying Up The Mess

If you are lucky, the gum will come off in pieces. If it doesn’t, don’t despair because there is a chance you can remove it. Make sure that the seats are completely dry before you put the car seat covers back on them. If there are still some traces of the gum left, you can use a black marker to cover them up. If the gum is really stubborn, there is a chance that you will never be able to remove it. Don’t worry because it is possible to clean gum from a car seat with some patience and the right cleaning products.

Conclusion

Kids will be kids, and they will probably leave a mess in the car someday. Luckily, cleaning gum is not as difficult as you might think. However, it is important to clean the seats as soon as the gum is discovered. Leaving the gum for too long may create a stain on the seat.

You can use the cleaning products mentioned above to clean the gum from the seats. Use these tips and tricks to remove gum from your car seats. It may take some time, but you will eventually get the job done. And who knows, maybe you will get a gold star for your efforts.