[BRSL]

The thing that winds me up with white spirit, not you Doug but a lot of cowboys out there, is when the gum is over steamed then drowned with W/S ( why not just use a spray bottle )rubbed about with a scrapper a bit and only under 20% of the gum removed then onto piece two. by the time they get to piece 300 and start cleaning, the gum has started to dry back to the carpet and is not extracted, a month later this gum has amagilmated back togeather into little tiny peices, 6 months later I get called out to do the job properly and I have to spend hours removing bloody little pieces, it would be better if they just left it alone. 

Thats reason 1, I could continue infact it winds me up that much I could rave on all night but my battery is nearly flat.

I did the other week have a pub to clean after a refit, and after using all my OJ on duck tape that was all over the carpet had none left for the gum 
It's now 20:00 and everwhere is shut because yes I was going to have to buy WHITE SPIRIT 
Ah ha B & Q was open and what did they sell chewing gum remover for carpets £1.80 a bottle smells like flash and looks like it too, but after testing for colour fastness alowing to dry etc it was alright and got me out of a tight spot, now keep it in the van for emergencies and washing my dishes.

[Doug Holloway]

James,

I must admit that I don't clean pubs anymore so I carry white spirit as a good alround solvent for chewing gum,blue tack,grease, oil etc but only use in small quantities.

Probably only use 10 litres a year.

Some of you guys are obviously much more experienced in this sort of thing.

I still like the steam approach and would use it if I ever did go back to chewing gum removal.

Good topic

Cheers

Doug

[therapist]

Always interested in the  'expert ' opinion, but as I said and this is based on a great deal of trial and error, including clearing the mess left by others.

Personally, I have never used white spirit, but thought I thought I'd explained myself with reasonable clarity.

What I neglected to say, was that the gum removal is done, after cleaning, so there has been some imbibing of moisture, by the gum.

I certainly stated that my way of removing gum, resulted in some of it breaking into tiny pieces, which were vacuumed up with a suitable machine.

The use of an impregnated cloth is to wipe away any surplus

This is the quickest method , by far, of removing gum that I've experienced, including the steam wand, which doesn't get close enough to the wad, to release it quickly and completely

But then...............it's only my opinion.

take care

rob m