Anybody know how to remove silicone sealer ?

A question about : Anybody know how to remove silicone sealer ?

You know, it's the stuff that you seal round the bath and shower.

I need to reseal the bath and shower, but how do you get the old stuff off without damaging the bath etc? Anybody any ideas.

[glow=green,2,300]Fester[/glow]

Best answers:

• use a razorblade..........but lightly goes it and it'll come off neatly
• mr divadee says you can buy something called 'evo stick adhesive remover' from most diy/plumbing places but you may have to ask at the tills for it as they keep it under lock and key.
  Apparently it is quite potent stuff so the normal safety rules apply, goggles, gloves etc...
  HTH ;D
• Thanks for your help, if anybody is interested, I found this at Screwfix
  Now on to the moneysaving... discount codes anybody ??
  [glow=green,2,300]Fester[/glow]
• I've had mixed results with the remover stuff in a similar looking pot to the stuff you linked to. Can recommend the razor blade solution and you can possibly get little plastic holders to make the job easier - goodness knows where though, I have one that was a free gift with 'Practical Householder' magazine circa 1975 (shortly after I was born in fact). Also have used a fat pair of pliers to hold the blade and do the same thing pretty successfully.
  Absolutely the business on ceramic - have to be a little more careful on GRP stuff so you don't scratch it.
  Phil
• Once you have got rid of most of the sealer then Acetone disolves the rest a doddle, Father-in-law gets it so I don't know a source.
  Also dont forget to tape the edges when you re-apply. All the excess goes onto the tape and then you get a nice clean edge when you remove the tape, also allows you to go over the sealer several times to get a nice finish. B&Q sell pink (thin) and yellow (thick) low tack masking tape that has a really good edge,and will stick to baths and tiles but other wise is utterly useless on painted walls, falls off under its own weight!!
  We have a ptfe rod with a shaped end that is just the right shape, and more consistent that a finger. What ever you use, use plenty of water to get the finish smooth without pulling the sealant along with you.
• Recommend razor//stanley blade, especially on ceramic. Get an end and just pull, its just like elastic and with a little luck will rip off.
  You can get acetone at the chemists, also it is used in some nail varnish removers. But test it first on plastics, as it can melt some, being a solvent.
  HTHs Scat
• Don't forget to fill the bath with water before putting fresh sealant on. Otherwise the weight of water will crack your nice new seal when you have a bath! ;D ;D
• I needed to find this out not so long back and trawled the INTERNET and found:
  a guide a found on a website called CheapSealants.com
  How to remove silicone sealant
  If removing just a small amount of silicone to tidy up where you have been applying it, you could try using a stanley knife blade (only use the knife blade when the silicone has cured), but do be careful not to cut yourself.
  However if you are removing all the silicone before resealing then the best thing for you to try is a SILICONE REMOVER. once you have removed the majority with a stanley blade or a hard piece of plastic as this wont scratch
  you can a get a cheap one at screwfix THE NO NONSENSE BRAND of theirs
• Like everyone said - really the best thing to do is to cut off as much as you can with a razor blade, then treat the residue with a chemical.
• I tied some stuff called "Sealant eater" or something like that - didn;t work very well. Since, I've used WD40 which works a treat. Spray it on, make a cup of tea and scrape the old sealant away with a blunt instrument such as a lolly stick.
• I had really great results from a product called Re-mov. It didn't replace scraping entirely but I was able to get off ALL the residue and it didn't make a gooey mess. It seems to be a pretty all around useful product if everything their web site (silicone-remover.com) says is true.
• Does anyone know where I can buy Re-mov from in the UK? all the links are to Canada or the US...?
  thanks in advance
• Hayley
  If you must use this stuff then just buy the Unibond (or similar) one from any good DIY shed. Its no different. But you can't just use any of these products direct on a mass of silicone. You must scrape the majority off first (I use a blunt chisel which doesn't damage the bath in the way that a razor blade can) before using it on the residue. However, I find these chaical removers to be a waste of time - tried it just the once and gave up. You will find than once you are down to the thinnest scrape left on the bath/tiles then you can rub/scratch the residue off with your finger, then thoroughly clean the area to be sealed with meths, dry and reseal.
  IMO these products are a waste of money but its your money.
  Cheers
• What Keystone said. However, I tried some No Nonsense silicone remover from ScrewFix and to my surprise it did dissolve the silicone sealant around the window, without scraping. It was very effective. However, it also removed the paint which I did not want. So for me it was useless. If you don't mind the paint dissolving, try it. I'd take care on uPVC in case it damages it given that it seems quite aggressive.
  As an aside, I found a Harris chisel edged scraper very effective for removing the silicone sealant.
• As stated take the majority off with a blade and then I prefer to use xylene on a rag works very quickly but dont let it run and quickly wipe of the excess