In the process of construction and repair work, mounting foam is often used. This material is distinguished by its strong hold. If such material accidentally gets into your hands or clothes, it will be extremely difficult to remove it, but it is quite possible.
For this, special tools are used. If during the repair process a similar nuisance has occurred, effective methods of removing material from different surfaces should be considered. How to wash the mounting foam will be discussed later.
Foam features
Many people believe that things stained with such material are easier to throw away than to wash foam. However, what if this material gets on furniture, hands, or hair? It will take action quickly.
Such a strong fixation of the foam is due to its purpose. It is a sealant made on the basis of polyurethane. With its help, you can blow out various potholes, crevices and connect certain types of materials. Previously, tow solution was used instead of foam. Modern materials have many advantages. So, working with polyurethane foam does not cause difficulties even for a beginner. This material is quickly applied to the surface.
Also, the foam quickly hardens, turning into a monolithic layer of polyurethane. Getting on the skin, this material completely blocks the access of oxygen to the cells of the epithelium. This adversely affects his condition. Therefore, polyurethane foam urgently needs to be washed off. Otherwise, irritation may occur throughout the body, an allergic reaction.
What needs to be done before starting work?
So that later you do not have to decide how to wash the mounting foam, you need to properly prepare for the process of working with sealant. Nearby items must be taken to another room. If the furniture is dimensional, it needs to be covered with a cloth. This will prevent the accidental hit of polyurethane foam on the surface of sofas, armchairs, cabinets, etc.
It is necessary to prepare clothes that, if necessary, can simply be thrown away. Sleeves in such overalls should be long. It is best if they have tight cuffs. Pants should also be long. The amount of exposed skin should be reduced. Hands, face, legs and other parts of the body should be covered with clothing.
It is highly recommended not to work with sealant without safety glasses. To wash such a composition from the eyes will be almost impossible on its own. You will need to go to the hospital. Therefore, the use of special construction glasses is mandatory. Hands should be worn with gloves. Such preparation will significantly reduce the risk of polyurethane foam getting on the skin or home decoration.
Special tool
Considering how to wash the mounting foam from your hands, a few words should be said about special washes. Such formulations are sold in the form of aerosols or creams. They are used to clean tools used for blowing foam. They can be used to remove traces of sealant on the hands.
Aerosols are less toxic than ointments. However, they should be used very carefully. First you need to spray the composition on a contaminated area of the skin. Then you need to rinse the composition with plenty of warm water. Such a tool helps only if the foam has not yet hardened.
It happens that the master did not have time to take timely action when the sealant got on the skin. In this case, the foam quickly hardens. Aerosol in this case will be powerless. In this case, you can use a special cream. It is toxic and may cause allergies. However, with severe contamination of the hands, the hair with a sealant that has frozen, this is perhaps the only way to wash off the polyurethane foam.
How to act when the foam gets on the skin?
Studying how to wash the mounting foam from your hands, you should consider the recommendations of specialists about the actions of the master in such a situation. If sealant has got on the skin, you should immediately take a tissue napkin. Use it to gently wipe the foam stain. The movement is carried out to its center. Otherwise, the polyurethane foam will be spread by hand. Wash it off in this case will be much more difficult.
Next, you need to use any suitable improvised means. If there is no special aerosol, you can use alcohol, gasoline, acetone. The listed formulations are used in an identical manner.
Until the foam has time to harden, you need to take a cloth or cotton wool. A sufficient amount of acetone or another similar substance is poured onto them. Then a napkin is applied to the skin. You need to rub gently. Do not smear dirt over the entire surface of the hands. After treatment, the skin is washed off with warm running water.
Folk recipes
You can wash your hands from the foam at home with simple recipes. They were tried by many masters and were able to prove their effectiveness.
One of the easiest and most effective ways is to use vegetable oil. It needs to be warmed up a bit. Then a napkin is moistened in the oil and the frozen foam begins to be rubbed. After half an hour, your hands will be clean. At the same time, the skin will look well-groomed, since oil, unlike acetone, does not harm it at all.
You can also use ordinary kitchen salt. It is an abrasive that helps mechanically remove foam residues. You need to pour salt on a napkin and rub the contaminated place. This method will require patience and quite a lot of time, especially if the foam has frozen. However, salt will help completely remove the sealant from the epithelium. After the procedure, the hands are thoroughly washed and treated with a nourishing cream.
Removing cured foam from hands
There are several ways to clean a cured foam. It is not always that the master can quickly notice that a sealant has gotten into his hands. In this case, it will take much more time and effort to remove contamination. The above solvents in this case will be powerless.
To remove the hardened sealant, you will need to prepare a stiff brush, pumice. Fine grain sandpaper may also work. You should also prepare a greasy cream and soap. Rinse off the foam very carefully. If you exert too much force, you can significantly damage the skin. Abrasions and wounds will appear on it.
It is necessary to treat the contaminated areas with a fat cream. So the brush will scratch the skin less. Next, a brush, pumice stone or other selected abrasive material must be strongly soaped. Before the procedure, it is recommended to steam the hands for 10 minutes. in hot water. So the foam will be removed faster. With a brush, the surface of the dirt is carefully treated, trying to minimize the impact on clean areas.
How to remove foam from clothes with improvised means?
If the sealant got on the clothes, many craftsmen are looking for a simple way than to wash the mounting foam at home. You need to act quickly. First, the bulk of the polyurethane foam is removed with a spatula from the fabric.
Next, you need to impregnate the material with a solvent, acetone or gasoline. If the foam has not hardened, traces of dirt can be removed quickly and effortlessly. In this case, the fabric will remain intact. It will need to be washed in a large amount of water. A large amount of powder will be required to wash off the smell of solvent. Machine wash can also be used.
You can also use white spirit, if such a composition is at hand. If the clothing has a pattern, all of the listed products can lead to its discoloration. Therefore, use caution when using solvents and other active liquids. It is better to check the effect of the product on an inconspicuous area. You can also use alcohol. It is less than other compounds, affects the material.
How to remove foam from the floor and furniture?
You can also consider a few tips on how to clean up foam from furniture or floors. If by accident the cylinder falls, staining the door, floor or interior items, you can correct the situation using simple methods.
If the surface filled with sealant is not susceptible to mechanical stress, you can remove the foam with a knife or spatula. Such tools remove the hardened layer of polyurethane.
If the sealant hit the polished surface, this method is absolutely not suitable. In this case, you can use "Dimexidum." This drug is sold in pharmacies. The medicine has a pungent, unpleasant odor. When using it, you need to protect your hands with gloves.
Until the foam has frozen, it must be washed off with a napkin, being careful not to smear the stain. Next, on a polished surface, you need to put a cloth soaked in "Dimexidum". The material should remain on the foam stain for about 20 minutes. Then the fabric is removed. After this, a sponge with a hard pile should be quickly removed. Special tools for cleaning building tools will also be effective. For example, it can be Reiniger, Cosmofen.
Some tips
Experienced installers give some tips on how to wash the mounting foam from clothing. They claim that the material hit by the sealant will simply be cleaned by putting it in the freezer for several days. From temperature changes, the foam is deformed. After the freezer, clothes can be put in boiling water, if the structure of the fabric allows it. This will enhance the effect.
Having considered how to wash the mounting foam, you can quickly use the improvised means to remove traces of dirt from leather, fabric and interior items.