Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Remove wet sealant with plastic
• Method 2 of 2: Remove dry sealant with a home remedy
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Silicone sealant is an indispensable tool when you are doing odd jobs: you can fill cracks with it and you can waterproof a shed with it. It adheres well and it is elastic, which makes it ideal for finishing and waterproofing all kinds of things. But those qualities can sometimes make it difficult to get the sealant off your hands when you are done with the job. Because you can use your fingers to distribute the sealant, this is a common problem in large-scale jobs. That is why in this article we have listed a few methods that will allow you to get kit off your hands quickly and without much effort. Start quickly at step 1!

To step

Method 1 of 2: Remove wet sealant with plastic

1. Remove as much sealant as possible before it dries. Silicone caulk is very tacky, so the more you can remove while it is still damp, the easier it is to get your hands completely clean after work. So if you see sealant on your hands, grab a paper towel and wipe it off. Discard the paper towel immediately to prevent the wiped-off sealant from spreading.
   • Do not use a cloth (especially if the fabric is dear to you). When silicone sealant has dried it is very difficult to get rid of dust. Kit is water resistant, so even if you can't see it, your canvas will be no use anymore.
2. Rub a plastic bag over your hands. Once the excess sealant has been removed, take a cheap, thin plastic bag. Rub the plastic over your hands as you would with a washcloth. If the sealant has not already dried, it will stick to the plastic rather than your hands. This will cause most of the kit to come off your hands. This trick is unconventional, but several sources confirm that it works.
   • You can also use a thin garbage bag instead of a plastic one.
3. Rinse with water. If the sealant has not dried yet, you can remove it with a paper towel and a plastic bag. To remove the last sealant, rinse your hands under the tap. Scrub the residue under the tap with a sponge, some kitchen paper or something that scrubs a little. Again, don't use towels or any other fabric you want to use afterwards.
   • You can use soap if you want. However, it has not been proven that this works better than water alone.
4. Dry your hands and repeat if necessary. Dry your hands with an old rag or kitchen paper. Check your hands for scraps of sealant. Be thorough, even a little dried sealant on your hands can be very annoying. If you discover some leftovers, you can repeat the above steps until everything is gone or until you think it won't go away.
5. Take action quickly! Applied sealant sometimes takes up to 24 hours to dry completely. But a thin layer or a splash on your hands will dry much faster. Therefore, it is important to take quick action to remove the sealant. The sooner you start, the less effort it will take to remove dried-on sealant, because that is a lot of harder to remove.
   • Since it is best to remove sealant from your hands immediately before it dries, it is a good idea to have supplies on hand to clean your hands while handling the kitten. So always keep a clean plastic bag and some kitchen paper handy with the kitten, that can make the difference between clean or smeared hands at the end of a job.
6. If you have dried sealant on your hands, try a home remedy. If you've tried the tips above and there is still sealant on your hands, you probably weren't fast enough and it has dried up by now. Unfortunately, dry sealant sticks well to your hands and is water resistant. Kitchen paper, plastic bags and water will not help with dried sealant. If you have dried sealant on your hands, you can try one of the methods below. Its effectiveness has not been proven, but there are many sources showing that the methods can help.

Method 2 of 2: Remove dry sealant with a home remedy

1. Try acetone. If you search online for ways to remove dried sealant from your hands, you often come across the acetone method. Acetone is a colorless liquid often used as a nail polish remover. Acetone can dissolve some plastics (e.g. acrylic nail polish). Fixing kit is not proven, but many online sources agree that it works well.
   • For this method, dip the corner of a paper towel in pure acetone or acetone nail polish remover and gently wipe the sealant residue on your hands. Do not pour the acetone over your hands, this will waste acetone and it will spread harmful, unpleasant fumes. If you choose nail polish remover, you must first check whether there is acetone in the nail polish remover.
2. Try (carefully) using a hair dryer. Like other synthetic compositions, silicone sealant breaks down when heated evenly. Because of this property of silicone sealant, some sources recommend removing the sealant with a hair dryer. Turn on the hair dryer and move it along the spots with sealant residue. Warm up the kit slowly. When you feel the kit has warmed up, you can rub it off with a sponge or other mildly abrasive tool.
   • Use the lowest setting on the hair dryer when using this method. You can change to a higher setting if necessary, but stop immediately if the heat becomes too intense or painful. It is better to have leftover sealant on your hands than a burn, because sealant will eventually fall off on its own.
3. Try to sand the sealant off. Another way to get sealant off your hands is to rub it until it is gone. But a warning is in order with this method. Silicone sealant is very strong, in most cases stronger than your skin. That's why you have to be careful with sanding, before you know it you'll be damaging your skin. Only use slightly abrasive aids, never use steel wool, for example. Stop sanding before you feel it hurt. Again, silicone caulk will eventually fall off your hands on its own. You can use the following to sand sealant off your hands:
   • Scourer
   • Fine sandpaper (if you're careful)
   • Pumice stone
4. Try turpentine. Like acetone, turpentine can be used to loosen stuck sealant. Not everyone is convinced of the effect of turpentine for this application, but there are many sources where turpentine is recommended. Dab a paper towel in some turpentine and apply it to the sealant on your hands. When the silicone sealant has softened, you can rub it off. You can find turpentine at the supermarket or DIY store, it is not expensive.
   • Mineral spirits are mildly irritating to your skin, so wash your hands thoroughly after coming into contact with turpentine. If you have been in contact with turpentine for a long time, it can cause nasty burns.
5. Wait patiently if nothing seems to help. Sometimes you really can't get the kit off no matter what you try. In these cases you just have to be patient, it will wear off on its own. That's better than damaging your hands by trying to keep trying. Your body will repel dead body cells by itself, if the skin under the dried sealant dies, it will fall off with the sealant.
   • The human body needs 27 days to shed an old skin layer and make a new skin layer. But the silicone sealant will likely fall off more quickly (usually within a week).
6. Do not use harmful solvents. Do not use methods other than those described in this article; do not try a method that harms your hands. In most cases, acetone and turpentine are harmless, but more vigorous agents can cause major problems. Many solvents are harmful to the skin and respiratory tract, so do not use these agents. Below are some resources that you absolutely have not must use to get sealant off your hands:
   • Bleach
   • Unblocking agent
   • Paint thinner or thinner
   • Lye
   • Powerful acids
7. Do not scrape or peel the sealant off your hands. Use never something sharp or abrasive to scrape the sealant off your hands. It may seem like a good idea to use a knife or steel wool to remove dried sealant from your skin, but doing so can injure yourself. In addition, it probably won't work because the silicone sealant is too flexible and sticks too well. Most people don't need this advice, but it doesn't hurt to state it.

Tips

• Use eucalyptus oil. Put some eucalyptus oil on some kitchen paper, rub the sealant with it and then rinse off with soap and water.
• Washing powder can also work well.
• Spray Glassex on the sealant and wipe it with kitchen paper. Repeat if necessary.
• Spray a small amount of Vanish Oxi Action on your hands, rub it in and rinse with soap and water.

Warnings

• Even though it seems obvious, try never kit of your hands to bite with your teeth. Almost all sealants are toxic if swallowed, including silicone sealants.

Necessities

• Plastic bag
• Water
• Nail polish remover