Chewing gum and candle wax on clothing
Short answer: Both are removed with cold or heat, never with water alone. Gum is frozen hard and snapped off, while wax is melted into paper towel with an iron, so the paper pulls the wax out of the fabric.
Freeze the gum
Put the garment in the freezer for about an hour, ideally in a bag, so the rest of the clothing does not freeze stuck to it. Once the gum has turned hard and brittle, it can be gently snapped off without pulling threads with it.
Melt the wax off
Scrape off most of the wax with a dull knife, place paper towel above and below the fabric, and run a lukewarm iron over it. The paper absorbs the wax while the heat loosens it from the fibers.
Colored wax needs more
The dye from a colored candle can remain even after the wax itself is gone from the fabric. Treat the rest like an ordinary color stain with a little rubbing alcohol on a cloth, until the color is fully gone.
Wash afterward
Wash the garment at 40 degrees once the treatment is finished, and check the fabric thoroughly before drying. Any leftover trace of gum or wax becomes permanent once it meets heat from the dryer.
Switch paper along the way
The paper under the iron saturates quickly with melted wax and loses its ability to absorb more. Switch to fresh paper towel several times, until no more wax comes through to the new layer.
Gum on textured fabric
On rough or knitted surfaces, gum sits more firmly, since it tangles itself between the threads. Freeze longer than usual, and be extra careful when you snap it off, so you do not damage the fibers.
Never warm water first
Warm water softens both gum and wax rather than making them easier to remove from the fabric. Always start with the right method, freezing or ironing, before you even think about reaching for water.
Test the iron's heat
Use the lowest heat that still melts the wax, to avoid scorching the fabric under the paper. Test on a small corner first if you are unsure how the fabric reacts to that level of heat.
Our range
See bamboo clothing for men , bamboo t-shirts for men , bamboo t-shirt for women and bamboo clothing for women , where the fabric handles both freezing and ironing without trouble.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get gum off clothes?
Freeze the garment for about an hour, and gently snap the gum off once it has turned hard. Do not pull, so you avoid damaging the fibers.
How do you remove wax?
Scrape off most of it, place paper towel above and below the fabric, and melt the wax into the paper with a lukewarm iron. Switch paper along the way.
Does colored wax come out completely?
The wax itself does, but the color does not always. Treat what remains with a little rubbing alcohol as an ordinary color stain after the wax treatment.
You can find the full range at Bamboo-Clothing.com.
