How to remove silicone?

How to remove silicone?

Before you can caulk a window, sink or bathtub with new silicone, you must of course remove the old, dry silicone already in place on the tiles and other surfaces.

Today I offer you some tips and products to remove dry silicone and also to remove silicone residue on glass, PVC, plastic and tiles.

To remove old silicone which has been in place for several years, you can use a special silicone solvent. This type of silicone remover can be purchased at any good hardware store.

This type of product to remove silicone is simple and quick to use:

1. Apply the remover to the entire old silicone joint with a paintbrush.
2. Leave to act according to the duration indicated on the product (leave to act longer if necessary).
3. Gently pull on the gasket to remove all the silicone gasket.

So you can use this remover to remove silicone around tub, shower, doors, sink, windows etc. You can use this type of silicone remover:

silicone remover

• Solvent for removing joints and sealants.
• Effective for removing old dry silicone sealant.
• Effective on silicone and acrylic joints.

2. Remove silicone with a razor blade

To remove a silicone seal along a counter or along a tiled floor, for example, you can use a razor blade. Be careful, however, not to damage the surface of the counter with this blade or even cut yourself.

You can also use a small plastic or wooden scraper to avoid marking the granite, quartz or laminate surface. But there is also a “joint remover” type tool specifically designed to remove old dry silicone and sealant residue.

3. Removing silicone from tiles and glass

When we caulking, we sometimes drop a little silicone here and there. If you notice dry silicone residue on tiles or on glass, I have the solution for you:

1. Pour a little acetone on the dry silicone residue and let it act for a few minutes.
2. Then use a scraper to remove the silicone residue and repeat as needed.

It is important to wear gloves to protect your skin and to rinse the tiles and other surfaces well at the end to remove all traces of acetone.

4. Remove silicone stains with rubbing alcohol

Another product that you can use to remove glue and silicone residue on glass, but also on wood, aluminum or even plastic is rubbing alcohol.

As with acetone, simply dab the surface to be cleaned with rubbing alcohol and rub with a cloth or use a scraper for silicone residues that are more difficult to remove.

Other products that can be used to clean and remove dry silicone residue:

• white spirit
• white vinegar
• burnt alcohol

Did you just notice an old, dry silicone stain on a piece of clothing or other fabric? Don’t panic, it is possible to quickly remove silicone stains from clothing using heat.

Here’s how to do this cleaning trick:

1. Blow hot air toward the silicone stain on the garment with a hair dryer for 20-40 seconds.
2. Use the back of a spoon or a kitchen knife to remove as much of the silicone as possible from the fabric.
3. Then lay a paper towel over the remaining stain and run an iron over the putty stain.
4. Finish cleaning the garment on the normal cycle in the washing machine.

This heat and paper towel technique is also useful for removing glue from fabric!

6. How to remove silicone from hands?

After caulking work, if you’re like me, you’ll quickly find your hands and fingers completely stained with silicone.

So here is how to remove dry silicone on your hands:

1. Use an old cloth (to be thrown away later) and remove as much silicone as possible from your hands.
2. Then take a plastic bag and rub your hands to remove the remaining putty.
3. Rinse your hands with soap and an old sponge (also to be thrown away at the end).
4. Dry your hands and repeat the cleaning step if there is still silicone residue on the skin.

It is important to clean your hands as soon as you have finished the caulking work to prevent the silicone from hardening and drying out.