You're walking down the city streets, feeling flying in your new sneakers. Life couldn't be better! Then tragedy strikes, as you watch in slow motion your new sneakers fall into a sticky gum mess on the sidewalk. When you finally release it, you see that it is stuck in the cracks in the sole of your shoe. So, what you do? How do you remove gum from the bottom of your shoe? From using ice cubes and nail polish remover to that trusty can of WD-40® that's hiding in your closet, find our five easy and effective tips and tricks on how to remove gum from shoes by following:
1. COMPRESSED AIR TO REMOVE RUBBER
You cannot remove the gum while it is sticky. If it's still wet, it needs to harden so you can remove it. You can use a can of compressed air, which contains ice-cold air and will harden it for removal.
2. USING ICE TO REMOVE GUM FROM SHOES
Don't have compressed air? Try filling a plastic bag with ice and placing your shoe on top, sole facing down, for 10 to 15 minutes. Afterwards, the chewing gum should become firmer and more like dough. You should now be able to pull it out.
3. THE LIGHT FLUID DISSOLVES THE RUBBER
Take it out! Who has time for that? Try dissolving it with a lighter liquid. The lighter fluid usually consists of naphtha, which is flammable. Just wet a cloth with naphtha and rub it on the chewing gum. You'll just see it dissolve. However, be careful with this method as it is easy for the naphtha to catch fire.
4. VARNISH REMOVAL METHOD
If the lighter liquid isn't for you, it's time to take off your nail polish. Simply dip a clean rag or rag in acetone-based nail polish remover and rub it onto the eraser. After a while it should dissolve. However, be careful because acetone can damage some types of shoes, especially suede shoes.
5. WD-40 TO REMOVE GUM FROM SHOES
Are you short on time? The WD-40® multi-purpose product works in about a minute. Use the WD-40 Multipurpose Straw for greater precision when spraying the formula onto your shoes. Use the Smart Straw applicator to apply WD-40 only to the chewing gum and the surrounding area, not to the fabric of the shoes, otherwise you may damage them. After application, simply remove it with a clean cloth or cloth.
If the first time you don't succeed... try again until you succeed. Once completely removed, clean the sole of the shoe to ensure no traces of WD-40 remain.
