Halloween is just around the corner, and we all know about the range of fun this brings: spooky costumes, ghostly decorations, jack-o-lantern carving, and most importantly for the little ones—CANDY!

Taking kids to go trick-or-treating every year is a wonderfully memorable experience, where parents get to see their children roam around in costumes having the time of their young lives. However, sometimes we forget about the aftermath of all this fun, which is the mess. Here you’ll learn how to get sticky candy stains out of your home.

Similar to getting gum out of carpet, cleaning candy stains can be a huge hassle. When the candy is allowed to sit for days, the stickiness transforms the stain into one which is relentlessly difficult to get out. Luckily COIT is here to offer some creative solutions that will help you remove those horrible messes caused by sticky candy.

Remove Sticky Stains with Ice Cubes

Using ice cubes will help make the sticky candy stain harden, and this process will help you remove the stain a lot more quickly. Take out a few ice cubes from your freezer and apply it directly to the candy.

Note: If you want to avoid excessively wetting your carpet, then place the ice cubes in a plastic bag first before applying to the candy stain. Hardening and drying out the gum with ice will take away much of the stickiness.

Ice cubes work well to get out common candy items such as:

• Bubble Gum
• Tootsie Rolls
• Laffy Taffy
• Lollipops

Once the candy has hardened and dried out, you can attempt to gently pull the candy off the carpet or problem area. 

WD-40 Works Its Miracle on Your Candy Stains

WD-40 can be an amazing product that is typically used for removing dirt and extricating jammed screws and bolts. One of the many uses of this wonder in a spray can is removing sticky objects from surfaces like your carpet or upholstery. If you have a can of WD-40, spray the sticky stain, and the candy should react by becoming easy enough to slide free from the upholstery or carpet fibers in your home. 

Before applying, make sure to test how your carpet will react to the WD-40—this is to make sure the WD-40 isn’t going to discolor your carpet or fabric. Perform the test by applying the WD-40 to an area that won't be visible to people. Doing this will ensure the safety of your carpet before tackling the stain. If there is no color change, spray the stain and start washing it with detergent and hot water.

Use Residue Cleaners – Goo Gone or De-Solv-It

For the particularly stubborn sticky stains that still won’t come out, use a residue cleaner such as Goo Gone or De-Solv-It to remove what’s left. These residue cleaners can be found at any local hardware store. After applying the residue cleaner, make sure to clean the spot with a mild soap and water solution. Finish by leaving a dry cloth on top of the spot, which will absorb all the remaining moisture from the newly cleaned area.

Removing Candy from Various Other Surfaces

Removing Candy Stains from Glass Surfaces

Glass surfaces are usually the easiest to clean. Ready some warm water and dip a cloth in the water, then using the damp cloth to wipe away the candy stain from the surface.

Removing Candy Stains from Concrete Surfaces

Scrape any visible candy residue off the surface. It’s important you exercise caution because you don’t want to accidentally scratch the concrete. Using a solution comprised of water and soda or detergent, wash and scrub any remaining stain, then rinse well and dry. Never use soap to clean concrete surfaces, since it creates soap scum that becomes a new problem to remove.

Call COIT for advanced solutions regarding concrete floor cleaning—our expert technicians have cutting-edge equipment to restore any concrete surface.

Removing Candy Stains from Leather

Carefully scrape any excess candy from the leather. Mix a solution of mild soap in lukewarm water. What you want to take from this solution are the suds. With suds, you have a good deal of foam. Apply the foam to the leather with a sponge. Wipe dry with a clean cloth, and you’re done!

Removing Candy Stains from Wood Surfaces

Before discussing how to remove candy stains from wood surfaces, remember that it might be easier to call COIT for all your wood floor cleaning needs. A friendly technician will be waiting for your call, able to answer any questions you have prior to our initial inspection.

To remove candy stains from wood floors you have to start by wetting a cloth in warm water with a little bit of soap. Same as concrete, you’ll want to get your piece of cloth covered with a suitable amount of suds. Wipe the stain clean off the wood floor surface and move on to polishing the wood. After it dries, your wood flooring will shine once again.

Keep COIT Carpet Cleaning in mind when dealing with tough stains. If you don’t want sticky candy stains to be your problem to fix, leave it to a professional cleaner. You’ll be able to relax as we make your home's fabric good as new with our innovative cleaning solutions.