How to Remove Chewing Gum from a Dryer Drum

Co-authored by Michelle Driscoll, MPH

Last Updated: April 30, 2023 Approved

Forgetting to empty your pockets before throwing your clothes in the washing machine and dryer often can lead to problems, especially if the item left inside your pocket is chewing gum. The gum not only ends up leaving traces of itself on your clothes, but also leaves a sticky mess on the walls of your dryer drum as well. If something like this happens, using common household items that you probably have under your sink or in the cabinet can clean the gum from your dryer and save you from replacing the unit.

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Method 1

Method 1 of 6:

Using a Natural Oil

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It's similar to WD-40 in that it lubricates areas and erodes sticky substances, but it's a natural alternative. If you don't have PAM or a spray version of a cooking oil, you can use a bottled version of canola oil. Wipe some canola oil on a cloth and rub it on the gum.^{[1]
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Apply or spray a generous amount of oil. Then, let it sit so that the gum can absorb it. Letting it soak softens the gum and makes it easier to remove.

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If you're not able to remove it by wiping it away, then apply a little elbow grease and scrape it off with a nylon scraper. You can even use your fingernail if you don't mind.
This is just to make sure you removed everything. Let it soak again. Scrape off any gum residue and wipe clean with a cloth. You're done. The beauty of this method is you don't have to worry about plastic or glass parts scraping off the finish inside your dryer. And, there is no smell.

Method 2

Method 2 of 6:

Using An Ice Cube

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Put an ice cube in a ziplock bag and rub it over the gum. Or, if you prefer, hold it in your hands. Continue to rub the gum over the ice until it hardens.^{[2]
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Apply only the necessary pressure because if you scrape too hard, you could damage the surface of the dryer. This is also the reason why a plastic knife is preferred over a metal knife; the metal knife will scrape the finish off.
Moisten a rag with some water, and then add some white vinegar. Rub it over the remnants of the gum to remove any traces of it. But if you find that there is still gum that needs removing, then repeat steps one and two.^{[3]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 6:

Using a Hair Dryer

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1
Use a hair dry to heat up the gum until it gets soft. Hold the hair dryer about 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) above the gum. Blow warm or hot air onto the gum for 15 seconds at a time. Check the gum between blasts to see if it feels warm and soft.^{[4]
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2
Scrape the gum off of the dryer drum with a plastic knife or spatula. Push the end of your plastic fork or spatula under the edge of the gum. Wiggle it to lift the gum off of the dryer drum. Continue to work until you've removed all of the gum.^{[5]
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- If it's not coming up, apply more heat with your hair dryer to make the gum soft. You may need to heat the gum several times during the removal process.
3
Wipe the area clean with a cloth soaked in white vinegar. Once all of the gum is gone, dampen a clean rag with white vinegar. Wipe the vinegar over the area where the gum was stuck to remove any remaining residue.^{[6]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 6:

Using Laundry Detergent Paste

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1
Mix a tablespoon of powdered laundry detergent in a bowl. Use very little water to make the paste. Start with a teaspoon. Then, mix it together with the detergent. Continue to apply water in 1/4 teaspoon increments until it forms a thick paste.
- The exact amount of water to apply will vary depending on the type of the detergent.
- This is a good method to use if the ice cube method does not completely remove the gum residue. However, you'll need to let the gum warm back up to room temperature before trying this method though.
- If you don't have detergent, you can use baking soda instead. Start by applying just the baking soda, then try to scrub off the gum. If that doesn't work, add water to the baking soda to create a paste. Apply the paste to the gum, then scrub until the gum comes off.^{[7]
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Apply the mixture to a clean rag. Then, rub the paste on the gum area in the dryer. Continue scrubbing the gum with the paste until it is completely removed.
Simply wet a clean rag and wipe down the inside of the dryer drum. Make sure to wipe down the entire drum so that all the paste is gone. You don't want the detergent to dry up and clump inside of your dryer.
Don't do this with your clean clothes though. Dampen some old rags and put them in the dryer. Then, run a cycle. This will help to remove any remaining gum residue and make sure that none ends up on your clothes.

Method 5

Method 5 of 6:

Using A Dryer Sheet

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1
Dampen some dryer sheets with water. Place the wet dryer sheets on the areas of the dryer that have traces of the sticking gum. They should stick to the gum area. But if they don't, you'll have to hold the dryer sheet on the affected areas.^{[8]
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- If you use liquid fabric softener, dampen a rag with the fabric softener. Then, apply the fabric softener to the gum to moisten it. Once it's moist, use a plastic knife or spatula to scrape off the gum. Wipe the area clean with fabric softener, then wipe it down with white vinegar. Finally, run a load of wet towels to clean the dryer drum.^{[9]
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So, if you are holding the drying sheets, you'll have to hold them on the area for 15 minutes. Holding them on the area gives them time to loosen the gum. Eventually, you should see the gum sticking to the dryer sheet, and in extreme cases you may need to hold it there for longer than 15 minutes.
Once the gum residue starts to loosen, use the dryer sheet to wipe the gum off. Rub and scrub, if necessary, with the dryer sheet until the gum is completely removed.Then, wipe the drum down with a wet rag.

Method 6

Method 6 of 6:

Using Commercial Products

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1
Spray WD-40 over the gum area. If you don't have WD-40, you can use Goo Gone. Apply some Goo Gone to a rag, and rub it over the sticky gum area. Let the chemicals soak in so that it can loosen and eat away at the gum.
- This should be the last resort if the other methods don't work, since it involves introducing chemicals that could potentially rub off on your clothes.
You can continue to use the rag that you applied the Goo Gone to remove the gum. Rub, wipe and scrub the area until the gum comes off. If necessary, apply a little more WD-40 or Goo Gone and continue to rub if it's not coming off as easily as you'd like.
Wet a rag and apply dish detergent to it. Then, wipe down the dryer and make sure to wipe off all traces of WD-40 or Goo Gone completely. Allow the dryer to air out before you use it again.
To make sure that all traces of the WD-40 and the GooGone have been removed, wet some rags, put them in the dryer and run a cycle. Now, the next time that you dry your clothes, you can be fairly certain that no cleaning chemicals will end up on your clothes.

Expert Q&A

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Question

Does lighter fluid remove gum from a dryer drum?

Michelle Driscoll, MPH
Founder, Mulberry Maids
Michelle Driscoll is the Owner of Mulberry Maids, which is based in Fort Collins, Colorado. With five years of experience, her business specializes in cleaning homes and small offices. She holds a Masters in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health. Additionally, Mulberry Maids has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Michelle Driscoll, MPH

Founder, Mulberry Maids

Expert Answer

Since lighter fluid is a solvent, it can remove the gum. However, you'll need to test the lighter fluid in an inconspicuous area before you apply it the gum, as it could damage your dryer drum. Also, make sure you clean away all of the lighter fluid after you remove the gum, and let the dryer drum fully dry before you use the dryer again. Then, run a load of wet rags to make sure the dryer drum is totally clean.

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How do I get gum off clothes?

Community Answer

Rub the gum with regular peanut butter, then wash the clothes by hand where the gum adhered.

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Things You'll Need

Ice Cubes
Hair dryer
Plastic knife or spatula
Rags
Vinegar
Powdered laundry detergent
Baking soda
WD-40 or Goo Gone
Mild dish detergent
Dryer sheets
Liquid fabric softener

Tips

After you get the gum off of the dryer drum, check the entire surface of the drum as well as the other areas of your dryer, such as the lint filter. Make sure there are no remaining bits of gum anywhere.^{[10]
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When scraping off the gum from the dryer, be thorough but gentle enough not to damage the surface of the dryer.

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Run one cycle in the dryer with dampened old rags after each method to ensure that all traces of gum residue and cleaning agents are removed, and the dryer will be clean for your next load of clothes.

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Warnings

When using chemical-based methods to clean out your dryer, air it out before the next use to ensure that any traces of the chemicals have already dried out. You'll also want to wipe it down and run a cycle with damp rags to clean off any residue.

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