There’s nothing more frustrating than finding chewing gum stuck to the insides of your clothes dryer when you are removing a load of freshly dried clothes. Here are a few methods to remove the gum from the dryer without harming the appliance.
You realize your teenager has forgotten to empty out the pockets of his jeans before tossing them into the laundry a tad too late, when you find a sticky mess of gum lining your clothes dryer. We know how cumbersome it can get to get rid of chewing gum from clothes and the dryer, but before you yell at your unsuspecting son or daughter, here are some useful tips and tricks that you must try which will get the gum off your dryer.
Getting Rid of Gum from Clothes Dryer
Method
Before you begin, you may want to soften the gum if it is set hard. Toss a few rags into the dryer and let it run for a few minutes. The heat should melt the gum. Now make a paste of your everyday laundry detergent by adding just a little bit of water. Using a soft cloth and the paste, rub the dryer where the gum is stuck till it all comes off.
Method
With a firm plastic butter knife, scrape away the gum. Do not scrape too harshly, or you could damage the inside of the dryer barrel. Do this only if the gum is not in a melted state. If it is, wait till it hardens and then get down to removing it. You can try rubbing ice cubes over the gum; it may dry up faster. Place a few ice cubes in a zip lock bag and just place it over the gum-filled area. Wait for a while for the sticky mass to harden up, then scrape away.
Method
If traces of chewing gum still linger even after you have been scraping for a long time, then wet a cloth in vinegar and wipe down the messed up surface thoroughly. This should do the trick and the dryer should be clean.
Method
Wet a rag in fabric softener and wipe the inside of the dryer with it. Wait for a few minutes. Wipe again. Let the fabric softener work its magic, the gum should easily come off with a blunt knife once it has soaked for a while in the softener. In this method, the dryer’s position should ideally be such that the gum-stained area is at the bottom. This way, the gum will effectively be soaked in the fabric softener.
Method
Rotate the dryer such that the stained area is at the bottom. Sprinkle baking soda liberally over the gum. Let it stay on for a few minutes. Take a dry paper towel, and rub the area thoroughly. The gum should eventually come off. Keep in mind that for best results you should not mix the baking soda with water in this method.
Method
Dryer sheets, which also act as fabric softener sheets can sometimes prove very effective in removing stubborn gum stuck to the dryers. Just rub the area with a few of them till the whole sticky mess just comes off.
Method
Take a large towel (which you would not mind discarding) and wet it completely. Toss it into the dryer along with half a dozen dryer sheets and run the dryer a complete cycle. This should effectively remove all gum.
Method
Soak a paper towel with a water-displacing spray and rub the gummy area with it. Or spray the area with the solvent and let it stay for a while, then wipe off with paper towels. Works well to get rid of all the chewing gum your dryer has accumulated.
So these were some methods you can try out if you realize that your kid (or husband!) has accidentally left a packet of gum inside his pockets. You may need to try out several methods to see which one works best for you. Use any chemical solvents with caution because they may emit obnoxious fumes, since you will be working with your head inside the dryer, which is a rather confined space. If you have used any such solvent, wipe the dryer thoroughly and let the vapors evaporate before you use it. Whatever method you try, in the end, run a cycle with a damp load of rags or towels to totally get rid of any lingering gum. Discard the rags. And to prevent yourself this headache again in the future, be sure to check all pockets first before you put any clothes in the washer or dryer!