There is gum all over the barrel of my clothes dryer. Help, how do I get this off? Thank you.
Marie from Holyoke, MA
I have had gum in my dryer for months. I have tried a lot of different things but it would not budge. This morning I had some extra time, which is rare. I found this web site after I typed in gum in dryer. The fabric softener sheets wet with downy worked really well but it was still some what there, so I got my magic erase sponge out, wet it and it finished the job. My dryer looks brand new. Thanks for the tip, I was going nuts. (11/12/2007)
By RENEE SEMPLE TRACY ,CA
I have used Goo Gone in the dryer twice - once for crayons & once for gum. After I got the gunk off, I wiped the inside of the drum really well with a wet hand towel, then I dried a load of washed towels. I had no problems!
(11/12/2007)
By marie
The dryer sheet worked, but much elbow grease involved. These posts that act like it was magical must have been smoking something magical. It works, but it wasn't two rubs then your outta there. (11/17/2007)
By Griff
I had a whole pack of gum that ended up all over my dryer and what I used was finger nail polish remover. It worked great and with very little effort. (11/24/2007)
By Sue
The magic sponge did nothing, but the dryer sheet soaked in downy worked awesome! It came right off in minutes. I was so upset because the gum was all over the barrel.
By Sheila
The wet dryer sheet work like a charm. (11/25/2007)
By motheroftwosoontobthree
My kids have left gum in their pockets several times - it infuriates me. I usually use nail polish remover which works well, but the fumes are hard to take, to say the least. Today, I ran out of nail polish remover while trying to get MORE gum out of my dryer, so I tried the wet dryer sheets. I honestly didn't expect it to work, but I tried it, and it's FABULOUS! You don't have a headache when you're done! Kudos to whoever figured this one out.
Sharon in Phoenix (11/27/2007)
By guest
My nephew left a pack of gum in my dryer. I tried for hours to remove it just with soap and water and it just wouldn't work! I googled "gum in dryer" and thanks to you all, I was done in 15 minutes. I recommend removing the dryer door (if you know how to replace it correctly), it makes the job 50 times easier =) Thanks! (12/12/2007)
By Marilyn
Thank you! Removing gum from the dryer used to be the worst. Thanks to these handy tips it's not a problem. The nail polish remover on the end of a q-tip is great for the clumps and the dryer sheet is a breeze on the skid marks (if you will). Great combo. Happy Holidays & Happy New Year! (12/22/2007)
By Ann
When I discovered the package of hubba bubba was all over my new dryer, I checked my "Queen of Clean" book and she recommended a product called Stain Devil #1. So I ran up to Hancock and got some. It probably works great on fabric, but I could tell it wouldn't help the sides of the dryer. My search on the internet led me here and I could tell within a few seconds that the wet dryer sheet would work great. Thank you so much. (12/28/2007)
By munkey
Thank you SO MUCH for the tip on the dryer sheet. Worked like a charm! (12/28/2007)
By Missy
Two simple steps: spray gum with Spray 'N' Wash, wipe with damp rag, and scrub with toothbrush.
(01/02/2008)
By lo joe
Awesome! Thank-you. Damp dryer sheet worked wonders. For the difficult places I used fabric softer as suggested. (01/02/2008)
By Cheryl
I thought I needed a new dryer, but the dryer sheet worked perfectly! Yahoo, now I can do more laundry.
(01/20/2008)
By Andrea
Thanks for the wet dryer sheet tip; worked perfectly for me too. (01/24/2008)
Unbelievable how easy that was. Ten minutes and four lives were saved! Husband and 3 kids all leave gum in the pockets. Thanks (02/27/2008)
By Debby, Oregon
Dryer sheet and Spray N Wash -- worked like a charm! (03/02/2008)
By CJS
I didn't have dryer sheets or spray n' wash, so I used a scotch bright pad and poured Downy on the green side and just rubbed the gum out. I wiped it with a wet paper towel after. Took five minutes and dryer smells great.
(03/02/2008)
By gumindryer
I recommend a Mr.Clean magic eraser. I had gum stuck in my dryer by then mounds, I scraped off the big globs using a butter knife; then cleaned the rest with the eraser and with a little effort it came right up! (03/07/2008)
I used dryer sheets moistened with water while the inside of the dryer was still warm. No elbow grease needed. It was very easy. Thanks for the tip, I didn't think it would work! (03/13/2008)
By Tina
Brilliant. I, too, thought I would have to get a new dryer. Several dryer sheets and a Magic Eraser later, - all clean! However, it took longer than 5 minutes, -must have had more gum. It worked well to work it with the damp dryer sheet for a while, take a break and come back and use the Eraser - came right off. I also used a putty knife to remove the larger chunks. (04/03/2008)
By CJ
Get the dryer sheet all slimy and coat the inside of dryer with wet slimy dryer sheet, then it comes off easy with a green pad. (04/04/2008)
By Clark
Yippee! Just finished a whole day of laundry. The last load was my husband's work clothes. I have a new front loader washer & dryer. I got a nice present left behind in my washing machine - a drill bit! I am sure my washer loved having that banging around. - Then the dryer, I took out the last of the work pants and there was green gum everywhere inside the drum - not on the pants of course! - I typed in "How to remove gum from the inside of a dryer" - very happily read the above and can confirm with almost no effort it works! Two Bounce dryer sheets and some squirts of Spray & Wash - It is all gone! Thank you. (04/06/2008)
By Koren
I want to let everyone know that you all saved me a great deal of heartache and stress between my husband and my teenage son. My son left gum in his shorts (which I have preached until I am blue in the face to empty your pockets before putting in the washer). Needless to say we had gum all over the dryer. I found this website and tried the wet dryer sheets and with a little elbow grease got it all off! My husband is very happy. Thanks again (04/16/2008)
By Laura C. TX
We were out of dryer sheets, so we tried baby wipes. Guess what? They work too! (04/24/2008)
By Rick
Thank you! My dryer will be one week old tomorrow. Today, there was gum all over the inside. I used your hint and it worked. I put my dryer on hot for about 5 minutes and soaked a dryer sheet in hot water. Voila! In less than 20 minutes, the dryer is brand new again. Thank you! (04/26/2008)
By Ellen
For the bigger clumps, it helps to warm the dryer and use a scraper. For a scraper substitute, an old CD works well, or one of those fake credit cards we all get in our junk mail credit offers. These won't scratch or chip your drum like metal utensils can. (04/29/2008)
By Farcast40
Thanks for the great dryer sheet idea...definitely warm the dryer first. Worked GREAT! (04/30/2008)
By Sherri I. Lexington, KY
Worked great! Minimal effort. My son had a pack of gum in his pocket and in about 25 minutes, all the gum is now removed from my dryer. (05/10/2008)
By Amy
My hands were ready to fall off after scrubbing for an hour with no luck. I knew there had to be a better way so I typed in "remove gum from dryer". WOW, lots of kids leave gum in pants. I got my dryer sheet wet it and the gum was coming off. Thanks who ever discovered this. I also use dryer sheets to get bugs off my car. It works great. (05/16/2008)
By linda d
My daughter wants to thank you and thank you. The dryer sheet worked, the dryer being hot worked well and the sheet wet with cold water was a god send. She is 8 and really thought she was in so much trouble. We thank you again and again. I'll bet she never leaves gum in the pockets again. (06/11/2008)
By SHERRY PERRY, MO
A little role reversal here. My wife left gum in her pants pocket and since I do all the laundry I was the one left with the mess. A wet Bounce dryer sheet, after running the dryer empty for 10 minutes to get it hot worked perfectly, quickly and easily. (06/26/2008)
By Geni's Husband
Great idea! My husband left gum, or what may be Starburst candy in his pockets. Dryer sheets work great to shine up kitchen/bathroom faucets too. Use a dry one. (07/14/2008)
By Melissa
We had gum in the dryer yesterday - Bubbalicious bubble gum to be exact. Even after warming the dryer and using hot soapy water on a sponge, we weren't getting anywhere. I thought of what works best on organic stains and I sprayed the spots with OxiClean laundry stain spray, and everything wiped right off with a paper towel and no scrubbing. My dryer smells super fresh now too. (07/31/2008)
By Lucy
I had gum all inside my dryer and of course I ruined all my clothes. But I got some ideas after reading all these stories. I didn't have liquid fabric softener so I used oven cleaner. It actually had a lemon scent to it and it smelled pretty good. Anyway, I then used a dryer cloth and rubbed it in the oven cleaner and it came right off. I then went over it with the magic eraser and it finished off the loose parts I missed. I finally wiped a wet rag in the dryer and it looked brand new! Worked great and took approx 10 mins. (08/06/2008)
By Robert
Also, what works great is a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (08/08/2008)
By April
Before checking this website. I scrubbed and scrubbed with soap and thought I would never get the gum out. Then I decided to google it and sure enough it was on the internet. I sprayed the inside of the dryer with OxyClean let it sit for a minute and used dryer sheets to wipe the gum off and they worked great! The dryer was still warm too :) Thank you everyone. (08/29/2008)
By Eman
Spray simple green, let it sit, and use sham. Wow, works like wonders. (09/01/2008)
My mom washed my clothes and I forgot to look in my pants pockets. When she opened the dryer all the clothes were covered in gum, and when she took out the clothes the drum had a lot more gum. So I scrubbed with hot water, alcohol, and a steamer, and those did not work. So I found this site and used oven cleaner with a dryer sheet and it worked. Thanks. (09/01/2008)
Something that works better than a dryer sheet is Fabreeze fabric refresher. Very little scrubbing required.
(09/02/2008)
By Sue
OMG! I am so thankful for this website. Tonight I did laundry not realizing that I had a pack of gum in my shorts and it about ruined the brand new dryer my father in law bought. I was in a total panic & didn't know what to do. I didn't say anything and instead I came online and did a web search on removing gum from a dryer and this website came up. I did the dryer sheet advice and it worked awesome! I soaked a dryer sheet with hot water, turned on the dryer for a few minutes and then cleaned it with the sheet and the gum came right off in seconds! Thank you so much! (09/14/2008)
By Thankful
My daughter's friend was like many here and figured she would be in trouble. Well, her and my daughter scrubbed and scrubbed before they told me. Anyway, I heated the dryer, used some liquid detergent on the scouring side of a sponge and in no time the gum and ink (prior occasion) came out. Wiped it with a clean damp cloth and all is right with the dryer. (09/18/2008)
By Andi
I've never seen a dryer so coated with gum. My husband left a whole pack of gum in his work pants. The magic eraser worked beautifully, thanks so much! (09/28/2008)
By CCA
I'm glad I googled this subject. I used Oxyclean laundry spray and a dryer sheet and wiped it out with a damp towel. Took me 10 minutes. Thanks everyone! (09/30/2008)
By Sheri
I tried the wet dryer sheet, it worked great. Thanks for the great advice. Not even Heloise could have given that advise, LOL (10/09/2008)
By soccermom
I just used a Bounce sheet soaked in warm water and voila, it worked! It even took out the blue pen ink stains I had in the dryer also. Thanks! (10/12/2008)
By Yolanda
Thanks. I used a wet dryer sheet, and warmed up the dryer for a couple of minutes. Took every bit off. (10/16/2008)
By connie
My wife was upset with me, as I left a full pack of gum in my dress shirt. It made a total mess of the dryer. I googled a solution and hit this site first. AMAZING! I heated up the dryer for about 5-8 mins. Took the damp Dryer Sheet as suggested. Voila, within seconds all the gum came out; and it smells fresh too. A huge thank-you to all who posted this! I'm in the Wife's good books again. Wooo Hooo! (10/29/2008)
By J Main
I tried the dryer sheet, and it worked. Unfortunately, it takes a while to get it all. I tried spraying Simple Green and a scrubber. Came right off. (11/14/2008)
By Nick
My 18 year old was home for Thanksgiving and left a huge pack of gum in his pocket. Major mess. I used the dryer sheet after heating it up and it worked like a charm. (11/30/2008)
By Lee
A wet dryer sheet works wonders on removing gum. Run dryer for bout 5-8 mins then use wet dryer sheet to remove gum. It takes a little scrubbing, but it does work. Also, Goo Gone will remove gum too. (12/05/2008)
By In Florida
Didn't have gum in the dryer, but had it all over the washing machine. I tried the wet dryer sheet in the washing machine and it worked. Although the basin isn't warm like the dryer, if you run the dryer sheet under hot water and scrub, it comes right off. Amazing tip, thanks! (12/07/2008)
By Lori
Thank you so much! The wet dryer sheet worked great. (12/16/2008)
By Dixie
So as seldom as my roommate actually does his laundry, he totally washed not only a whole pack of spearmint orbit, but also 3 pens and a total of 37 cents. As I go to start my laundry load I noticed all this stuff in the bottom of the washer, I slowly opened the dryer door (should of had jaws music playing in back ground) and saw a ton (I mean literally a ton) of green gum in my dryer! I can't wait to get home to try the dryer sheets! FYI; soap and water doesn't work. Thanks to all of y'all, for these tips. (12/31/2008)
By In Need Of A New Roomate , VA
I put my clothes in the dryer and they had gum in the pockets. It got everywhere and had no idea how I was going to get it off. So I got online and used the dryer sheets and rag and water. It worked out good. Thanks everyone.
(01/13/2009)
Don't forget to wet the dryer sheet in warm water before you try and scrub. It is very helpful! :) (01/14/2009)
By Diaz
I ran the dryer for 10 minutes and tried the dampened dry sheet. It was working but then I switched to a Magic Eraser. It worked almost twice as fast. Start with the Magic Eraser if you have one. (01/19/2009)
By Zoe
No need to warm up the dryer, that makes it gunky. Leave it cold, get a dryer sheet, dip it in a glass of hot water, and scrub away- it's awesome- takes it right off! (01/27/2009)
Goo Gone is magic, worked for me. Let it sit on the gum for a few seconds then use a chisel, spatula, or thin item, maybe a credit card (obviously an old one you don't care about) and the gum scrapes right off. (02/05/2009)
By Lisa
The wet dryer sheet works amazing. Minimal elbow grease was needed and the gum was cleaned up completely. (02/08/2009)
Excellent advice! I wet the dryer sheet and put it on top of a nylon scrubbing pad. Gum removal was actually easy! (02/17/2009)
By ALICE
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