Exploring Appliance Repair Practices

Everyone has made the mistake of washing and drying clothes without taking the time to check the pockets in their children's jeans first. One of the most irritating things to find in your dryer after you have dried your clothes is gum. It sticks to the fins and the edges of the drum of the dryer and can be very difficult to remove. If you have discovered gum stuck to the inside of your dryer, use this quick and easy guide to remove the gum completely so you can start using it as soon as possible.

Wet Rags and Baking Soda

The first way you should try to remove the gum is to scrub it away. Wet a few clean rags lightly and toss them in the dryer. Turn it on and let it run for a few minutes. The water on the rags will heat and start to create a steam in the dryer that will soften the gum. Take a tablespoon of baking soda and add it to a teaspoon of hot water. Mix the two until they become a thick paste. Rub the paste onto the stuck on gum and then use one of the rags to scrub the gum loose from the edges of the drum. The baking soda will break down the stickiness of the gum and allow you to scrub it free with a bit of elbow grease.

Fabric Softener

If the gum has streaked over the surface of the drum, it will not be overly difficult to remove. All you need to do is spray fabric softener inside of the drum on the areas that are streaked with gum. Allow the softener to sit for a few minutes and then wipe the gum away with a clean cloth.

Credit Card

If you do not need to use the dryer right away, leave the door to the dryer open and allow the gum to sit overnight. The gum should harden and you then can use a credit card to slide between the gum and the dryer drum. It will pop free and leave you with a clean drum when you are done.  

Once the gum is removed from the drum of the dryer, you can start using it again right away. Be sure to look through the clothes that you took out of the dryer to see if there is any gum stuck to them. If you find gum, hold an ice cube against it until it hardens. You should then be able to peel it free from the fabric.

For dryer repair, contact a company such as Jerry's Appliance Service.