Everyone has likely stepped through gum at some point in their life. It is no joke, especially if someone walks by wearing boots or shoes. Fortunately, you’ll find several easy ways about how to remove gum from a shoe.
7 Tips on How to Remove Gum from a Shoe
We’ve put together some excellent ways for you below. So keep reading and find the one below that goes with you.
1. Freezing the Gum
You can remove glue from a boot by freezing the gum. So follow the following steps step-by-step to do it:
- Bring your gum-powered shoes and place them in a plastic bag, like a grocery or large food storage bag. It doesn’t matter if the whole shoe fits in the bag. But ensure that the adhesive part is pressed against the plastic. Remember, this method is especially effective if the shoe’s sole is not sleek and flat.
- Squeeze the plastic bag firmly against the sticky adhesive for a few seconds. Before freezing, you need the gum to cling to the plastic; otherwise, it won’t function well.
- Put the boot in the freezer. Create a space in your freezer for the plastic-covered shoe. Unless the footwear is inside a plastic bag, keep it away from any food to avoid spreading germs.
- Refrigerate the shoe for an hour or two. It’ll allow the adhesive a chance to freeze into the plastic bag. When frozen, keep the shoes and bag out of the freezer.
- Now separate the boots from the plastic bag. By keeping your shoes free of glue, the glue should cling to the plastic bag instead of your shoe.
2. Using Ice: how to remove gum from a shoe with ice cubes
Ice is another way to eliminate glue from a shoe. Below are the steps to do the method.
- Bring a large plastic bag and fill it with ice cubes. Then, put your shoes on top of the ice cubes, mucilage-side down. Don’t allow ice cubes to get in or around your shoes because the shoes will get wet.
- You have to keep the ice cold. To resist it from melting too quickly, use a food storage bag so that you zip it up or keep the bag closed.
- Ensure to press the ice into the glue firmly until it solidifies. You can end the glue only when frozen solidly. Keep patient because it may take some time.
- When frozen, go for scraping the glue off the shoes. Carefully employ a dull butter or putty knife to scrape hard, frozen glue from the footwear. Drive the boot knife slowly to avoid cutting your shoes or yourself.
3. Applying WD-40
Now, we’ll show how to eliminate gum from shoes with WD-40. Thus, look at the steps carefully.
- Go for spraying the adhesive with WD-40. Shop for a can of WD-40 (available at the cleaning supply stores or any supermarkets). Then, sprinkle it around your shoes, the soles, and the glue. Allow it to sit for at least a minute so the WD-400 can loosen the adhesive bond of the gum.
- You have to wipe away the glue. So, use a paper towel, rag, or any cloth to erase the adhesive from the sole. It should be done effortlessly. If it does not happen, spray and attempt again.
- Go for cleaning the sole. When the gum is wiped, use a paper towel or clean rag to erase the shoes again to remove any excess residue from the spray. Discard the rag or paper towel when it ends.
4. Using Peanut Butter: How to remove gum from a shoe with peanut butter
Using peanut butter is the way how to remove gum from shoes. Let’s see the steps.
- Bring on some creamy peanut butter. Then, add a thick layer of creamy peanut butter (about two tablespoons) to the glues and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Make a peanut butter scrub. After 10 minutes, take a wire brush to eliminate the peanut butter and glue. It may need elbow grease, but the gums should go away nicely. To avoid damaging your shoes, don’t forget to rub them with the grooves of the soles instead of against them.
- Cleanse your boots. Keep your soles under cold running water and scour with a sponge to wipe away any peanut butter residue.
5. Applying Sand and a Stick
You can use sand and a stick to move glue from a boot. So see below how you can do the procedure.
- Collect some dry sand and a wooden stick. When you stay outside and step on some fresh gum that is still quite soft and flexible, then this method functions well. What you need to do is to collect a wooden stick and some dry sand.
- Take away your shoes and scatter some sand over the glue. Apply the stick to rub the sand into the glue – it will begin coming away in small chunks.
- Constantly sprinkle more sand and keep rubbing. Continue as long as the glue gets more or less entirely removed. You may need some time. But quickly working is better than letting the glue dry and harden on your shoes.
6. Dissolving the Gum
You can also apply it another way to remove gum from a shoe: to dissolve the glue. Now, start reading the method and starting your job.
- Apply lighter fluid. Wipe the gum with an old cloth or paper towel soaked in some naphtha. The glue should begin to dissolve. Be sure to use naphtha in a well-ventilated area away from heat sources. The reason is naphtha is highly flammable.
- Use nail polish remover. You can use acetone-based nail polish to dissolve chewing gum from soles. Wet a paper towel or cloth in the remover and scour the gum as long as it does not disappear. But be careful which type of shoes you are applying this method. This is because acetone might harm the finish on patent or suede shoes.
7. Applying Olive Oil
Another solution to eliminate glue from shoes is to use olive oil. See below for steps to use it properly.
- Scour olive oil on the gums. Overlook getting it straight on the leather or suede on the boot, or it may create a stain.
- Let the oil sit for a minute.
- Scour the oil off with a paper towel.
- Dispel excess gum with a fine-tipped tool submerged in olive oil.
- All glue should stop now. Then, dispose of it properly.