How can you remove silicone caulk without the use of a chemical caulk remover?
This was the question on my mind since the caulk between our kitchen countertops and tile backsplash had more separations than Liz Taylor.
The last thing you want is to ruin an expensive countertop just to remove $5 worth of silicone caulk.
Here’s my solution: use a hairdryer and straight razor.
This idea couldn’t have worked any better and that’s why I’m sharing it with you.
Here are the supplies you need:
- Hairdryer (for real, just a normal hairdryer)
- Razor Scraper
- Cleaning gloves
- Clorox bleach
- Cleaning bucket
- Homax Caulk Tool
- Bowl to collect the old caulk
- These Amazon links help support HRT…Gracias
The only thing that’s missing is a hairspray bottle and flat-iron (queue commercial for Paul Mitchell).
You’ll discover this project is somewhat cathartic and way better than removing grout, which I admit is a b@$&! (In case you need that tutorial click on this link).
This post is super short, so don’t even bother with the popcorn or Junior Mints to view my video.
Let’s get started!
Remove silicone caulk with your hairdryer
Here’s the disclaimer for this post, if your silicone caulk is sandwiched between two pieces of plastic (for example an acrylic tub and shower insert) be SUPER careful not to ruin them. By ruin I mean melt them like Laffy taffy.
The Revlon hair dryer I used reached a maximum temperature of roughly 212F. Yes, I’m a geek and measured the heat output with a thermometer (which by the way, for anyone here in the states, provided temperature readouts in Celsius. In case you’re wondering the conversion to Fahrenheit is 9/5C +32)
I sincerely doubt this temperature will ruin a plastic tub or shower but be very careful nonetheless.
Since the silicone caulk in this example was between our backsplash tile and countertop I wasn’t too worried about high heat damaging anything.
For this project, it’s best to use the lowest effective dose of heat. By this I mean you should try the lowest setting on the hairdryer that will help remove the silicone caulk.
Ultimately I had to use the Hot and High settings.
Heat up 8-10 inches of silicone caulk for 30-40 seconds then use a razor blade to slice through it.
Make sure to remove all of the caulk because the new silicone won’t adhere properly to gunkafied surfaces (gunkafied isn’t a word but you get my drift, leftover silicone caulk is a no no).
Here’s a short video showing you how to do this step.
There are other tools you can use to remove silicone caulk.
One of them is the Homax plastic caulk removal tool. This is a nice tool for beginner DIYers because it has an angled tip to remove silicone caulk from corners. It also has a flat surface that can scrape caulk without scratching tile, bathtubs, or shower surrounds.
You can buy this tool at Home Depot.
How to Remove Moldy Silicone Caulk Residue
If your caulk was moldy and you’re concerned about spores being left behind you can do the following:
- Pre-wash the previously caulked surface with warm water
- Add 3/4 cup of Clorox bleach to 1 gallon of warm water
- Use a sponge to wash the suspected moldy surface with the Clorox solution
- Let the Clorox stand on the surface for 5 minutes
- Rinse with warm water and let the area air dry
Yes, the title to this post said “without Chemicals” but that’s if you only need to remove silicone caulk.
Mold is an entirely different issue and warrants something like Clorox bleach. In case the fumes bother you please use a respirator!
If you already have a hairdryer and straight razor blade this project will cost you nothing but your time & some patience.
WARNING FOR MALE DIYers
Guys, please ask your wife or girlfriend for permission before using their hair dryer.
I’m saving you grief and a trip to the flower shop (not to mention, but I am anyway, being locked out of the bedroom-this is a nice way of saying you won’t be getting any you know what).
What’s Next
If you’re looking for more bathroom tips check out these tutorials
How to Clean Stinky Sink Drains
The Best Way to Clean Grout – EVER!!
If you’re doing a bathroom remodel and need help, join one of our online courses – they’ll make your bathroom renovation much easier!
Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll do my best to help.
Thanks as always for reading, watching, and being part of our awesome community.
Cheers,
Jeff
Here is my question.. I removed silicone caulk that was pulling away from the window (kitchen window sits on top of the granite counter top) and cleaned really good, re-caulked and it is happening again. I was told you HAVE to use some type of silicone remover to completely remove all traces of the silicone or the new caulk will never form a good seal. Will adding the heat solve this?
The heat will help. You can also try rubbing alcohol or a water/bleach solution, let the surface completely dry then apply the new silicone.
Make sure to read the directions and note the application temperature range for the caulk you’re using. If it’s too cold sometimes the caulk won’t adhere properly. The tube I’m looking at requires at least a temp of 40F.
Thank you so much for your perfect directions to remove the silicone grout from my granite countertop/backsplash!
Jeff as a playful gesture. Silicone the bedroom door shut while shes in there sleeping. That way you werent locked out and she wasnt locked in. Two negatives make a positive. Both are petty stupid acts and might make her be thankful you fixed a decaying material rather than focusing on you using her hair dryer.
I have Carrera marble tile on 3 walls surrounding the bathtub. I’m sure the sealant has worn off over the last 20 years, and there is soap scum on some areas, as well as discoloured grout. I have removed all caulking and silicone sealant from around tub and the fixed glass panel. As well, I’ve scraped out loose grout at bottom edge of tile where it meets the tub. I will now try to remove caulk and silicone remnants from the tub with alcohol or heat, as I can’t scrape any more of it away. Next I will redo the grout between the tiled walls and the tub. Then comes the white caulk around the tub, and the clear silicone at the base of the glass panel. I don’t want to damage the marble walls. Can I then use the Wet & Forget to clean the marble and grout? Is it a good idea to reseal the marble, and what do you recommend.
I will have to try again, it’s on my Spring TO DO list, so far down I bet it will be June before I get to it! I will let you know how it goes.
I have some caulk in a recently remodeled shower that “melted” and spread across the tile floor. I need to remove it from between the wall and floor. Do I need to replace it with caulk or can I replace it with grout? The same thing in the corners of my bathroom shower surround in another bathroom. The caulk isn’t “melting”, but the guy who did it did a horrible job and it’s really uneven and looks terrible. I was going to remove it and replace it with grout. Can I do that, or again, do I need to replace it with caulk?
Thanks Jean for your question.
A general rule of thumb is to use a good quality caulk between two hard surfaces, e.g. a tile floor and tiled wall.
In your case it would be best to use caulk instead of grout because the grout may crack over time.
You can buy good caulk at the local store, I’ve always liked GE and DAP. Since you’ll be applying it in your bathroom try to get a caulk with Microban in it.
Microban helps prevent mold from growing on the caulk.
Hope this helps 🙂
I wanted to comment on the grout vs caulk where tile meets tile on the floor. Most colored grout also have a matching caulk made for just that purpose. Jeff I do have a question. I removed the caulk from the area of my tub where I removed the door. Most came off but you can still see residual caulk material. I tried using a flat scrapper but there doesn’t seem to be anything to scrape. But you can still see it. What can I do? I’m not replacing the door.
I am regrouping a shower stall the metal drip along the step has small ‘vent’ slits. After removing old grout I realize there is water beneath the metal strip. I used a blower function on my vac and it blew some of the water out. But when I regroup, won’t this region continue to hold water and thus harbor mold. My question is twofold: should I make sure it is totally dried out before caulking and what would happen if I caulked over the vent allowing no water to enter?
Thank you Jeff! Have been contemplating on what I was going to do since the “junk” I got from the hardware store was old and they gave me a refund. Was just going to sit on it for a while and think about it. Can’t wait to use this method.
Glad to help you any time 🙂
You were going to sit on the caulk for awhile and think about it…
I wonder what can be used to remove it from the hands? I always seem to get it on my fingers and only time seems to do the trick.
Maude
Maude, I use GOJO Natural Orange hand cleaner with pumice. This stuff is great because the pumice really gets your hands clean.
Anytime you use caulk always wipe your hands as much as possible with a rag then use the GOJO with warm water.
I just caulked between my pedestal sink and the wall. Overall I am happy with my beading as it is smooth, but I got a thin layer of residue farther up the wall than I would have liked and it dried and hardened. Would your method work for just taking off the thin residue? The way I see it I have two options, try scraping away the residue with or without the dryer, or tape up the new sink and caulk and paint the residue the same colour as the wall. What do you think?
Hi Brandon,
If it won’t bother you, go ahead and paint the residue. Most likely nobody else will even notice. Sounds like you and I have something in common, perfectionism-LOL. Usually when I try to fix something and try to get it “just right”, it ends up looking worse. Which then drives me nuttier than I already am. Congrats on your new sink. Send me some pics if you have time. I love seeing bathroom projects 🙂
Jeff
I need to remove the same caulk between the tub surround and the shower door also. I just applied the caulk two days ago (8/23/13)
I love your blog.. very nice colors and theme. Did you
design this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you?
Plz respond as I’m looking to design my own blog and would like to find out where u got this from.
thanks a lot
Hi Emil,
Thanks for you kind words. I did design the site with a lot of help from WordPress and the Thesis theme from DIY Themes. You can certainly do it if I did. Send me an email at [email protected] if you have more questions.
About six weeks ago we had a granite countertop and tile backsplash installed but the caulk is already cracking where the two surfaces meet. I am worried that my cabinets aren’t supporting the extra weight but after reading your blog I feel better knowing that this happened to you and its probably going to be okay. Would you suggest we wait a few months then try replacing the caulking?
Sorry to hear about your situation Linda. I truly think it’s just the weight of the counters making the counters settle. So you should be okay.
Waiting a few more months should be good. It’s always hard to say how long to wait but I bet 6 months to a year would be fine then you can apply a new bead of caulk.
Now that I know what I know I’d recommend all homeowners just wait to caulk the counter if they use super heavy materials like granite. I realize this presents issues with crumbs falling behind the counter but it’s manageable. Nobody likes tearing out caulk that’s cracked, NO FUN!!!
So true that replacing caulking is no fun but the tile installer who grouted and caulked didn’t mention that scrinkage would be an issue. While I love the overall look, if I had it to do over I’d go with a good grade of formica. You can’t cut on formica or set hot pans on it but you can’t do that with granite either. Formica is way cheaper plus there are no installation, weight or maintenance issues. If my best friend or a close family member asked for my opinion I’d recommend formica.
Did you get a slab of granite Linda or individual tiles set as your counter?
We got a slab of granite for the counter top (two pieces) and a ceramic tile backsplash.
It probably looks out of this world!! I can understand why you chose it.
Linda, I do not understand why you cannot cut or set pans on granite, other than the granite will dull your knife blades. We use one of those plastic looking cutting pads that you can roll up and put away for cutting. The heat of pans should be no problem. If you have quartz, then there could be a heat issue, but the newer stuff seems to be good up to about 525 degrees Fahrenheit. If you get it too hot, it can leave an ashy looking ring that you can not polish out.
Thanks Kevin for your awesome comment!!
Plumbers used silicon to glue the metal sink basket or flange on the sink 9 years ago. Note the garbage disposal hangs on the flange. I have a fired clay sink. I need to replace the flange. How do I get the flange off? I am using a oil filter wrench to grab the flange from under the sink. Can’t get any solvent in there. No space between sink hole and flange. I plan to try the hair dryer and oil filter wrench. But there is no budge yet. They packed the limited space with silicon. I called the plumber that did it. He just said I have to muscle it….Period! HELP!
Dave
Thanks Dave for your question.
I can sense you’re frustrated with this big time.
There is likely a strainer nut holding the strainer flange to the bottom of your clay sink.
Some strainer nuts screw onto the bottom of the strainer and others are secured to the strainer using bolts.
You’ll have to loosen this strainer nut with a special tool called a spanner wrench (they cost $16 to $35) and make sure if it has bolts securing it to the underside of the strainer that those bolts are removed in a counterclockwise fashion.
Once the strainer nut is removed you should be able to “muscle” the strainer from your sink but be as careful as possible since your sink is clay!!!
Hope this helps Dave.
We remodeled the bathroom a couple years ago and put a fish tank behind a piece of acrylic in the bathtub. It’s beautiful, but caulk ended up smeared all over the piece of acrylic. Could I use this method to scrape only the part that is out of place?
Try using the razor blade approach first Amy. I bet it will work. Just me careful not to scratch the acrylic but that shouldn’t be too hard since the surface is smooth.
If the razor doesn’t work then put your hair dryer on the lowest setting and give it a shot.
PLEASE:
HOW TO FIX WHITE STRECH TUBE IN THE BACK OF CLOTHE DRYER?
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
ROSEMARY OSORIO.
Marcio, I think you’re referring to the dryer duct tubing.
Check out this post I did because you’ll get some great tips on how to replace tube and learn which type to use.
Let me know if this is what you’re looking for.
Just get rid of it completely and replace it with metal. The plastic ones are a huge fire hazard.
Bought a new construction house in 2008. In the first year began seeing many significant cracks in drywall over doors, cracks where drywall panels seamed on ceiling, etc., and they continue to expand. The biggest problem is gaps between counter backsplash and wallboard are 1/2 in to 3/4 in wide and all caulk has pulled away. Was planning to use minimal expansion spray foam to fill gaps and then recaulk. Am I missing any “gotchas” or having faulty logic on this one? Any other suggestions to deal with this? (Builder has long denied any responsibility for this, calling it “normal” settling.)
Sorry to hear the builder won’t help you.
I could be wrong here but the 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch gap, is it between the bottom of the backsplash and the top of the countertop?
If so, do you have any leftover tile? You could actually attach the tile to the wall after cutting it to size.
Let me know if this is making any sense.
I inadvertently used silicone when caulking around a window a few years ago. Now I’m trying to repaint and the paint won’t stay on the silicone. Will the hair dryer trick work to get it off the wall or do you think I need to sand it off? It’s a very difficult place to get to because it is a small sliver between the cabinet and the window frame. Any ideas would be helpful.
Oh boy, sorry to hear that Kim. Yah, silicone isn’t paintable.
Have you tried the hair dryer trick with a small razor blade? Be careful with the razor!!!
If this didn’t work you might want to try Motsenbocker’s Lift Off, it’s caulk remover that’s green and has worked for me in the past.
How to remove my forcelane sinck glued to the cabinet counter top? Please help, tnx
Sorry Nick for the late response. It’s probably adhered to the sink with caulk or some adhesive.
Caulk is easy. Just score it with a utility knife all around the cabinet and wall. Adhesive is hard. You can try to score it but it might take some elbow grease.
Let me know if this works.
You can start your fire in a fireplace and build to full blown fire in approximately one minute while using a hair dryer after lighting the paper. Use on low and keep dryer far enough away to keep ashes from blowing. It does not usually kick up ashes unless you blow at the wrong angle. Go slow….you will catch on quickly…..and so will the fire. This can mean the difference of getting your fire going or not when it comes to wet or greenish wood.
Hopefully your gal will appreciate your ingenuity, creativity and work ethics and not mind sharing her lil’ precious to benefit the both of you in a warm way.
Whoa, that’s a good tip Clazi. Also a testament to how hot hair dryers can get.
Fortunately my wife doesn’t mind when I have to use her hair products, lol.
Thanks for the great idea and well wishes 🙂
We recently purchased a foreclosed home, however, it sat vacant for a year. We have an umbrella sink drain in a white vessel sink. There is a brown ring about a 1/8″ around the drain. I can’t seem to get this clean though. It almost feels like grout…rough and not smooth like a silicone caulk. Any advice on how to remove this without damaging the porcelain sink??
Thanks Amy for your question and congrats on your home purchase. I’ve bought a few foreclosed houses and they always seem to have surprises!!
Have you tried cleaning with OxiClean mixed with water? I’ve used it and gotten great results.
Great article on silicone removal! A small correction–the formula is F= 9/5C + 32, not 9/5F.
Thanks Skip, I must of had a brain fart that day!
Do you HAVE to remove every SINGLE last trace of old caulk in order to apply the new caulk? I’ve tried a razor blade, “natural” caulk remover, and a scraper tool but haven’t been able to get the residual old caulk (paper thin remnants) off of the side of my tub in some spots. I’m now wishing I’d never started this project (HELP!) but there was mold underneath the old caulking so it really does have to be done. Any tips?
I can feel your frustration Kristen. Have you tried Lift Off caulk remover? It works really well and might be worth a shot. Read the directions to make sure it’ll work for your tub situation.
It’s preferable to remove the old caulk because the new stuff may not make a great seal between your surround and tub. Then you’d be back at square one with the mold issue. Please let me know how you make 🙂
I Did a good job with cleaning out old caulk around the tub et al in bath and applying new but our of date caulk. The caulk will not dry. How do you recommend I remove the out-of-date sticky caulk (48-hrs old and still like I just put it on) and do it all again with new caulk — penny wise and pound foolish – John
Hmmm, I wonder why the caulk is still tacky John. Was it exposed to water prematurely? Just thinking out loud.
Well, I’d probably use a 5-1 painter’s tool to scrap out the old “new” caulk. It’ll be messy so get some old rags to help. Grab a plastic bag to deposit all the caulk and rags into.
Make sure you get the surface as clean as possible. You can use a flat razor blade to carefully scrape any fine residue.
Here’s a big tip that might help: fill up the tub with water before caulking. This makes the gap between the tub and surround bigger. Then caulk the gap, drain the water, and let the caulk cure per the directions.
Make sure there’s no water or moisture in the gap. This will prevent the caulk from curing properly.
You list the temp that your hair dryer reaches in F, then 2 sentences later you say its in C. Then you give the correct formula for converting C to F even stating that it is but say to put the F temp in where the C temp is.
Doesn’t exactly make me feel safe about following your instructions, just saying.
Sorry about that typo Jaime. I corrected the formula. It’s F = 9/5C + 32.
Thank you for pointing that out and I can understand your anxiety. Although you should actually feel more comfortable knowing that I did test the temperature with a thermometer and monitored the situation.
Don’t let a typo stop you from experimenting. We all make mistakes 🙂
I found your website while trying to find out how to remove old caulk from around a tub. Thanks for the tip with the hairdryer…it worked like a charm!
Awesome Shelagh. Glad it worked out. Let me know if you have more questions.
Hi Jeff thanks for the guide. It’s working for the most part. I’m working on a tub & tile situation for a bathroom that has grout and silicon caulk on top. I’ve gotten most of it off but there are parts where the silicon and grout are just glued together. I’m trying to leave the grout as is but curious if I apply new caulk over the small areas where there is old caulk what kind of trouble am I getting myself into? I really don’t see a way to get the old caulk off in some areas.
You’d have to remove the grout with a grout removing tool or oscillating multi tool. Truth be told, I have the same situation and am thinking of using a multi tool with a grout removing attachment. It’s tricky since the attachment can scratch the tub but I was thinking of using a thin sheet of sheet metal to protect it.
You could caulk over the old stuff but it’ll just fall off and look bad. Try to remove as much as you can and go from there. You could also tryout my multi tool method 🙂
Thanks so much for posting this information. I’m trying to get the old caulk off my plastic tub surround and have managed to break off a smallish chunk of the surround in the process. I used a silicone sealant remover, which worked like a charm for getting the caulk off the enamel tub, but there is a thin coat of caulk on the surround that is really stubborn. Off I go to try out the hairdryer!
Great job Sarah. What kind of silicone sealant remover did you use? Everyone wants to know so they can try it 😀
Jeff,
Some type of interesting individual placed caulk between all of the tiles in both bathrooms in our home, instead of grout. The caulking is now old and beginning to grow mold. How do I remove all of this caulking and replace it with grout without damaging the tile? Am I looking at a complete re-tile job? Thanks in advance for your help!
Stephany
You could try using caulk remover from Motsenbocker’s Stephany. It’s called Lift Off and is very user friendly.
But test it on a small section to make sure it won’t harm the tile. If your tile is glazed you’ll likely be okay. Glazed tile has a glassy finish to it.
Lift Off breaks down the caulk and then you can use either a plastic putty knife or razor to remove the caulk. Try the plastic option first.
Make sure the grout lines are completely dry and then you can re-grout.
The painters did a careless messy job caulking around the wooden moulding casings around the windows and cabinets against the walls. And the walls have an orange peel texture. The wood and caulk is white and the walls are dark colors so you can see the wavy uneven paint line around everything. Please help!!!
You could always try to repaint the lines Virginia. If you have the paint you can use a cut-in brush to skillfully repaint the transitions.
I actually prefer painting the lines by hand instead of using Frog Tape. But you could try both and see which you prefer.
Hey Jeff,
Had a 1/4 inch glass surround shower install in the spring. On the outside of the shower, some of the silicon (just in certain parts) are turning orange. The inside of the shower is perfect with no problems. I’ve tried everything to clean the silicon thinking it was mold of some sort. Needless to say, no such luck. Did I get a bad batch of silicon when it was applied? Would it make sense to just scrap off the parts that are turning orange and reapply? Any help would be appreciated –
Good question Scott. I’m not sure what the issue might be. Especially since the silicone is on the outside of the tub.
Is there a cleaning solution you or someone else uses that might have caused a bad reaction? That’s one plausible reason.
Is the silicone between the glass and track holding the glass or is the silicone between the track and floor?
You could also call the installer and see what they think but let me know about my prior question 🙂
I will use this this techniques to adjust my salon sink.
You probably have more tips on hair removal than me if you’ve got a salon 😀
I’m excited the tips will help you out. Let me know if you’ve got any questions. I’d be happy to help.
I have an oscillating multitool that I can use for grout and caulk removal. What should I use to prep for and to seal around window frames and between the tub and tile?
If I have porous grout in between the bathroom tiles is it best to remove the grout and regrout the tile?
Thanks,
Mike
Hey Michael, good questions.
You could add blue painter’s tape to the tub then apply duck on top of that. This will help prevent scratching from the multi tool.
If you’re going to regrout you’ll have to remove the existing grout. That’s the best option. But the multi tool will totally help a ton.
Hi , I have mould around my shower base which is surrounded by plastic wet boards looking to strip sealant and refill how do I achieve this will hairdryer be too hot or bleach affect wetboards thnx for the help look forward to your response ☺
Hi Craig, thanks so much for your question. You could first try to strip the sealant with a straight razor. Be careful not to etch the plastic but I think this is a great first option.
Let me know if this works or not 😀
I recently had beautiful black and silver random pattern granite countertops installed. It took forever to find something that would compliment and not overpower the counter and something I could install myself. I chose patterned aluminum peel and stick, small random blocks that look great and no grout to worry about. I would like to seal the edges with silicon seal clear. I am concerned about discolouring the tile or having a reaction to the foam middle layer. It is waterproof and heat and cold proof so it would be great if it’s ok to use. So far I love it and don’t want to mess up my hard work. Thanks for your ideas!
Glad to help any time Sherry 😀
My son in law decided to use silicon tub and tile seal above my arborite counter top.
how do I remove the silicon tub and tile seal ?
The best method besides trying a hair dryer Reta is to use the same straight razor I used in this video. Slide the razor under the silicone and scrape off the silicone in small sections, a few inches at a time.
It’s tedious but does work.
Thanks I will try this
How to remove a piece of floor mat from under need a hot pan.
Please help if you can
I installed a new travertine kitchen backsplash a few weeks ago (after getting granite countertops installed). Last night I caulked the joint between the counter and the backsplash with sanded caulk (color-matched to the grout). This morning I noticed a small streak of caulk residue on the grout. While cleaning the excess caulk off of the tile, my towel must have hit the grout, etc. The caulk is a little darker than the grout, so it’s visible. Any recommendations on how to clean/remove this caulk stain? The grout has been sealed for a few weeks. Thanks!
Thanks for the idea of using the blow dryer to soften the caulk. I used it to remove caulk on the bottom of a shower door where the vinyl that is below the drip cap needed to be replaced. Worked great! Research mildew though, bleach doesn’t permanently get rid of the spores. There are products that will prevent it for a year…I have had good luck with Hikaru Mold Be Gone, sold on Amazon.
Hi, I I have just had a person who fist vertical blinds visit my house in order to replace the old rail and blinds. He would not remove the rail as believes has been glued with silicon or no nails by previous house owner. If this is the case can the silicon or “No-nail” be removed without damaging plaster, wallpaper etc? Any advice would be gratefully appreciated.
Hi, The Contrator put porcelain tiles in my foyer. He then put down an oak saddle to match the floors in my living room. I called him back to take the saddle off and reposition it because it was crooked. When he repositioned it, apparently he put clear silicon under the saddle the first time and it is visible because he repositioned it. I scrapped it off with a knife and used a hair drier, but the porcelain is wood grained look and has indented parts in the design where the silicon isn’t coming out of. I still see a slightly shiny inch long residue of silicon along the saddle. Do you have any suggestions to take it off porcelain tile
Just a little tip for anybody struggling to get the last super-thin layer of silicone off of smooth surfaces like a fiberglass or plastic.
Shave off as much as you can with a razor blade, nauturally, but I found that using a clean cloth buffing wheel (no buffing compounds applied) attached to my drill allowed me to completely clean the last bits off with no damage at all to the shower both.
I used this: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-7-Piece-Metal-Buffing-Kit-A10BK07/202886254
The big wheel did most of the work, but I had to switch to the smaller wheel to get into the curved areas.
It wasn’t the fastest thing in the world, but it did work perfectly.
This is great Chad, thanks buddy for the wonderful tip.
I will likely mention this in my podcast so that everyone can learn from you 😀
Hi.
When I have removed the rear plastic spoiler of my car, there is silicone caulk which have remained stick on the surface of the trunk. They are dry hard.
I want to remove the silicone without damaging the painting surface of the trunk.
Can you please help me.
Many thanks and kindest regards.
I have customer who just had marble countertops put in and the settling between the backsplash and the top has begun. I read your hints on the hair dryer and razor taking the silicone off which I have used in the past but I’m concerned about scratching the top with a razor, are my concerns justified? It’s silicone so I know the plastic scrapper won’t cut it! Thanks!
Speaking of the borrowing the lady friend’s hairdryer without asking, she may have a few “caulk” removal tips of her own to share (homophonically speaking).
I scanned down all the comments and did not see an answer to a Q I have. In my shower the caulk is attaching the marble sill and the metal frame that’s part of the glass shower. So my surfaces are metal and fake marble (forge the name) I am having a hard time getting the caulk all the way off the metal. Any suggestions? I am able to scrape most of it off the plastic(fake marble). Thanks. BTW my best tool for removing the caulk is a very small flat screwdriver and a hammer. I carful put the flat par tof the screwdriver under the caulk and run it down under it angling the tip of the screwdriver as needed. I also use this technique removing grout. Almost like a chisel.
A few days ago I had a tub surround installed in my bathroom ..The reno man who did the job made a mess .When I look at the back panel it is all dull and smeared .The rest is really shiny .I tried soap and water but it didn’t help .I hope you have a solution for this .It is one renovation gone wrong .
Hi Jeff,
I need to remove old caulk from between my wood trim and painted wall. Can you advise me how I should go about this with minimal damage to my wall or trim?
Just an fyi, bleach does not kill mold, it only turns it clear. Hydrogen peroxide can be used, or vinegar. Baking soda paste will also kill mold. There’s a few articles out there on proper ways to kill mold, many state use bleach, but that’s a misconception. The above mentioned methods are less toxic anyways 🙂
Worked like a charm! Thanks a lot, great tip 🙂
Thanks so much for the tip, even my crappy little hair dryer is working like a charm to heat the surface, we only have one straight razor at home so for a little extra help from the kids we’ve given them a couple of those scratch free oven scrapers and they’re working like a charm as well (or as well can be expected in the hands of a 4 and 8 year old).
Hi Jeff ,
how to remove silicone caulk from electric cook top glued to quartz counter top ? need to lift off the cook top for repair .
Thanks Jeff.
Nice idea (heatgun/hairdryer) I will no doubt try it sometime. Although it does require care & patience not to scratch or cut the surface of bath/shower/basin if they’re plastic/GRP, I usually use a stanley / craft blade as per your method + silicone stripper for the residue + brisk rubbing with cloth. Might try Chad’s buffing mop to save time also. Absolute cleanliness is needed for new applications & repairs; sili’ don’t stick to dried soap / washing residue. Re. not making a mess when applying sili-caulk, you need a lot less than you think. Use the smallest cut on your tube tip you need to fill the gap. Have a cup of water + a little washing up liquid / soap or just water. Dip tool or finger in solution before running smoothly along caulk to tool (a little pressure) sealant into gap & keep wetting tool/finger as you go. Some will pick up & stick to you – clean off with tissue & continue. There is a knack so practice on scrap.
I find the silicones with microban (or similar fungicides) to be pretty good – black mould is much reduced – some for quite a few years. I often find an orange / pink stain (mould) seems to be common in baths/showers. I reckon “invisible” washing residue i.e. dirty soapy water dries on the tiles / bath etc & this mould likes it!
As the questions have shown there is a lot of confusion about “caulk”! There are so many different types & uses. E.g. “No Nails” (really an adhesive) is totally different to silicone (of which there are several types, with different uses). Painting over silicone sealant/caulk does not work with water-based emulsion paint. Painters caulk (usually water based) is designed to be painted over. “Frame sealant” is often Acrylic (water based). Others contain Polyurethane or other chemical compounds. Many of them will struggle to bond well to smooth or “waxy” plastics. As a rule, water based caulks are not used for showers / baths / wet areas although there are some special types that work ok – I prefer silicone. When they are fully dry the Acrylic types will be water-resistant & paintable hence use on window frames etc.
Hi Jeff, we are in the process of remodeling our 1958 ranch bathroom. We gutted everything in it except the cast iron bathtub, it is in mint condition (other than being gray). A problem I discovered after removing the shower track doors is a line of silicon and old calcium deposit. I used a razor blade and a ton of elbow greese and have gotten most of it off, but after reading about your hair dryer method I am going to try that next. If this doesn’t work I may have to resort to using a chemically based silicon remover.
Wish me luck.
I just moved into a nice house where the previous owner had gone through out the entire house and caulked all the woodwork(crown, door and window frames, baseboards and chair railings). He used silicon. Then he ran his finger through it, smearing it up onto the sheetrock walls I need to paint these walls. Any ‘mass removeal’ tips come to mind? I will be glad to use the chemical approach if necessary.
How can I remove 100% silicone caulk from vinyl
siding?
Thank you so much for this post. My husband went a little nutty with the caulk gun when installing an ac window unit. Time to move and I couldn’t get it out the window. My hair dryer worked magic.
Please help!
A guy came to put laminate on our stairs and left stains of silicone or glue all over, everything looks dirty and stained and I don’t know what to do,, it must be the stuff he used to stick the laminate together,, 🙁
Help please!! :'(
I have used silicone caulk to adhere stainless steel to aluminum (flat surface) any suggestions on how to separate the two?
You could try to heat them up Scott. Use a hair dryer or heat gun then try to pry them apart.
Hi, I’m desperate HELP!!!
Had a new bathroom fitted with a crome water spout tat comes up from the floor over the bath. The workmen couldn’t drill into my floor tiles said theta were too hard so glued the screws in place to the bottom of the spout on the floor. Now one of them has gone rusty and it looks awful, ( according to one of the workmen he used one of his own screws rather than ones supplied)can you suggest anything I can use to dissolve the glue without damaging the crome please, I can’t get the workmen back they keep ignoring my calls?
Sorry if anyone allready mentioned this. One thing that helped a lot not just to remove silicone (dry or fresh) but also glue, paint and a lot more is Lighter Fluid (like the one you need for your Zippo lighter). It smells a bit harsh but evaporates very quick, so better keep your windows wide open…..and I guess no need to say that you better not smoke (or use of any other open flame) during the procedure.
Btw Lighter fluid also turned out to be a good way to prepare the surface before applying silicone even for the first time.
Hope I could help some of you guys a bit.
Oh and even I realised it looks like it but I am not a salesperson for lighter fluid haha
last I want to apologize for my english ….its a foreigne language for me so I hope you can forgive me 😉 thanks
After reading all the comments, no one has failed to mention the issue of weight possibly being the cause for having to continually re-caulk/silicone stuff. To silicone the tub joint where it meets the wall, fill the tub with water to the overflow. Then, run your bead of elastomeric tub sealant into the properly prepared joint while standing in the water. Leave the water in the tub until the sealant has cured. I haven’t resealed my tub in 15 years since doing this. I should mention, that I don’t remember doubling up in the tub to expose the joint to more weight than it was cured with.
So, think weight when sealing joints. You can’t have sex on the granite counter top and not expect the weight to affect the joint sealant. Granite counter tops are usually used for food preparation and so is the standard joint sealant. So, either both of you sit on the counter top while sealing the joint and wait till it cures or put an equivalent weight on it while sealing and during the cure process. Then you can have sex on the counter top again and minimize the chance of the sealant breaking away again.
I would bet none of you even suspected your amorous activity as the possible cause of sealant breakaway. LOL
How do I remove chaulking from a wall.
It seems like it was over use of chaulking
Thanks
Straight razor scraper Francine 😀
Having problem with shower chaulk. have had to redo about 5x. Remove clean, let dry apply a proper shower chaulk. After a couple of week it starts to soften and peel away. Something we are using in shower causing to soften?
Sounds like water is getting in behind the caulk…is this for a fiberglass surround Ray?
No a tiled walled shower with a fiberglass/prefab shelf. The seal between shelve and wall keeps failling
I put some caulking around out new tub and didn’t have time to clean up around the bead before my kids woke up and it got hard. Any suggestions on how to remove the residue around the bead without damaging it? I thought the hair dryer thing would also damage the bead. Thanks/
You can use a razor scraper to remove the excess Tina, that’s always worked for me 🙂
Removed old tub and had someone install a step in shower. It was a different size, of course. We also put in a new floor. The gentleman used silicone caulk around the bottom of the outside at the floor. It also covers some wall/floor places. It is on there very thick. It really has become tacky looking. I don’t know what else could be used in place of the caulk, (if I can get it off!) Got any ideas?
Did you just want to remove the excess Jan?
How do I remove silicone caulk from wood Windows without messing them up or gouging them to repaint
Jeff, I’d try these steps on delicate wood areas…
1. Razor blade off as close as you can without touching the wood. Go with the grain.
2. Use drier or heat-gun to soften remaining silicone layer.
3. Immediately rub with supple pencil eraser.
If heat does not work, then try again skipping step that softens silicone with heat.
I would try this first before using chemical emulsifiers on wood…ceramics or glass would be fine.
If one must resort to chemicals, I would first begin with weaker acidic solutions like Soduim/Potasium Hydroxide and/or Lift-Off, and then work my way up to industrial silicone emulsifiers/solvents/digesters like Dynasolve 230. The acid solvents are not petroleum distillate based, Henze using them on wood before resorting to petro-based solvents like Lacquer Thinner, Mineral Spirits, MEK, Acetone, or Lighter Fluid, etc. I think Turpentine and Isopropal Alcohol are not petroleum based, so I would attempt these before ending up using petro-based solvents. As for Xylene and the others, they are basically “swelling” the cured silicone, making it soft and workable and helps to lossen its grip. The most effective method of cleaning the silicone film/residue off before repainting a surface appears to be “1% TBAF (Tetranbutyloammonium fluoride) in a solution of Dowanol Propylene glycol methyl ether acetate (PMA). Not that this is any help to anyone, because I don’t know yet how to obtain the stuff. But, it is used for removing silicones from electronic circuitry. Personally, I often need to thoroughly clean uncured silicone smears off countertops when installing kitchen sinks, and its really tough to get all the residue off…both cured and uncured…especially on textured surfaces that are not smooth where a razor would work well.
Hopefully the eraser tip works for your wood project!
Hi Jeff,
I got myself this fancy tile which has a rough undulated surface.
One of the walls of the bathroom is actually the backside of my walk in closet (so plywood).
I stuck the tiles with glue and sealed the gaps with Silicone Sealant. Now I did a really messy job and due to the rough undulated surface, the sealant won’t come off from the sides of the edges where the sealant is stuck.
Any tips, can scrape it off
Regards
Shreyas
You are a genius! Now don’t take no crap form her! Men like YOU are a gift and hard to come by. When she leaves the house next time, LCOK HER OUT OF THE BED ROOM AND DONT GIVE HER ANY YOU KNOW WHAT UNTIL SHE APOLOGIZES!
Hi!
I am finishing up a diy bathroom total remodel. I had a broken toilet flange and a good friend who is a plumber came over on his free time to fix my problem free of charge. Being the nice guy he is, he went ahead and installed the toilet and caulked for me! Awesome friend! My problem is he used clear silicone caulk and I really don’t like the look of it. After a month of hard work I really want it to look just right. The bathroom hasn’t seen a touch of water in a month. So, no worries of mold ect. In this case could I simply place a bead of white caulk over the clear for aesthetics? Or will that simply not work regardless of the existing caulk being in new condition? Thanks for your advice!
You could try that Lora. My only concern is that the white won’t stick to the clear silicone.
That said, you could do a little test.
Apply the white over the clear (use the same brand) and see if it sticks. Wait a month or so.
Hi ! I have a weird question. I work with an ultrasound probe. The probe is sealed in a “gun” with silicone. The “gun” is used to recolt oocytes (ovule) in cows. Anyways, I need to remove the silicone from the ultrasound probe without doing any dommage…. The ultrasound probe is made of rubber or “caoutchouc in french”.
Do yoy have any tip ???
Hmm, tricky situation. I’d recommend using your finger nail to remove it instead of anything sharp. Believe it or not, silicone often will peal off a surface if you’re persistent enough.
Hi Jeff
I got granite installed in my kitchen and also the 3inch granite backsplash. I want to remove to the backsplash. I’m not sure what type of silicon or glue is applied. Any suggestion on what to use and his to remove without damaging the granite countertop. Thanks
I removed mildewed and cracked silicon caulk from the back edge of the sink where it meets the painted wall. Cleaned it with bleach solution, washed and dried it. Then I applied a silicon caulk. This may have been from an old tube as it never set- in fact it melted into a sticky mess. How best to remove it and recaulk? I will paint the bathroom and the caulk if it ever dries. Would like to cover the area with a small tiled backsplash if that would be better to disguise this disaster. Please advise.
Help! We just had a new countertop installed in the bathroom. There is about a 1/4 gap between the counter and the wall. Due to my lack of knowledge and the contractor using silicone caulk, we now have a very deep strip of silicone caulk around the countertop and behind the backsplash. I had no idea silicone could not be painted! The bead had to be so wide and he even got some up the walls. I need to paint the caulk! I know you can put some acrylic caulk over top but it would be a nightmare trying to cover all the silicone. It was placed yesterday. Again, it it a very deep and wide bead of caulk all the way around. It is white and I don’t think it would look good leaving as is, unpainted.
my wife was needing Decd leave without pay form vl197 earlier today and came across a web service that hosts a searchable forms database . If others have been needing Decd leave without pay form vl197 also , here’s a
https://goo.gl/Je0vnA.Hi, Plumber left clear smudges around vessel sink when repairing a leak. It has not come off with Dr Bronner’s soap. He did use clear silicone so that may be what it is. The smears are not thick at all, and only show when the counter is wet as they resist the water. My question is: How to get it off without ruining the white marble? The smears are not thick enough to cut with a razor and I don’t know whether scraping with a razor or using lighter fluid would scratch/hurt the marble or not?
So you know, the caulk in the video/tutorial is not 100% silicone. Silicone does not crack like that, nor does it remove that easily. What you have is a hybrid mix of silicone and acrylic. Paintable, but not fully waterproof.
Hi Jeff, i have a stainless steel undermount sink beneath my granite counter. Due to flawed installation by the contractor the sink has slightly separated from the counter and the silicone bead applied around the sink rim @ the granite has failed (and mildewed). How can I best completely remove the old silicone in this situation?
After removing the old silicone and properly securing the undermount sink I plan to apply new silicone caulk. Thanks, Ted
I can’t thank you enough for this. I used a small sharp wood chisel and a hair dryer and had the old bathroom sink out in a jif!! You rock, sir!!
Greetings, Jeff,
Please see comment posted by ‘Will E’, roughly half way up thiis page. Perhaps you should consider deleting. It’s beyond suggestive to the point of being inappropriate and offensive.
Otherwise, I recommend the poster (Will E) use the DIY Lorena Bobbit method to remove his own problematic caulk.
Can I use this method for moldy silicone caulk around my windows? And do you have a particular product you recommend for recaulking, that won’t get moldy? This problem has been bothering me for years. I would like to try fixing this myself if I can! Thank you!
What about removal of silicone caulk from the thin papered walls
Of a mobile home? My boyfriend used way too much for the tub surround and if I scrape this surface this thin paper will come off. It’s not wall paper it’s papered sheet rock! Seems like rubbing it with my finger has been the easiest but I need to refinish this properly so need to be sure and clean it with appropriate cleaner also without ruining this paper. It’s such a mess! He also used acrylic not meant for bathrooms in the lower end where surround meets the tub and the spaces in corners are more than 3/8″ any recommendation of how to fill? Or should I try the roll u stick on ? Any suggestions will be helpful. I’m pretty confident using caulk but he did this without my permission! Thank u
Any ideas on how to remove clear silicone (a week or so old) from under the rim of a new $900 copper sink? We need s smaller sink unfortunately and the new one has to look clean and able to resold by the seller. Is this an impossible task on copper?
Great blog by the way!
Hi Jeff,
I had a new acrylic tub and tile surround installed about six weeks ago. I had to remove wet and/or cracked caulk from where the tub and tile wall meet twice withing the first week. The second time, I noticed some of the adhesive seep out from behind two of the tiles. I know the tiler applied the grout right after installing the tiles without leaving any time for the adhesive to dry. I’m wondering if trapped wet adhesive is causing the problem and am worried there is more trapped moisture which will cause further problems with caulk and, eventually mold. The tiles were applied to green board and I have cleaned out the caulk and left it open for about four weeks. Your thoughts, please. Also, how long should I wait to re-apply the caulk? I don’t want to have to remove it a third time. Thanks!
Hi there i havecan issue with my painted metal panel garage door and was hoping you could advise.
Water was leaking through the joins of the panels so i tjought ok ill get some marine grade clear silicone and use that. It worked brilliantly but i kinda made a bit of a mess and used too much. I now have dirty horizontal lines of silicon across the face of the door. I need to remove the silicon without damaging the surface. Any clue how i can achieve this please?
Worked great! To clean off the moldy residue, instead of liquid bleach I used Clorox toilet bowl cleaner gel. The gel let me target the moldy caulk line rather than just pouring bleach randomly. I let it sit for a couple of minutes before scrubbing. I was left with mostly perfectly clean caulk residue. I reapplied the heat to these sections and then repeated the Clorox gel treatment with the bits that were left.
Thanks so much for this post. I used your tips in my barn; in my case the wrong caulking was applied and I had to remove it.
Helpful post, but I found the sexist humor to be unfortunate and offensive: “WARNING FOR MALE DIYers
Guys, please ask your wife or girlfriend for permission before using their hair dryer.
I’m saving you grief and a trip to the flower shop (not to mention, but I am anyway, being locked out of the bedroom-this is a nice way of saying you won’t be getting any you know what).”
Hi Jeff.
Question…my bathroom remodel is finally complete and looks great other than the contractor got some caulk smeared on a couple of the subway tiles. Any suggestions on how to safely remove it without scratching or damaging the ceramic tile?
We have a clay farm house sink and soapstone counters. The caulking between the sink and the counter top has pulled away from the soap stone. Do I need to remove the existing caulk or can I put new caulk over the top of it? Does that fact that the sink is in use a lot and constantly wet contribute to the caulking pulling away for the counter top? Any tips for getting the caulk to adhere to the counter top better? Or should we just anticipate re-caulking it every few years? Thanks!
I was going to say the same thing! It was a real turnoff…and how do we know it isn’t property of the male?
Plus, so many of your comments are left by women. They are a big part of your target marketing!
Re: CHRIS:
Helpful post, but I found the sexist humor to be unfortunate and offensive: “WARNING FOR MALE DIYers
“Guys, please ask your wife or girlfriend for permission before using their hair dryer.
I’m saving you grief and a trip to the flower shop (not to mention, but I am anyway, being locked out of the bedroom-this is a nice way of saying you won’t be getting any you know what).”
I was going to say the same thing! It was a real turnoff…and how do we know it isn’t property of the male?
Plus, so many of your comments are left by women. They are a big part of your target marketing!
I need to remove silicone from behind granite backsplash on my cabinet side panels. Is there a way to remove without harming painted and lacquered cabinets? Looks to be he spot adhesive it to the sides not a full bead other than on the bottom where granite meets granite.
I have an acrylic tub and recently had a new floor put in. The new floor is lower than the old floor and thus the caulk line is higher on the tub. I am concerned about damaging the side of the tub by heating and scraping the old caulk. Also, I didn’t do a real good job in some parts of caulking the tub and shower surround and will want to remove the newer caulk and redo it so it is more “professional looking” The surround is tile. What is the best and safest way to remove caulk from an acrylic tub.
could you be any more sexist..? does everything have to lead back to whether you get laid or not…really?
Its 2018.
Will this work for latex caulking? A number of years ago, a couple of guys caulked around the base of my toilet. I turned around and freaked out…I was sure that was a no-no. All they did was smile like they were doing me a favor. I’m sure they were really nice, but we had a huge language barrier. Their supervisor had aleady left with no way of contacting him. Needless to say, they didn’t remove it, and it’s really bad now.
I have a custom copper gutter along a roof edge that had to be pieced. The pieced seam has a globs of clear silicone plus rivets, yet still drips a lot. A worker tried to rub off the not-yet-cured silicone globs and succeeded in spreading it about 5 inches wide around the seam on the underside of the beautiful copper gutter. It looks bad. How can I remove this “silicone spread” and clean the copper? Do you think the hairdryer trick will work? I cannot use a razor blade on the copper. Do you think goo gone will work after using the hairdryer? Any ideas would be appreciated
i have just installed a new foremost shower surround and siliconed the internal corner trims which have “bled”. how do i removed the surplus/displaced silicone? razor edge is not an option and i’ve tried the mild abrasion sponges with no luck. thanks!
Thanks a million. I ‘ve removed the calk. Next: re-install the sliding shower doors.
The gas company smeared clear caulk all over my stucco outside wall when installing a new pipe. It looks like my house is wet and it is driving me crazy. Any tips for removing a thin smudge of caulk without damaging the stucco? Lift Off? acetone?
Your Celsius Fahrenheit conversion is flawed. It should be (9C/5)+32.
Thank you thank you thank you! We are remodeling our house, built in the 70s, and removed the shower doors. SO much old caulking. I watched videos, read articles, bought a few products and nothing worked. Then I saw this and busted out my hair dryer. Worked like a charm! Took some elbow grease but what a difference. Even my hubby was proud of the work I did 😎😎.
Hi Jeff, no question just wanted to thank you for your very clear instructions but I REALLY enjoyed that you injected some humor into your instructions. So many DIY blogs and videos are so dry and boring, however I ACTUALLY wanted to continue reading through your blog. I will definitely be back to your site for any future DIY projects. 🙏🙏🙏
Hi Jeff, I have a problem. Our house was built in 1889. Around 2000 the windows were sealed with silicone and I got much of it removed thanks to your blog. HOWEVER, one of the windows wasn’t completely closed and a bunch of silicone oozed down between the upper and lower windows (where the latch is) I can’t get that silicone out. It’s sticky but I don’t know what to use which would skinny enough to dig it out. Please help!
Jeff
Does the hair dryer method work for the space between the baseboard and tile floor ?? I have stained silicone grout all through my house at the baseboard . Will not come off! Please help
Having just done a bunch of this… I am pretty sure the caulk you removed was NOT “silicone caulk.” It may have been “siliconized acrylic.” Real silicone caulk doesn’t crack, for one thing, nor does it break off like what is seen in your video.
In any case, yes heat seems to be helpful. I’m still not done cleaning off my old caulk 🙁