After repair work in the bathroom or in the kitchen, there are often so many shortcomings that only you wonder. They must be eliminated, otherwise the whole charm of the new finish is lost. Especially a lot of inconvenience deliver sealant smudges caused by the hand of an inept craftsman.
This useful material tightly dries to the surface and spoils the whole picture. If you did not remove the ugly smudges immediately, it will be difficult to do this later. How to remove silicone sealant from the bath, and how effective can this procedure be? Do I need to urgently run to the store, can I do with home remedies? About all this further.
Sealant properties
Before talking about how to remove the old silicone sealant in the bathroom, let's find out what exactly this is.
Silicone sealant is a fairly new building material that can come in contact with various surfaces. It is made of low molecular weight rubber and is able to solidify quickly enough. Sealant hardens at a temperature of about 20 degrees. After that, it becomes heat and water resistant, it is very difficult to remove.
Silicone sealants used in everyday life come in 2 types: acidic and neutral.
The former exude a strong vinegar odor, contain many aggressive components. They must be handled with extreme care and used only in rooms with good ventilation.
The second - they smell almost nothing. They can be safely used on any surface. They are not aggressive and do no harm.
After hardening, modern silicone sealants receive many useful characteristics:
- strength - provided by silicon;
- elasticity - remains sufficiently plastic even after hardening;
- resistance to the effects of most cleaning substances;
- hygiene - contain antibacterial components that prevent the development of fungal infections.
When is its removal required?
Despite all the positive properties of the substance, in some cases it may be necessary to get rid of it. But how to remove silicone sealant from the bath and when to do it?
Most often, "silicone" is used when carrying out repairs in the kitchen or sanitary facilities. This is due to its tightness and water-repellent properties. When do you need to remove already frozen material? There are several reasons for this:
- Application errors. If, after hardening, it turns out that the silicone was applied incorrectly and there were gaps, the seal will not be airtight. You have to clean the entire seam and carry out the procedure again.
- Carelessness in the process. Any, even a very professional master, is able to make mistakes. Inattention when applying the product can cause it to get into areas not intended for this purpose.
- Seam wear. Nothing ever happens. If the repair was carried out for a long time, the surface of the seam may darken and crack. The sealant will have to be completely replaced.
- The appearance of the fungus. Especially often this happens in rooms with insufficient ventilation. The antibacterial additives contained in the sealant simply do not cope with their function.
In order not to think how to remove silicone sealant from the bath, it is better to follow all recommendations for its application even at the stage of preparatory work. Moreover, each manufacturer places detailed instructions directly on the tube. Strict observance of the instructions will avoid redoing the waterproofing work.
Mechanical cleaning
The first way to remove the silicone sealant from the bath that immediately comes to mind is to clean it mechanically. That is, you just need to take it and scrape it off. To do this, such improvised tools are useful:
- a wallpaper or clerical knife, blades to them;
- scraper or putty knife;
- knife, screwdriver, chisel;
- scissors;
- grater;
- pumice;
- sandpaper;
- metal brush and other items.
You can not use this technology on all surfaces, but only on those that are difficult to scratch.
A layer of hardened sealant is cut with a knife as close to the surface as possible. The remaining film is removed using pumice, sandpaper, metal scraper or other similar means.
If after the end of the process greasy and dirty stains still remain on the surface, they can be removed using household chemicals, for example, a brush dipped in a dishwashing detergent.
If there is not too much silicone, you can try to remove it by melting it with a building hair dryer. This device is able to heat the air flow to a temperature of about 400 degrees. The silicone melts and can be easily removed.
Folk remedies for removing sealant
Fresh product, only squeezed out of the tube, can be removed quite well with an ordinary wool cloth or rubber scraper. And how can you remove the silicone sealant if it has already hardened?
Hardened material can not only be cut off. It lends itself well to dissolution by various chemicals. And what if reluctance is applied to aggressive chemistry? How to remove silicone sealant from the bath using folk methods?
Common table salt or soda
As an abrasive substance, you can use the usual salt for everyone. It is applied to a damp sponge or cloth and the old traces are rubbed with effort. It is important to ensure that the salt remains wet all the time during the cleaning process. Of course, very strong pollution in this way will be difficult to eliminate. But the remains of the sealant or a thin film of salt, according to the hostesses, eliminates quickly and without a trace.
In the fight for the cleanliness of plumbing, you can use soda. It is also a good abrasive. Soda is a very affordable remedy. It is inexpensive and is available in every household. In the same way as salt, it is applied to a wet rag and thoroughly rub the contaminated area.
Acetic essence or "Dichlorvos"
And here are some more ways to remove silicone sealant in the bathroom. These components, although much more aggressive, are also quite “folk”.
To clean the bath from sealant, you can use vinegar essence (at least 70%). It dissolves silicone well and allows you to remove it without a trace. The product is applied to the surface of contamination and left for 10-20 minutes. Then a hard cloth is moistened with vinegar (a “waffle” towel will do) and the rubbed place is rubbed enough. Do not forget about gloves, the substance can corrode your hands!
The dichlorvos repellent habitual to many possesses unexpected properties in this matter. It includes solvent. If you believe the reviews, this is a fairly strong solvent that can cope with hardened silicone. True, here you will have to stock up not only with gloves, but also with a respirator. "Dichlorvos" has an unpleasant aroma. A bonus will be the complete disappearance in your home of a variety of midges and insects.
Chemical materials at hand
And here are some more ways how to remove excess silicone sealant using well-known solvents. If you did the repair, for sure, something from the list below will be found in your home:
- kerosene;
- White Spirit;
- diesel fuel;
- solvent;
- acetone;
- gasoline "Kalosha";
- other solvents.
The choice will depend not only on what is available. It is important to pay attention to the type of surface you are going to clean. You also need to see which silicone you used. It is better to clean acidic with acetic acid, but for neutral use alcohol-based solvents.
Aggressive chemistry - washes and cleaners
If all the means of action described above have not been taken, you will have to go to the store for special washes. Sometimes this is the only option than removing the old silicone sealant. Long stains are difficult to wipe, but according to user reviews, purchased solvents for silicone cope with the task with ease.
Judging by the reviews, then among the most popular, we can distinguish the following:
- HG Silicon seal remover.
- Penta-840.
- Quilosa Limpiador.
- Silikon-Entferner.
- Mellerud.
- Dow Corning OS-2.
- Soudal.
- Sili-kill.
There are many such aerosols, pastes, and liquids, but these have received the most positive user reviews.
Each tool has clear instructions for use, but in general, the process can be described as follows:
- apply the substance to the contaminated area using a special spray, brush or soft cloth;
- leave for some time;
- remove sealant residue with a spatula, wooden spatula or other device.
All work with such products is very important to bring in a respirator and tight rubber gloves. If he is able to dissolve the sealant, imagine what they can do with your hands.
After the agent has been completely removed, rinse thoroughly with warm water and detergent or soap.
Features of removing sealant from different surfaces
The subtleties of surface treatment will also depend on the material from which it is made. For example, do you know how to remove silicone sealant from an acrylic bath? And with cast iron? And with enameled or steel? Each process has subtleties. We will talk about them further.
1. Enameled bath. Such plumbing remarkably tolerates conventional mechanical cleaning. She can be rubbed without a twinge of conscience, scrubbed with a spatula or knife. If all else fails, drips can be removed with aggressive solvents, and then clean off the residue with a metal “hedgehog” dipped in a dishwashing detergent.
2. A bathtub from metal (steel). To clean such a surface, it is better not to use alkaline or acidic solvents. These products can leave ugly black spots. This happens due to oxidation of the metal. According to the reviews of the hostesses, the best results were shown by the Dow Corning OS-2 solvent. It is enough to apply it to pollution and wait 10 to 15 minutes. Silicone rolls into small balls that can be easily cleaned.
If a suitable solvent could not be found, you can use a construction hairdryer or fine salt.
3. Cast iron bathtub. Such plumbing can be cleaned as you wish. Cast iron can easily withstand most chemical solvents. In addition, it can be scratched and rubbed. To remove the sealant without a trace, you can cut off the thickest layer with a knife. Then use a plastic spatula and remove any residue. The placement is cleaned with pumice or “sandpaper”, and then washed with a sponge moistened in a washing solution.
4. Acrylic bath. This is the most “gentle” type of coating and must be handled with care. It is comforting that the adhesion of silicone to acrylic is much weaker. Cleaning up such pollution will be easier. Here you can use the same Dow Corning OS-2 solvent. According to reviews, it does not harm the acrylic surface and gently removes silicone. It is enough to smear the contaminated place and leave for about an hour. Then the dissolved silicone is washed with a soft cloth, and the place of processing is washed with a dishwashing liquid.
Tips experienced
In order not to spoil the plumbing, follow the simple rules:
- Try the selected product in an inconspicuous area. If after 15 minutes you do not find any negative effects, use the product on the entire surface.
- During operation, take care of the presence of good ventilation, take gloves and a respirator.
- To achieve the best result, use all means alternately, depending on the aggressiveness of the impact.
- Try to remove the sealant at the stage of construction work, then there will be no need to clean it after polymerization.
You can get rid of drips of silicone sealant. It is only necessary to remember that each material has its own methods of influence. The right choice of means guarantees not only efficiency, but also safety.