Cleanup of The Day: Over 1 Million Pieces to be Removed From Seattle's Gum Wall

Seattle has gotten itself in a sticky situation.

After 20 years of build-up on the city's famed "Gum Wall," the over one million pieces of gum will be scraped away in the coming weeks.

The wall, located in the equally popular Pike Place Market, was once named the world's second-germiest tourist attraction.

Tourists are encouraged to place their chewed gum on the wall.

Old gum must be removed because sugar and additives are eating away at the brick wall, Emily Crawford, a spokeswoman for the Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority told Seattle Times.

"We're not saying it can't come back," she said. "We need to wipe the canvas clean and keep (it) fresh."

The cleanup job is expected to cost about $4,000 and involves industrial steam cleaners that will melt away the gum.