Home Ec: Remove Silly Putty, Gum, and Other Sticky Stains

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

by Mrs. FIXIT, Posted May 19th 2010 9:30AM

Tricks for getting the most ooey, gooey messes out of your hair (and your carpets, and your clothes...)

We've all been in some sticky situations -- literally. Silly putty, gum, dried glue and sticker residue can be some of the most persistent types of stains. They just want to, well, stick. Here, how to treat them.

SILLY PUTTY
Silly Putty isn't so silly when it's matted into your carpet. To remove it, spray liberally with a lubricating oil like WD-40, let it sit for a minute and then remove as much as possible with a metal spoon. The spoon must be sturdy enough to scrape the mess out of the carpet without damaging the fibers. Once all of the putty is gone, clean the area with warm soapy water and cloths to remove any traces of the oil and putty -- use a white cloth to prevent dye from rubbing off into your carpet.

CHEWING GUM
Whether you've stepped in it, dropped it, or otherwise made a mess with it, chewing gum is a pain to get out (as most moms know!). Next time you're faced with a gummy mess, grab some baby oil and saturate the gum. Leave it on for a minute and then wipe it away with a paper towel. If you need to remove the oil, wipe with white vinegar. If you don't have any baby oil in the house try some lubricating spray like WD-40. Apply it directly to the gum, wait five minutes, then wipe the gum and all of the sticky residue away with a paper towel.

PRICE STICKERS
I will never understand why a store would put the price stickers on the glass of a picture frames rather than the back. Most of the time, price stickers leave behind a tacky residue when you peel them off -- and it's particularly hard to remove sticker residue from glass. Try this: Put a piece of tape over the tag, run your fingernail over it a few times, then peel the tape and the price tag off with ease! If there is any leftover sticker goo on the glass rub it off with a little waterless hand cleaner! (Editor's note: You can also try citrus-scented Goo Gone -- it works wonders!)

GLUE
So the kids decided to do crafts on the carpet again? Never fear. You can dissolve dried glue (white glue or glue sticks) with white vinegar. Warm the vinegar for thirty seconds in the microwave, then dip a white cloth with it. Lay the cloth over the glue and leave it there for five minutes. Once the glue has softened, you can remove it from the carpet with a spoon, and then follow it up with some soapy water. *Tip: If you have a colored carpet, test vinegar in a hidden spot to make sure it won't discolor the fibers.

TREE SAP AND TAR
Tree sap and tar can be removed from your skin and floors with some petroleum jelly. Grab the Vaseline and spread it over the stained area, let it sit for a few minutes and simply wipe the sap away! Remember, the petroleum jelly will make the a surface slick so follow up by washing with a little soapy water to break up the jelly. Then dry the surface well