Gum Removal: A Sticky Situation

When thinking of vandalism in a facility, graffiti such as spray paint or marker ink on a restroom partition comes to mind. But vandalism goes beyond spray paint and ink. In facilities such as schools, malls and department stores, gum is often found stuck to walls, floors and carpeting. This causes a sticky mess for the custodial staff.

When gum is still fresh, operators typically are able to remove it by freezing the gum with a special spray and separating it from the surface with a putty knife. If janitors aren’t able to respond quickly, however, removing it may require use of a solvent.

When gum is stuck on carpet, products such as citrus solvents or hydrogen peroxide cleaners can effectively break apart the gum and loosen it from carpet fibers. After removing the gum however, carpet often will still be sticky and require an extractor or carpet spotter.

An alternative to freezing and solvents is steam cleaning. Steam cleaning works on both hard flooring and carpet surfaces and can be a quicker solution because freezing requires janitors to spray, wait and scrape, whereas steam melts the gum in a matter of seconds.