National Gummy Worm Day is celebrated worldwide on July 15. It celebrates the candies first created by a German company called Trolli in 1981.
Gummy Worm Cleaning Dilemmas
Gummy Worm Day also brings to mind the many housecleaning issues brought about by the candy itself. You haven’t received proper housecleaning kudos until you’ve removed a melted, sticky Gummy worm from a tablecloth or rug.
So how does one safely remove a sticky Gummy worm mess like these aforementioned dilemmas? Freezing the rug or tablecloth is the first step to Gummy worm removal. If the rug is too large to fit inside your freezer, place sealed plastic bags of ice both on top of and underneath the affected area until the mess hardens—even just a little bit.
Once the affected area is frozen—whether via the ice cube method or the freezer method—take a sturdy spatula and scrape the frozen mess from the rug or tablecloth fabric. Depending upon the pile of the rug, you may need to “pick” the frozen mess out with your fingers instead of using a spatula.
Using a few drops of liquid dishwashing soap, work it into the remaining stain with your fingertips. Allow the soap to stay on the stain for a half hour or so, then rinse thoroughly with a wet sponge or cloth. Launder the tablecloth or fabric per the manufacturer’s recommendation. In order to get rid of any remaining debris, the rug may be scrubbed with a heavy duty sponge or cleaning brush.
National Gummy Worm Day also finds housecleaning professionals and homeowners at odds a bit over how to remove the sticky candy from hard surfaces. While this requires some innovation, it’s usually not as difficult as getting it off fabric—or the rug.
Using a blow dryer on its lowest setting, warm the Gummy worm mess until it is very pliable. Scraping it with a wooden spoon should get the sticky mess up from the surface without causing any scratching. Working a few drops of olive or vegetable oil into any remaining mess should result in the sticky substance wiping clean with a damp cloth or kitchen sponge. Some vinegar mixed with water will cut the greasy residue left by the olive or cooking oil.
Some prefer to attack the mess—melted, sticky worm and all—with a solvent meant for grease. However, this could result in permanently damaging the surface and potentially ruining anything made of fabric.
How to Celebrate
So how on earth do you celebrate this yummy day? For starters, you can indulge in some of the sticky, sweet or sour candy. It comes in a variety of flavors.
You could also go all out and purchase a 26-inch long, 3-pound Gummy worm. It features a five-inch circumference and has a ribbed body. It comes in several flavors, including pineapple, green apple, orange, cherry, blue raspberry, and lemon. This giant confection is made by a company called Vat 19, and will set you back just under $30, plus shipping. If this huge worm gets stuck to a countertop, floor, or even a rug in your home, you will have one gigantic housecleaning mess on your hands!
If you do order in this giant worm, it’s important not to over-indulge. The copious confection has a shelf life of one full year, so you can take your time consuming it. No need to finish it all on in just one day!
Their Cousins
Gummy Bears were the first Gummys to be created. Thus making them the Gummy worms’ cousins. Created back in 1922 in Germany by candy maker Hans Riegel, Gummy Bears were the inspiration for Gummy Worms in 1981.
Why “Gummy?”
It’s fun to impress your friends and family members with some useless knowledge about Gummy worms. For example, do you know why the word “Gummy” is used? While most assume it means sticky or pliable, the word itself means plastic in German.
Gummy worms and Gummy bears are the most popular types of all the Gummy candy. Other options include Gummy spiders, Gummy hamburgers, Gummy bugs, Gummy feet, Gummy watches, Gummy pizza, and more.
Additional Activities
Aside from eating or ordering a gigantic one, what else can people do to celebrate National Gummy Worm Day? Well, you could visit Trolli headquarters in Bavaria, Germany, where more Gummy worms are made than any other place in the world.
You could visit your local candy store and indulge in a pound of sweet, delicious Gummy worms. You could engage your brain while indulging your palate by reading an R.L. Stine favorite—Goosebumps: Go Eat Worms!
Famous Worm Quotes
You could be especially clever, and recite famous quotes about worms to your friends and family members. Here are a few:
“The early bird catches the worm.” William Camden
“If man makes himself a worm, he must not complain when he is trodden on.” Immanuel Kant
And a perfect one for National Gummy Worm Day: “Life is like a Gummy worm. It’s sometimes sour and sometimes it’s sweet. Sometimes it’s hard to finish, but in the end it’s delicious and well worth it.” Unknown Author
Maybe sticking to eating the worms is a far better idea. Famous quotes just don’t seem applicable to this fun, sweet, and oh-so-chewy candy. And making sure to keep it in your mouth—and not on the rug, tablecloth, or other surfaces in your home—is an excellent idea, too. Avoid the cleaning mistakes homeowners make and let the housecleaning professionals enjoy their National Gummy Worm Day also!
Here’s one last “can’t resist” tidbit pertaining to National Gummy Worm Day. What do Gummy worms do before they exercise? They “worm” up!