We all want people to have a good first impression when they visit our home, business, or town. And yet, for some reason, plenty of people spit out their chewing gum while out and about, or stick the sticky mess to walls, furniture and surfaces out in public.
If your business, home or town suffers from hard-to-remove gum, here's what you need to know and this is where chewing gum removal services come in very handy.
No hassle, no obligation—just a fair price for top-quality cleaning.
In small amounts on the pavement, it may seem like chewing gum is simply not worth worrying about. But actually, chewing gum is a burden to businesses and councils alike. It leaves behind unattractive marks and stains that impact the perception of your property. Even when it's removed, it often leaves behind a gross sticky residue. In fact, it's actually really quite hard to remove chewing gum without leaving some behind, especially when removing gum manually.
It is not just chewing gum that is the problem, either, as the substance easily grips other contaminants and debris. By doing so, it creates a floor covered in litter, even further impacting the appearance of wherever it has been dropped.
It isn't a small issue, either. There are an estimated 547 billion pieces of chewing gum chewed a year, and 87% of Britain's streets are stained with gum. It is estimated that gum stuck to the floor is second only behind cigarette butts as the largest littering item globally. And, once stuck to the floor, chewing gum takes up to 5 years to biodegrade. Sometimes, it can even become permanently attached to hard surfaces. This is all because it is made from synthetic materials that give it durability, making it better to chew, but that also gives it incredible adhesion properties and makes it harden on the streets.
At EMS Powerwash, we offer expert cleaning services for homes and businesses across the East Midlands. Our team uses the best tools and techniques to make your property look brand new. No matter the job, we deliver reliable, high-quality results every time.
EMS Powerwash advises in order to save the issue of removing gum, chewers should dispose of their chewing gum properly. However, it is no simple task to tell all chewing gum enjoyers to ensure they safely dispose of their waste by placing it in the bin.
That's why it is advisable for businesses and councils to, where possible, place more bins around, offering chewers the option to dispose of as much gum as they'd like in the plastic bag within the bin.
So how can you remove chewing gum? After all, the typical paint scraper method simply isn't enough a lot of the time. It leaves remaining residue, even on a flat surface. So when it comes to removing chewing gum stuck to our pavements, shopping centre floors, walls, how are we supposed to do it?
There are a few ways that experts like EMS Powerwash can remove chewing gum, even after it has hardened. If you want the sticky mess and stains removed from your property, here are some of the ways it might be tackled.
When chewing gum is caught early enough, and is on a flat surface, it can be scraped off of the surface. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the surfaces, and it may well leave grease or residue on the surface, but the bulk of the adhesive can often be removed this way.
One of the other issues with removing chewing gum manually is that the process is long and tiresome. For places like warehouses, shopping centres and other businesses, removing gum manually simply isn't feasible.
Using a specialist machine and technique called DOFF cleaning, teams of experts like EMS Powerwash can remove gum from most things. DOFF cleaning uses superheated water at low pressure to remove gum without having to rely on chemicals or brute force. The heat helps to lift the gum, and the result is a gum removal process that causes no damage and runs minimal risk to those around.
DOFF cleaning is notoriously gentle and is even used on historical buildings to remove paint, chewing gum and other contaminants. It is suitable for the most sensitive materials and will prevent the need for any aggressive or abrasive cleaning techniques. Our DOFF cleaning services are a highly sought after service.
Once the gum has been removed, the stains can then be tackled with stain remover or a pressure wash to ensure that there is nothing left behind.
Experts at removing gum may choose to use a process called EcoBlasting in order to remove the gum and to remove stains left behind. It can be used on a wide range of substances, including:
The EcoBlasting method is a non-aggressive technique that uses compressed air and a specifically designed abrasive. The machine used allows experts to deliver a proper professional finish without causing any damage to the surface. By combining the high-pressure air and the abrasive, we are able to lift the gum without relying on a chemical solution. The adhesive bond is broken, and we can remove the chewing gum and clean the stain beneath.
Many people assume that an easy way to remove chewing gum from the ground or wall is to pressure wash it. After all, pressure washing is like giving something a really super scrub! In reality, though, in order for pressure washing to work at all, you must use hot water. This is usually referred to as power washing services.
Power washing can work to remove chewing gum in place of getting down to scrape it, but it can also cause damage to the surfaces. By using such high-pressure water, you run the risk of chipping the material.
In addition, power washing should always be done by someone who is familiar with the equipment. Too often people use a power washer before learning how to use it correctly, leading to damage and, in some cases, injury.
For smaller projects, like domestic issues or singular walls, tables, etc., there are solvents out there that are designed to remove chewing gum from surfaces. These vary in efficiency, with some being incredibly efficient and others not, and they also vary in how safe to use they are. As with any cleaning product, many of the gum remover products rely on strong chemicals in order to work. Therefore, using it on the pavement or anywhere where the remnants might be drained into the public water system is dangerous, and users must be careful.
However, there are a few gum remover products out there that are designed to be non-toxic. These products use natural ingredients to help remove the residue, adhesive and synthetic materials, essentially giving the surface a rinse and softening the grip that the chewing gum has on the surface at hand.
The methods we use to remove chewing gum from pavements involve specialised steam cleaning and low-pressure washing techniques. This ensures thorough removal without damaging the pavement surface.
The time it takes to remove chewing gum from a large area depends on the size and density of the gum deposits. Typically, we can clean up to 100 square metres in a few hours.
Yes, we can remove chewing gum from delicate surfaces like marble by using gentle, non-abrasive cleaning methods. These techniques protect the integrity of the surface while effectively removing the gum.
Yes, we offer chewing gum removal services for schools and playgrounds. We use child-safe, environmentally friendly cleaning products to ensure the safety of children while maintaining cleanliness.
Our chewing gum removal process is eco-friendly, utilising biodegradable cleaning agents and low-water usage techniques. This approach minimises environmental impact while effectively removing gum.
The cost of chewing gum removal for commercial properties varies depending on the area size and gum density. We offer competitive pricing and can provide a free, no-obligation quote.
