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How do I get gum off trousers?

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Backdrifter | 13:06 Fri 20th Aug 2010 | Home & Garden
13 Answers
Sat on some gum that tragically seeemed to blend in with the bus seat. I've tried the two suggestions I've come across so far: holding ice cubes in a plastic bag against the gum then trying to take it off, and when that didn't work, putting the trousers in a bag in the freezer for at least an hour, and despite it allegedly coming off easily after that, it didn't and remained as gummy as ever. Aside from liquid nitrogen, which I know would work but which I don't have access to, what else can I try?
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Nail polish remover used to work, contains acetone, that pear drop smell.
Maybe you didn't leave it long enough in the freezer? Try leaving it overnight and then try peeling it off.
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Ahhh.... yes, good suggestion... I'll give it a try. Thanks.
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Sandy, yes I left it overnight as it happens, simply through forgetting about it.
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Thanks Tony - yes, I should have thought of the chemical solvent possibilities. I now have a manly one and a girly one to try.
If you buy varrucca treatment stuff, you can get liquid nitrogen ;o)
There is some stuff on the market called Sticky-stuff remover - and it works.
There's also a stain devil for chewing gum which works well.
won't WD40 leave a grease mark? I've not used it on fabrics.
I don't know what you have sat in but when I tried the freezer method I left it for several hours. It didn't peel off, it disintegrated into powder. If yours doesn't then it must be some different type of gum.
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Thanks for the additional suggestions. I'm not inclined to buy commercial stain removers because I think if nail varnish remover or WD40 work, the other ones are likely to be similar formulations. Scotman yes I expected the gum would just fragment after being in the freezer but it stayed the same. It certainly looked like chewing gum stuck to the seat; I don't know what else it would be.

The WD40 followed by a wash seems to have done the trick. boxtops, it isn't greasy or oily so no it shouldn't leave a grease mark and doesn't seem to have done.
@cc1 - "Nail polish remover used to work, contains acetone, that pear drop smell. "

Acetone is a ketone, ketones don't have that sweet smell, esters do - the peardrop smell is more likely ethyl acetate.

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