Leather is considered an amazing material for your car seats. Do you know why it is so? Well, it is because the material is durable and comfortable. However, leather-like any other material needs maintenance and care. There are certain materials that can damage easily if they are not taken care of. When it comes to leather, it is prone to get ruined by water and heat. Other items that may ruin the quality of leather include gum, stinky and sticky things.
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Gum – The Killer of Leather Seats
You know what?! Whenever gum sticks on the leather seats of your car or any other vehicle. It leaves behind stains. At the time of its stickiness on leather seats, you will find it sticky to the extent that it will not come out easily. But we have some solutions for you! These methods and ways will surely help you in removing gum from the leather seats.
Manual Method to Clean Gum from Leather Seats
Enlisted below is a manual way to clean the leather seats. To clean the seat, all you have to do is to follow the steps mentioned below.
Step 1: Locate the gum.
First, look for the area where you believe the gum has been dropped. Check all seats and look underneath the seats as well. If you can’t find any gum, take a few minutes to check your entire vehicle for any evidence of candy or gum wrappers that might have been left on the seat cushions or floor.
Step 2: Put on your gloves.
Gloves will help you to remove gums easily, if you don’t use gloves, it might harm your hands. Make sure that you have an old towel that you can use during this process as it may get messy.
Step 3: Use a spoon or a dull knife.
This method is one of the most common methods used to remove gums from leather seats. You just need a dull knife or spoon to scrape off the gums from your seat. However, this method takes time as it requires you to scrape off every piece of gum individually by spoon or knife.
Step 4: Wipe away the residue with a soft cloth.
Gently wipe away any remaining gums with a soft cloth dampened with water and soap. This should dissolve most of the gum and make it easier to remove gum.
Step 5: Apply a leather cleaner or dish soap to the seat.
This will help loosen up the gum and make it easier to remove. You can either use a spray bottle or simply dip a clean cloth in some water and rub it into the affected area of your car’s seat cover until all traces of gum have been removed.
Other Ways to Clean Gum from Leather Seats
Here is the list of some more methods to clean gum from leather seats.
DIY #1: Use hot water and baking soda
Another way to remove gums from leather seats is by using baking soda and hot water. Boil some water in a pot, then pour it into another container where you have added some baking soda. Use an old toothbrush to scrub away any remaining gums on your vehicle’s interior surfaces by dipping its bristles into the mixture of water and baking soda then brushing them across affected areas until they have been cleaned off completely.
DIY #2: Dry the seat with a soft clean cloth
Leather is a very durable material, but it can still be damaged by gum. Gums are sticky substances that cling to leather, making it difficult to remove.
Clean the seat with a soft cloth dipped in warm water. If there is any dirt or stain, use a mild detergent solution to wipe the area clean. Let the seat dry completely before proceeding further.
DIY #3: Use a cleaning product that contains lanolin or aloe vera.
These two ingredients are natural moisturizers that keep the leather soft and supple. There are many products available at your local auto store that contain these ingredients, so choose one that works best for you.
Use a damp cloth or sponge to apply the solution to the leather seat. Rub gently in circular motions until the stains disappear or until all of the liquid has been absorbed into the leather.
Rinse with clean water if there are any leftover spots on your seats after applying the cleaner and let them dry completely before putting anything back onto them.
DIY #4: Use ice cubes to freeze the remaining gum.
You can use an ice cube tray or simply fill up a cup with water and add some ice cubes in it. Then place the cup on top of the gum for about 10 minutes or so, which will make it harden and easier to remove without damaging your leather seat coverings. If there are multiple pieces of gum stuck on your seat cover, then repeat this process until all of them are removed from your car’s leather seats
DIY #5: Rub the gum with an alcohol-free hand sanitizer and then wipe away the residue with a clean cloth.
The best way to remove chewing gum from leather seats is to use an alcohol-free hand sanitizer. Rub the gum with a clean cloth and then wipe away any residue. If there are stubborn spots, you can use a little bit of olive oil or baby oil and wipe it away with a clean cloth.
If you have non-alcoholic hand sanitizer, just spray it on the chewing gum and let it sit for a few minutes. Then use a clean cloth to wipe away the residue.
If you don’t have hand sanitizer, you can use rubbing alcohol or 91% isopropyl alcohol instead. Alcohol will help break down the gum so you can wipe it away with a clean cloth.
Now that you have an idea of how to remove gums from leather seats, you can get started on the job. First things first, make sure that the seat you are about to clean is empty and place a towel on it so that it catches the small particles if any fall off during the cleaning process. The next step involves getting rid of stains in between the grooves of your leather with the help of a toothbrush. After which, you can move to step number three where you will apply club soda to deal with stains outside the grooves. And that pretty much sums up all you need to know about how to remove gums from leather seats.
Last Words
Hopefully, if you have tried everything above and still haven’t managed to remove the gum, you will find a permanent solution on this site. I am sure that it will come in handy the next time your kids spill something on your leather seats.