Chewing Gum, Don’t Be Stuck With It

Chewing Gum, What’s the Issue?

If you’ve ever sat in chewing gum, you will understand the annoyance and inconvenience it causes, but the issues with chewing gum don’t stop there. Aside from creating an unsightly mess of our public spaces, discarded chewing gum is a nuisance when it sticks to shoes and clothing but there is also a far greater cost.

This seemingly innocuous sweet has the potential to do great harm, to the environment and the living organisms within it. The gum’s rubber base usually contains a synthetic rubber such as polyethylene and polyvinyl acetate, sometimes beeswax or paraffin wax. Added to this, chewing gum contains a mix of chemicals to act as sweeteners, flavourings and softeners. Chewing gum cannot be digested by any living organism; if you swallow it, it will reappear, undigested and enter the sewage system, ending up in the ocean. Chewing gum is not biodegradable, it enters landfill and stays there. The salivary germs it contains are a health hazard, which surrounds us in our public spaces. This synthetic rubber gum can be fatal to birds and other wildlife that eat it.

DIY Chewing Gum Removal

If you are attempting to remove chewing gum from paving yourself, keep in mind that it can be a lengthy and stubborn process. Before you begin, ensure that the chewing gum is dry and hard and use a scraper or putty knife to carefully begin removing the gum. Dislodge the gum and try to wipe the remaining gum with an appropriate cleaning solution. The paving or surface may need additional cleaning after removal of the gum, try to use cleaning fluids that won’t damage the environment or the surfaces being cleaned.

Professional Chewing Gum Removal

Chewing gum doesn’t only stick to clothes and shoes, it bonds to any surface where people have “disposed of it”, primarily paving. To remove large quantities of chewing gum effectively and efficiently from surfaces takes time, effort, and specialist equipment. If there is a large surface area affected by chewing gum the only option is to contact a reputable chewing gum removal company.

Professional chewing gum removal is the optimal solution for large areas and for fast, effective removal. Shop-bought treatments are unlikely to be effective and could cause permanent damage to the surfaces being treated. A professional service should be carried out by experienced, certified technicians who are fully insured. By definition, chewing gum removal is likely to take place in public areas, access restrictions need to be carefully planned to reduce the impact to all users within the space.

Chewing Gum Removal Techniques

The techniques utilised to remove chewing gum will depend on several factors, including: host surface material, severity, time constraints and location. Ideal Response’s technicians are IPAF, CHAS and CSCS accredited and we are a Stonehealth accredited provider of the country’s leading cleaning systems:

TORC vortex cleaning system – A vortex of water and inert granulate under low pressure to remove dirt and chewing gum from any surface.

DOFF superheated water system – Water is heated to 150C and sprayed under low pressure to remove chewing gum as well as algae, paint and bird droppings.

Dry Ice Blasting – Dry ice pellets propelled in compressed air to break down the bond between the chewing gum and the surface. No water makes this technique especially effective around electrical equipment.

Saddle Tank Trailer – After chewing gum removal, the surface is often left with residual discolouration and pollutants. This treatment deep cleans the surface with long lasting results.

Benefits of Removing the Gum:

✓ Good for the environment and the oceans
✓ Protects wildlife
✓ Decreased likelihood of future chewing gum
✓ Health risks decreased
✓Fully insured service
✓ Cleaner, nicer environment
✓ Helps organisations make a better impression

Speak to our team for more information Tel: 01622 926 505

Did You Know…?

• 100,000 Tons of chewing gum is consumed each year
• 1.74 TRILLION sticks of chewing gum are manufactured each year
• The chewing gum industry is worth £15.6 billion
• People chew an average of 280 sticks of gum every year