Removing chewing gum from leather

Alison Wain asked if anyone has successfully removed chewing gum
from leather.  I have not had experience with her particular
situation, but I have had success with removing chewing gum from
books.  About once or twice a year, we get books from our
circulating collection with chewing gum stuck to the pages or
covers.  I put these books in an air-tight zip-lock bag and stick
them in the freezer.  When the gum is frozen solid, it usually pops
right off without damaging the materials.  We probably have success
with this method because the chewing gum has not had time to
penetrate the paper or cover materials.  The advantages of this
method is that it is simple, inexpensive, and doesn't involve
chemicals.  The disadvantage is that it exposes the material to
temperature cycling and you may end up with condensation problems if
you are not careful.  Good luck,

Caroline Gilderson-Duwe
Preservation Dept.
Golda Meir Library
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
414-229-6726
Fax: 414-229-6791

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 8:89
                    Distributed: Sunday, May 7, 1995
                        Message Id: cdl-8-89-005
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