How can I remove silicone sealant?

Silicone sealant is one of the most popular means of sealing joints against the penetration of water and air flow. This is due to the simplicity of its application and low price. But at the time of use they can stain the surface or work clothes. In addition, over time, the tool loses color, collapses, comes off, becomes covered with fungus. There are two questions: how to remove the old sealant and how to remove the silicone, accidentally soiled surface or clothing?

A silicone sealant is a mixture of rubber, enhancer, adhesion primer, plasticizer, vulcanizer, dyes, mechanical fillers, and fungicides. This composition makes the agent ductile, sticky, antibacterial, able to freeze at room temperature. Dyes help to merge with the surface color. It is this set of properties that has been widely applied to sealants: it can be automobile, sanitary, aquarium, universal, etc.

But the matter is not only in the field of application, but also in the basis that was used in the manufacture of the composition. Stains can remain from acrylic, and from polyurethane, bitumen, thiokol and, in fact, silicone sealant. therefore It is important to remember which tool was used for work. In addition, the silicone itself is sour and neutral. When removing stains, it matters, otherwise you might damage the surface or clothing.

But now you can buy a combined sealant, which has incorporated the best qualities of all types. It consists of:

• silicone - 26%;
• rubber mastic - 4-6%;
• thiokol / polyurethane / acrylic mastic - 2-3%;
• epoxy resins - no more than 2%;
• cement mixes - not more than 0.3%.

In the case of using such a composition to remove stains, you may need several tools, but not one.

A set of tools and accessories will depend on the method of removing the sealant:

• scrub;
• softening (dissolution);
• laundering;
• cutting;
• scraping.

It is clear that the methods are divided into mechanical and chemical. Mechanical accessories may be needed:

• clerical or construction knife;
• scissors;
• screwdriver;
• metal spatula;
• sandpaper;
• scraper;
• abrasives in the form of powder (including salt) and compressed material such as pumice;
• polyethylene bag.

For chemical use a variety of food, pharmaceutical and industrial products:

• acetic essence (70%);
• ethanol;
• solvent "Penta-840";
• Antisil solvent;
• White Spirit;
• petrol;
• remover for removing foam;
• wipers;
• Dow Corning OS-2 and Dow Corning DS-2025;
• Logatto;
• CRC Gasket Remover;
• Quilosa.

In any case, at hand should always be cloth napkins or rags to match the sealant. Do not use colored fabric to remove white or clear sealant - the pigment will remain on the product. When using chemical compounds must wear gloves. Some drugs have a pungent smell, so it is better to use a respirator or a medical mask.

If the silicone is removed from the hard surface, then you need to be sure that the removal tools will not damage it and will only affect the sealant. If there is a risk of damage, it is better to glue or cover the surface with protective material. When using chemical compounds, the surface to be treated should be dried. Do not use multiple drugs at the same time.if it is not provided by the recipe. Combining chemicals can have a detrimental effect on the surface.

A clear or colored sealant, when dry, becomes an elastic mass firmly attached to the surface. This mass reacts poorly to mechanical or chemical exposure. The method of removing the sealant will depend on the surface material.

Glass or plastic panels have the weakest adhesion of the composition to the surface, since they are the smoothest. When removing from the tabletop, you must use non-toxic products so that later it was safe to use the table. The surface of the bath, covered with acrylic paint, can lose it if you choose the wrong chemical preparation. Porous tile or tile will require more effort than a smooth surface. When using acid-containing compounds on a steel surface, it can oxidize and rust.

Despite all the warnings, some still work without gloves. As a result, hands are stained with sealant. Inevitably the question arises, what to wash it. You can start with the simplest mechanical means:

1. Hand carefully rub with a bag of polyethylene. Then wash it with soap and warm water. The procedure is repeated several times.
2. Half-dissolved salt in the warm water is triturated with pumice. The procedure will have to be repeated several times to achieve the effect.

To remove the composition from the tile or tile, use office or construction knife. If you want to clean the joint between the bathroom and the wall, you can use a screwdriver. But if the sealant is not too old, then you can try to pry it in any place: it is possible that it has retained its adhesive properties and can easily be pulled out of the groove by the entire strip. If there is no concern that the surface will be scratched, you can use a metal straight or an angular spatula.

It is reasonable to use a mechanical method to remove the composition from glass, plastic or MDF tabletops, since there will be no chemical components left on the table. But there is a danger of scratching the surface. Therefore, it is necessary to use thin sharp knife or blade. If this method did not help, then you can use kitchen abrasives mixed with water: salt, scouring powder.

Sandpaper is used in the event that conduct minor repairs. For example, before painting a bath, it is easier to remove old sealant with a strong abrasive, without fear of damaging the paint. Instead of sandpaper, you can use a kitchen scraper.

After removing the base layer by any mechanical method, wipe the surface with a dry cloth. Matt spots will be visible on the surface. To get rid of them, damp saline is poured into several layers of gauze, wrapped in a tampon and wiped with a surface.

It is not always possible to do only by the mechanical method of getting rid of the old composition. Sometimes, in order not to scratch the surface, it is easier to dissolve it. In other cases, the old sealant can not be cut off, and then it must first be softened with chemical compounds. At home, use single-component solvents, which differ in the type of vulcanizing substances on the acidic and neutral. Acidic acid is acetic essence.Neutrals are amine, amide, oxide, alcohol.

Clean the sealant from the skin using alcohol, white spirit, acetone, gasoline. After treatment, the skin of the hand should be washed with warm water and soap. Universal agents are used for inorganic surfaces.: Antisil or Penta-80. In case it is necessary to remove the old sealant, it is treated with a solvent and left for several hours. Only then cut with a knife.

To remove the adhesive from the plastic surface, including pipes, you can use the tool Dow Corning OS-2. It is not capable of damaging plastic, also suitable for acrylic surfaces. That is why they can remove the seal from the acrylic bath. To do this, Dow Corning OS-2 must be applied to the sealant and left to soften, then pry and remove from the seam. Wipe the surface to be cleaned with a dry, clean cloth and degrease.

When treating the surface with gasoline, it will take about an hour to wait for softening, after which the sealant should be wiped off. To get rid of traces of gasoline, the surface is treated with the usual means for washing dishes or glasses.

Foreign chemical drugs Dow Corning OS-2 and Dow Corning DS-2025, Logatto, CRC Gasket Remover, Quilosa stronger than domestic counterparts, besides they have a sparing composition. This is what attracts buyers.

Any previously described method suggests that silicone sealant is not so easy to clean. Therefore, if it gets on the clothes, do not wait for drying: the sooner the removal process begins, the easier it will be to do. There are several ways to do this:

1. If the stain is not withered, the clothes should be tightened, then the sealant, which has become a thin film, picked up with a sharp knife and removed from the surface.
2. Put the contaminated item in a clean bag that should be placed in a freezer for several hours. After removing the clothing, you need to stretch in the place of gluing with a sealant and remove the silicone film.
3. Apply a wash remover to the stain and wait for it to dry. Use a nail or a sharp knife to pick up the washer with silicone and remove it from the fabric. Wash clothes with detergent. After applying this method, clothing is completely cleaned of sealant.
4. Any solvent from the above should be applied to the stain, cover with a clean cloth and iron a hot iron. These actions can be repeated several times.
5. Apply on the stain with a little vegetable oil, leave for a few minutes. Under the action of oil silicone will begin to dissolve. Cloth swabs need to remove coagulated sealant. It is better to wash the stain with detergent and a brush. Only after that do the thing completely.
6. If the sealant is stuck on clothes, then the stain should be soaked in acetic essence for 30 minutes, then wipe off with a normal cloth.
7. Moisten the stain with vodka, medical or technical alcohol and rub it with a stiff bristle brush. Instead of a brush, you can use pumice. Silicone rolls into the pellets and is removed from the thing.
8. Dichlorvos repellent type put on the spot. After some time, the solvent, which is part of the repellent, will soften the silicone, and it can be removed.

Old sealant is usually removed for replacement. After that, the surface is washed, dried and degreased. For further use, you need to choose the right kind of silicone composition:

• Acid silicone is not suitable for use on metal surfaces. But he has excellent adhesion with glass, ceramic tiles and plastic, wood and wood-based materials. Neutral silicone is not an oxidizing agent, so it has a wider scope.But the price is higher.
• The sealant is produced in tubes or cans, for which you need to buy a construction gun. It is many times more economical to use a can with a gun. But if you want to handle a small surface, it is quite possible to do with a tube.
• The applied layer should not bulge out of the seam, it will reduce adhesion. If the gaps are too large, they are first sealed with other seals, and only at the final stage sealants are applied.

When storing silicone sealant in its original packaging at a temperature of 0-20 degrees, it is suitable for use within 12 months. During operation, the ambient temperature can be from +5 to +40 degrees. But when used in heat, the curing time is doubled.

Before using this seal, you need to clearly realize the final work: the silicone sealant does not fall on the paint, which means it will not be possible to paint over it. If such a procedure was assumed, it is better to buy a different type of sealant and first try to paint it.

To learn how to properly remove stains from the sealant, see the following video.