The Unexpected Item Martha Stewart Uses To Remove Sticky Gum From Laundry

When you have piles of laundry to complete, the last thing you want is to find chewed gum on a piece of clothing. It might not happen often, but gum can be notoriously hard to remove because of its sticky makeup. But instead of tossing in the towel, you just need a clever laundry trick. The following hack was shared by Martha Stewart, who's a wizard when it comes to cleaning around the home. On an episode of her show, "Martha," she demonstrated how you can use a credit card to detach gum from garments. Although it may sound strange, it's part of a three-step method that produces positive results.

You can run into a gum issue when you least expect it. Perhaps you accidentally sit on it at the movie theater, or your child gets into a sticky situation on the bus. Soft chewing gum can easily cling to fabric, working its way into the fibers where it becomes a pain to remove. But the best way to get gum out of clothes involves items you already have: a freezer, a credit card, and a plastic bag.Just be extremely careful with delicate clothing, as you wouldn't want to tear the fabric.

If you're looking for cleaning hacks Martha Stewart swears by, give this one a try. Start by folding your piece of clothing with the gum facing out. Then, seal it inside a plastic bag and set it in the freezer. Wait an hour or two before taking it out, which should be enough time for the gum to freeze. Check that it's frozen before jumping into the next step.

Here's where the credit card comes in. Use it like a scraping tool to remove the wad of gum from the garment. With gentle motions, scrape it off until it's fully gone. The gum's hardened texture combined with the flat edge of a credit card are what make this a successful technique. If you don't have a credit card — a debit, library, or gift card would work well, too. Just make sure you're careful with both the card and the fabric.

Once the gum is completely off, Stewart suggests rubbing the spot with a little mineral spirits, then rubbing alcohol, then detergent. Or, another idea is to blot on a water-vinegar mixture or a stain remover to get rid of any remaining residue. Launder the item like you normally would after finishing the method. The next time you run into a gum whoopsie, remember that it's important to take action as soon as possible to lessen the chances of it causing stains.