Silicone sealant is popular due to its strength, elasticity, moisture resistance. It is used in the repair of gutters, plumbing, its main purpose – sealing seams. Due to its resistance to environmental influences, dried sealant is difficult to remove. How to clean the silicone sealant? What are the tools at hand to remove stains from this building material? Recommendations for cleaning surfaces from sealant, its features are presented below.
How to clean the silicone sealant?
The method for removing liquid silicone is selected taking into account the type of building material, the surface from which it is cleaned. There are 2 types of silicone sealants: one-component and two-component. The latter, due to the complexity of preparation, are used in industry, and one-component ones are used in construction and repair.
By composition, silicone sealants are divided into:
· Neutral;
· Alkaline;
· Acidic.
Neutral sealants are made on the basis of alcohol or ketoxime, alkaline ones are made using amines. The base for acidic sealants is acetic acid. To effectively remove silicone stains, substances are used that are part of the building material. For example, dirt left by a neutral sealant can be removed with pure industrial or medical alcohol.
When removing silicone sealant, it is necessary to take into account not only the composition of the product, but also the type of material from which the contaminated surface is made. Lacquered and painted wood must not be treated with white spirit and other solvents, as the coating will wear off together with the sealant. Alkaline substances and vinegar are not used on metal products, because their use provokes the formation of rust.
To remove stains from building materials from hands, table salt is used. Two to three tablespoons are dissolved in a glass of warm water, hands are placed in the resulting solution for 15 minutes. After a salt bath to remove the sealant residues, the skin on the hands is treated with a washcloth or pumice stone.
How to remove sealant from clothing? If the drops of building material have not yet frozen, then they can be removed by slightly stretching the contaminated area. This lifts the silicone and can be easily removed from the fabric. Provided that the sealant has not yet been absorbed, the garment is placed in the freezer for 2 hours, and then the silicone stain is separated from the fabric.
Stubborn stains from the sealant are removed using vinegar essence. The thing is placed in a solution of 70% vinegar, and then wiped with a dry cloth and washed. Ethyl or methyl alcohol helps to remove the silicone stain from clothing. A small amount of alcohol is applied to the contaminated surface and wiped thoroughly with a brush. The silicone separates from the fabric and rolls into a ball.
The sealant is first cut off from the working surfaces, then the seam is wiped with an alcohol or vinegar solution. Neutral sealants are removed with alcohol, and acid residues are removed with a vinegar solution. Silicone sealants can be removed with mineral spirits, but this may damage the coating. The easiest way to remove excess building material is to wipe the surface with a damp cloth immediately after application.
Sealant manufacturers offer consumers special solvents to help remove silicone adhesive. They are suitable for use on glass, enamel, metal and other surfaces.
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