Getting Chewing Gum Off Tarmac

[chokkie]

A very Merry little Christmas to all ABers! Whatever sort of Christmas you're doing this year, I hope it will be a great one for you all!

Just got home from our usual Christmas morning walk (shorter than usual) to notice that some kind (ha ha) has deposited a lump of chewing gum on our tarmac drive. Must have been there since yesterday - it was quite frosty last night so the gum is fairly hard. Any ideas as to how to get this lump of gum off the tarmac, please ....

[fbg40]

Chokkie
Do you have a steamer/wallpaper stripper ?? A good bout of steam should remove it. Happy Christmas !!
FBG40

[TonyV]

Merry Christmas i would try either heat (steam) or cold ( an ice cube ) then a scraper. You could use a kettle as your source of steam.

[chokkie]

Thanks folks - the steam suggestions are great! Have got one of those steam window cleaners, so will fill that up, turn it on and give it a go! Much appreciated. Happy Christmas everyone! Chox

[KARL]

Prize/scrape as much off as you can without enlarging the deposit area and then there is a variety of methods available for removing the last of it, some of which have already been suggested. Yet one is to apply a small amount of some petroleum product to the site and leave it for an hour or more. This will have the effect of alter the nature/behaviour of the gum and loosen its adhesion to the asphalt and also dissolve the bitumen at the surface. Among the best are such things as white spirit, WD40, etc. This must be done when it is thoroughly dry and above freezing. If the gum is stubborn after this then you could add some water and use a brush on it.

[KARL]

*altering

[KARL]

*stiff brush

[Buenchico]

If you're still having trouble after trying all of the above, it might be worth noting that secondary school science departments get fed up of pupils and colleagues asking them for acetone. (It's great, for example, for getting chewing gum out of kids' hair!). So it might help you too:
https://www.superdrug.com/Make-Up/Nails/Nail-Accessories/Nail-Polish-Remover/Superdrug-Acetone-Nail-Polish-Remover-50ml/p/219149