Chewing gum removal across the North East

Once chewing gum has been trodden flat it bonds into the surface of paving, sets black with dirt and stays put through every downpour. A busy shop doorway, a bus stop outside a takeaway or the forecourt of an office can end up spotted with hundreds of grey discs that make the whole frontage look neglected.

Chewing gum removal uses heat to soften the gum so it releases from the paving instead of being scraped or blasted. Hot steam, of the kind our DOFF steam cleaning system produces, breaks the bond and the softened gum is lifted away. Cold high pressure on its own tends to smear gum and can scar softer paving, which is why heat is the better tool.

Our guide on removing chewing gum from pavement explains the method in more detail. This page is the service itself: what is involved, what it suits and how a visit is planned.

The worst build-ups are where people wait or pass in numbers: shop and pub entrances, school gates, bus stops, the walkways of retail parks and the paths into offices and surgeries. Concrete flags, block paving, natural stone and tarmac all hold gum differently, and the heat and dwell time are adjusted to suit the surface.

Gum removal is often booked alongside a general wash of the same area, since the paving around old gum is usually stained too. If the whole frontage needs attention, see commercial pressure washing and the wider commercial exterior cleaning page.

Most frontages cannot simply close. Areas are worked in sections so a route in stays open, wet sections are coned off, and noisier work can be timed for quieter parts of the day. Tell us your opening hours and footfall pattern and the visit is planned around them.

Scope is agreed at quote: which areas, roughly how dense the gum is, and whether a general clean of the surrounding paving is wanted too. Very old gum on porous stone can leave a faint shadow even once the gum itself has gone, and we will say so before starting if that is likely.

Steam also sanitises as it works, which helps on entrances where spilt drinks and food leave the paving sticky as well as spotted. Once the gum is off, a rinse of the surrounding area evens out the finish so the cleaned spots do not stand out against older grime.

Because gum keeps arriving, some businesses prefer a repeat visit rather than one big clean every few years; that keeps each visit short and the entrance consistently tidy.