How to clean the silicone sealant?

During repair, silicone is used for reliable sealing of seams of various surfaces. But in the process of exploitation, it begins to exfoliate in some places, to acquire an untidy dirty color. Therefore, when replacing the old material with a new one, the question always arises: how to clean the silicone sealant so as not to damage the surface. You will learn about all the tools that are suitable for this purpose from this article.

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Varieties of silicone sealants

Before determining the means for removing silicone sealant, it is necessary to find out its qualitative composition.

All sealants are divided into two groups:

• One-component.
• Two-component.

Important!1-component sealants are used in construction, in everyday life, and the second group is used mainly in the industry .

One component sealants are classified as follows:

1. Alkaline. These are special purpose sealants. They are based on amines.
2. Acidic. Basically, such building mixtures contain acetic acid. The smell of acid can be felt during the solidification of the composition. Such material is available at a price, besides, it is universal in application. This type of sealant is labeled with the letter "A".

Important! This type of sealant is incompatible with materials containing cement or marble containing alkali. Also this material accelerates the process of corrosion of most non-ferrous metals, so it is impossible to use it on such surfaces.

1. Neutral. In the production of this type of sealant, acetic acid is replaced with ketoxime or alcohol. This type of material can be used to dock all surfaces.

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Application areas of sealants

The connecting material is distinguished for its intended purpose and the method of application, in particular the variants may be as follows:

• Sanitary silicone is used for sealing threaded joints, as well as for sealing shower cabins, sanitary ware, bathtubs.
• Adhesive sealant - used in the manufacture of aquariums, stained glass and other glass structures.
• Composition with antifungal additives - apply the owners of swimming pools, aquariums, as well as professional builders and motorists.

Important! The advantages of silicone include the following:

• The material is able to perfectly fill the voids.
• Perfectly glues surfaces.
• It is resistant to mechanical stress.
• Increased strength in the operation of any design.

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Methods for removing old silicone sealant

Sealants are universal for sealing various seams and cracks, as they stick to surfaces tightly during use. Therefore, to remove the silicone sealant, you need to try very hard. To achieve the goal, you can use a chemical or mechanical method, or better - combine these methods simultaneously.

How do I remove the sealant mechanically?

The mechanical method is suitable only for surfaces that are not afraid of chips and scratches, as well as for those whose appearance is not of paramount importance. The process of removing the old material consists in scraping the unnecessary silicone using various tools.

Tools and tools

In order to remove the sealant mechanically, use the following tools and tools:

• Abrasive powder products.
• Metal scraper.
• Spatula.
• Sandpaper.
• Knife stationery or shoemaker.
• Blade.
• Brush for sweeping old material.
• Sponge for washing dishes( household sponge).

Mechanical cleaning technology:

1. First cut a thick layer of silicone using a clerical or shoemaker. You can use for this purpose a sharp scraper or a narrow spatula.
2. Use a brush to remove the cut old material.
3. Apply an abrasive to the remains of silicone.
4. Use a sponge for washing dishes or household scouring, thoroughly clean the surface.
5. For fine grinding, use fine-grained sandpaper.
6. Wash off any remaining traces of water and any detergent.

Important! To ease the whole process and as efficiently as possible, quickly clean the silicone sealant in the bathroom or any other room, take into account such additional recommendations:

• Silicone removal will be much faster if the depth of the seal with the knife reaches the base of the material on which the seam holds.
• To avoid damaging your hands, use a blade with a plastic handle.

Chemical method of removing sealant

Removing silicone using modern chemical agents is much faster, easier and safer. Since neutral neutral sealants are used in everyday life, we will consider the main chemical agents intended for their removal.

For example:

• for softening acid silicone, use 70% acetic acid essence;
• alcohol sealants are effectively dissolved by technical or medical alcohol;
• for the rest - neutral silicones, you can use acetone, gasoline or white spirit.

Surface cleaning using acetone, salt, white spirit

Solvents such as acetone and white spirit are universal and affordable. Use them as follows to remove the silicone sealant from the desired surface:

1. Clean the thickest layer of solidified mortar mechanically by using a knife, razor or scraper.
2. With a soft cloth, moisten the cleaned surface with acetone or mineral spirits.
3. Leave the remedy for an hour - during this time the silicone should turn into a jelly-like substance.
4. Use a sharp object to pry the bottom layer of the material and try to remove the old silicone sealant entirely.
5. Repeat the procedure until the surface is completely cleaned.

Important! If the contamination is old, then leave the solvent for the night, in the morning the silicone will be removed much easier.

1. Pour salt on rags and lightly moisten with water.
2. Use a gentle circular motion to clean the surface thoroughly.
3. Wash surface with warm water and soap to completely remove all chemical ingredients.

Important! If you can not clean the silicone, then heat it to a temperature of +400 degrees, after which the sealant itself lags behind the smooth surface. To this end, you can use a building hair dryer.

Active chemical cleaning agents

For silicone sealants with any vulcanizing agent, special solvents are available on the shelves of building supermarkets.

Important! If it is necessary to remove the old layer of sealant with an unknown composition, use a special solvent, rather than improvised means.

Solvents are available in the form of foam, paste, solution and aerosol. Well-proven the following drugs:

• Penta-840;
• Lugato;
• Antisil;
• Quilosa;
• Silikon-Entferner;
• CRC Gasket Remover;
• Dow Corning OS-2.

Important! The above preparations of foreign production are more effective than domestic ones, but they are also much higher. Before using the chemical, it is essential to read the instructions and protect yourself with protective equipment: rubber gloves, goggles.

Use special solvents as follows:

1. Run a test run in a small area to check the surface reaction to the preparation. Carefully check that the product is not ripped off enamel, paint or other coating.
2. If you use an agent to remove silicone sealant in the form of an aerosol, then put on a protective mask and gloves to protect yourself.
3. Remove the thick layer of silicone with a knife.
4. Apply the preparation to the remaining sealant.
5. Leave the product for a while( as instructed).During this time, the silicone softens and will resemble a jelly.
6. Remove any debris from the construction mixture with a dry cloth.
7. Wash surface with water and detergent.

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How to remove the sealant from the bath?

Before removing the silicone sealant from the bath, you need to know the composition of the plumbing itself.

Important! On acrylic baths, paste-like, emulsion preparations that contain abrasive substances can not be used, since they can damage the surface of the font. For acrylic baths, use liquids or aerosols. Before using the chemical, it is also necessary to check the reaction of the coating of the bath with the active chemical.

Remove the silicone sealant from the bathtub mechanically:

1. With a knife or a metal spatula( screwdriver), cut off the top layer of the sealant.
2. Disassemble the bath( if the sealant is not completely removed, cut it with a knife).
3. Remove the silicone residue with a fine-grained sandpaper or pumice stone. The work is carried out very carefully, so as not to damage the surface of the font.
4. Strip the mounting holes from dirt residues using a screwdriver or the tip of the knife.
5. Clean the surface of walls and plumbing with a clean rag.

Important! To clean the enamelled bath, the mechanical method will not work, since the knife, pumice or sandpaper will only scratch the surface. It will be almost impossible to restore it. Use only special chemicals for cleaning.

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How to remove silicone sealant from different surfaces?

During repair, silicone has to be removed from various surfaces, such as tiles, automotive glass, plastic, leather hands, clothing. To be "fully armed," listen to our recommendations.

How to remove old sealant in the bathroom with tile?

With ceramic tiles, silicone must be removed with maximum care, since the smooth surface of the tile may be damaged by a metal scraper or knife.

To clean the surface of the tile and not to damage it, proceed as follows:

1. With a stationery knife, cut off the thick top layer of silicone without touching the surface of the tile.
2. For the remaining sealant, apply white spirit, gasoline or store solvent.
3. Leave the product on for several hours.
4. Use a wooden spatula to pry the jelly-like material and remove it.
5. Rinse the tile off the remains of silicone.

Important! For a color tile, first run a test cleaning to test the reaction of the colored surface of the tile.

What else to take into account when working with tiles:

1. Sometimes the sealant is not removed by a whole strip because of poor quality of the construction mix or incorrectly selected means. Handle the surface of the tile with a cloth soaked in a solvent( pick up another remedy if necessary) until the silicone begins to twist, and then remove the pellets with a dry rag.
2. To remove the silicone sealant from a tile that has a porous rather than a smooth base, alternately apply a solvent to the tile and clean the softened material with a pumice stone or scraper.

Than to clean a sealant from plastic?

It is very easy to remove silicone from plastic, since its adhesion to this material is very weak:

1. Plastic shower cabins, pipes, pallets can be cleaned of sealant if pre-moistened with a solvent( 30-60 minutes).
2. Remove any residue from silicone with any degreasing agent.
3. If a primer was first used on the surface of the sealant plastic, this will slightly complicate the cleaning task, since it is difficult to select the appropriate solvent. The chemical method will need to be connected and mechanical cleaning.

Important! When removing the sealant from plastic surfaces, the Dow Corning OS-2 solvent proved its worth. This product is suitable for both acrylic bathtubs and plastic pipes.

How to remove sealant from clothing?

After contact with silicone, immediately wash the product at high temperature. Not cured sealant is washed very easily.

If time is lost, the sealant has time to polymerize, then remove the silicone from the working clothes with a special compound to dissolve the sealant. Apply the product for 30-60 minutes, then wash the traces in the usual way.

In the case of colored clothing or with a product whose appearance is important to you, try mechanical cleaning:

1. Spread, stretch and fasten the fabric on a flat surface.
2. Remove contamination from the fabric with a scraper or metal brush.
3. The remaining trail is wipe with a suitable solvent for the fabric: white spirit, alcohol, vinegar or petrol.
4. Soak clothes and wash.

Important! Additional tips will help you even more easily to cope with the task:

• Sealing stains can be removed hot. Apply any solvent to the contamination. After several layers of gauze or paper, iron the thing with a hot iron. Repeat the procedure until the stain disappears.
• The universal means of removing silicone is cold. Wrap the soiled object in a bag and place it in the freezer for 3-4 hours. After - remove the package, gently remove the frozen film from clothes.
• Experienced builders use isopropyl alcohol to remove the frozen silicone film.
• From clothes, silicone residues are also removed by hydrogen peroxide. Apply the product to the contaminated surface until the product ceases to foam. Then wash clothes in the usual way.

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Prevention is the best fight against the consequences of

Some very strong compounds after hardening are simply impossible to remove. Therefore, when carrying out repairs, adhere to simple preventive measures:

1. When working with silicone, immediately protect the skin of hands from contact with the sealant. Use only gloves.
2. Drop immediately on the surface of the sealant. After solidification, the cleaning process will take a lot of effort, money and time.
3. Leave a note of what type of sealant you used in the bathroom or other room, so that if necessary, quickly select the solvent to remove it.
4. At the stage of applying the sealant to the surface, use a paint tape. You will get perfect joint contours and a clean surface, without drops and streaks.
5. Surplus fresh sealant, left after sealing seams and cracks, immediately remove with a cloth with table vinegar.

Use the universal joint sealant carefully and carefully. Try not to leave the sealant "in memory" unpleasant memories in the form of traces and stains. Adhere to preventive and safety measures, and in case of unforeseen pollution, fight them immediately with the methods and means that you learned about in this article.