How to remove silicone from tile, clothes and hands

remove silicone dry can be quite a torture. When you are working with this material, keep in mind that you must quickly wipe off any excess or stainbecause removing the silicone once it has dried is not easy.

Silicone is an odorless and colorless polymer composed mainly of silicon, which is used to glue or seal materials and whose main virtue is that it maintains a certain elasticity once applied.

It’s an adhesive thermoplastic Capable of bonding surfaces such as wood, cardboard, paper, thin metals, porcelain or plastics. If you stick something on very smooth surfaces (glass, tiles, porcelain) with silicone, it will be practically impossible for it to come off.

types of silicone

1. Acetic silicone (acid): It is a cheap silicone, but it has low elasticity and cannot be painted over. It is suitable for outdoor use because it is exceptionally tolerant to UV rays. However, it does not stick to some construction materials such as cement or concrete (which neutral silicone does stick to).

2. Acrylic silicone: Its manufacturing base is the polymers obtained from acrylic acid. It is perfect for sealing joints, so it is often used around windows, doors or pipes. It is quite resistant and works without problem for outdoor areas. Once dry, it can be painted.

3. Neutral silicone: It does not contain solvents, so it does not give off an odour. It is characterized by its great elasticity, which makes it perfect for sealing those places where structural movements may occur. It is more expensive than acid silicone

4. Polymer silicone: It is an ideal sealer to work on wet surfaces. It is perfect for exteriors as it is perfectly UV resistant and can be painted over once the job has dried and is finished.

How to remove silicone from tile

Two of the rooms where silicone is used the most are the bathroom and the kitchen, and in both there is usually tile. If you have silicone stains on the tiles and you are wondering how to remove them, the first thing you should do is clean the area. You can help by wetting the cloth with a little dish soap. Follow these steps carefully so as not to damage the tile:

1. Remove the silicone: We can use a blade, spatula, razor blade or a fine knife to scratch the silicone, always being careful not to damage the tile. It is about removing as much silicone as possible without damaging the surface.

2. Remove patina: removing the silicone will leave a stain that can be cleaned with a mixture of acetone and ether applied with a soft cloth. Rub little by little until the silicone that may have remained comes off and the stain is gone. Be careful because an excess of acetone can damage the color or shine of the tiles.

You can also try before scraping to remove it with hot water using a special gun or spray spray. In this case, the operation should be repeated as many times as necessary until the silicone softens.

How to remove silicone from clothes

Silicone is a great ally for multiple projects at home. From gluing mirrors to sealing the edges of sinks and bathtubs, for example. However, the same characteristics that make it great as a sealer make it difficult to remove from clothing and other surfaces. The silicone penetrates and begins to seal the fibers once seeps into a tissue. Shirts, pants, synthetic or natural, it doesn’t really matter what the fabric is. These are the steps you must follow to remove silicone from clothing:

1. Cold: put the stained garment in the freezer so that the silicone becomes more rigid and easier to remove. Be careful not to use sharp objects to try to remove it because that way you will damage the press. It’s better if you scrape it off with a spoon.

2. Dish soap: Once you have removed the large pieces of silicone, it is time to work on the stained area and remove as much of the fibers as possible. A dish soap will gently remove the silicone and will not stain it further.

Mix a teaspoon of kitchen soap with a liter of hot water and apply it slowly to the problem area with another soft cloth. Gently dry the area, remove excess moisture and reapply with clean water. This will prevent the stain from deepening and will remove excess soap and silicone.

3. Isopropyl alcohol: it can remove silicone from clothing quite easily, but test it on an inconspicuous area of ​​clothing before applying it liberally to the garment.

There are also various specific products on the market to remove silicone.

How to remove silicone from hands

If you’ve been working with silicone, there’s a good chance you’ll end up with a glob of silicone sealant sticking to your skin. You already know that acting quickly is very important, but sometimes it is not possible. To remove the silicone stuck to hands or skin in generaltry one of these methods:

1. Butter and baking soda: It may sound strange, but this is the easiest method to remove silicone: take out a piece of butter and cut it into small pieces. Rub them on the part where the silicone is stuck to the skin. Next, take some baking soda and rub it in with both hands. The butter works as a lubricant that loosens the silicone.

2. Nail polish remover: nail polish removers have a lot of acetone, which is a type of alcohol. Pour some nail polish remover on your hands and rub them together, but not too hard to avoid drying them out too much. Then, clean your hands with a cloth trying to remove the silicone stuck to your hands. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and then apply moisturizer.

3. A plastic bag: first remove the excess silicone and then with a normal plastic bag, like the ones from the supermarket or the garbage, rub the part where you have the silicone in the same way you would use a wipe. If the silicone hasn’t fully dried yet, it should stick to the bag more easily than it does to your hands.

4. Time: If no matter how hard you try, you cannot remove the silicone and you see that you are going to damage your skin, the best thing you can do is simply: wait. The body naturally sheds dead skin cells. Wait about a week or a little more for the skin to fall off and the problem will be solved.