How To Remove Gum From Couch

If you are or know someone who chews a lot of gum, you know how difficult proper disposal of gum can sometimes be.

Gum tends to stick to any surface, often winds up in unexpected places.

When you discover that the latest piece of gum has stuck to the couch instead of the trash bag, you may be tempted to panic.

With its sticky nature, gum can be difficult to remove altogether.

Luckily, we’ve done the research, and learning how to remove gum from your couch is easy.

All you need are a few everyday household items to get the gum off your couch and into the trash where it belongs.

What You’ll Need

You’ll need a few common household items to remove gum from your couch.

Now that you have everything you need, read on for step-by-step instructions to learn how to get gum off of your couch.

1. Use ice or compressed air to freeze the gum

You will need to act quickly as soon as you find gum stuck to your couch, especially if the gum is still fresh.

Place some ice in a plastic bag and place the ice on the gum.

You will need to leave the ice in place until the gum freezes, but this should only take a few minutes.

Once the gum has hardened, you are ready to begin the removal process.

If you do not have ice readily available, you can also use compressed air.

Spray the gum with compressed air until it is no longer soft.

Frozen gum is much easier to remove from upholstery, so make sure the gum is completely frozen before moving on to step 2.

2. Scrape the gum off the couch gently 

Once the gum is hardened, use a blunt scraper to remove the gum from the couch.

Do not be tempted to use a sharp object, such as a knife, because the blade could puncture the upholstery.

Instead, use a scraper or a dull table knife to work the gum off the couch gently.

The gum should come up in one piece, but if it breaks into multiple parts, you can vacuum up the gum fragments to remove them from your couch.

3. Wash the affected area with soap and water 

Using a fresh cleaning cloth, dab the affected area with soapy water.

Doing this will clean the upholstery and remove lingering specks of frozen gum.

Be careful not to get the upholstery too wet to avoid potential water damage.

Pro tip: Instead of soap and water, you can also use a cleaning solution specifically formulated for your fabric blend. This Chemical Guys CWS20316 Foaming Citrus Fabric Clean Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner gets excellent reviews on Amazon. Every kind of fabric has slightly different cleaning instructions, so using a specific cleaning solution can help prevent any damage to your couch while cleaning it.

4. apply duct tape to the affected area

If you find large or particularly sticky pieces of the gum, you may need a slightly more powerful way to remove the gum from your couch.

If so, cut a piece of duct tape.

Stick the duct tape to the affected area and pull away quickly.

Repeat until the gum is completely gone.

Do so gently to avoid damaging your couch while removing the gum.

5. apply a degreaser to the affected area

Finally, spray your favorite degreaser onto a fresh cleaning cloth to remove any stubborn gum residue.

I really like this STANLEY HOME PRODUCTS Original Degreaser that I found on Amazon.

Apply the degreaser to the gum residue in a firm, circular motion.

Continue until the gum residue is completely gone.

Pro tip: Test your degreaser on a small, unseen portion of the couch before applying it to the affected area. Some degreasers can discolor or damage upholstery, so make sure that your degreaser is safe to use on your couch before doing so.

Here is a video demonstrating how to remove gum from your couch.

0:09—Spray the gum with compressed air or apply a bag of ice to freeze the gum.

0:15—Scrape the gum up with a dull scraper. 

0:21—Vacuum up any remaining frozen gum pieces.

0:30—Combine warm water and soap and dab the affected area with a cleaning cloth.

0:39—If gum residue remains, cut a piece of duct tape.

0:44—Stick and remove the duct tape from the couch until the residue is gone.

0:57—If there is still gum residue, spray a cleaning cloth with a degreaser.

1:07—Dab the degreaser onto the affected area until the gum residue is completely gone, applying pressure in a circular motion.

1:24—Clean the affected area with upholstery cleaner.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if there is gum on my couch cover?

Removing gum is easily done if you have a couch cover or removable upholstery.

Remove the cover and place it in the freezer.

This method is similar to the ice method above, but it entirely freezes the gum, making it easier to remove.

Once the gum is entirely frozen, scrape the gum off the upholstery with a dull scraper or a spoon. 

How do I remove gum stains from my couch?

If you find the gum has left a stain on the couch upholstery, mix a mixture of 1 tablespoon dish soap, one tablespoon of distilled white vinegar, and 2 cups of warm water.

Use a fresh cleaning cloth to blot the solution onto the gum stain.

Dab the area dry with another cleaning cloth and alternate between applying the cleaning solution and drying the area until the gum stain is completely gone.

Once the stain is completely gone, rinse the affected area with cool water to remove any lingering traces of the soap and vinegar.

Blot the area dry to remove any remaining moisture and get back to enjoying your couch as it is meant to be.

If this article was helpful, be sure to check out our related article dedicated to showing you how to get gum out of your dryer.