What do I use as a solvent to clean up silicone sealant?

Mineral turpentine.. A soft cloth soaked but not dripping.. Put you silicone in the place you want then lightly rub along the line of silicone using long strokes in a smooth way until excess product is removed.. You can get good at it after a few tries.. it is easy.

Silicone Solvent

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RE:

What do I use as a solvent to clean up silicone sealant?

When using silicone sealant as a tub and tile caulking, what solvent can be used to clean up any excess left on the tile? I am using silicone, because it stays flexible and hopefully won't separate with expansion and contraction

There is a silicone remover on the market that most plumbing or DIY shops carry - it smells of oranges! However it is a solvent so to get the best results and minimise how much you use then first mechanically remove the bulk of the silicone with a scraper blade, the tiles are hard and wont cut, treat it like scraping paint off a badly painted glass window pane. Then follow the instructions on the packet. Ian C

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(unless the installer was your brother in law, I would call him back in and tell him to get rid of the stuff) However, if there are globs, a blade scraper will remove the top surface of it. What is left has to be removed by some kind of solvent, and for that I would try acetone first, then perhaps small dabs of adhesive remover, left on the spot for a few minutes, then scraper again and finally a neutral cleaner like baking soda to assure you have removed the chemicals in the acetone, etc. Note: in reviewing answers while I was making mine, I read about the use of acetone and other chemicals on tiles, and the possibility of damage to the tiles. I don't know what kind of process they use in the UK to make tiles, but I personally have never had a problem with using these chemicals on american made tiles, which almost always have a glaze fired onto them. The glaze is the seal and I haven't yet incurred scarring, loss of glaze, etc., through the use of most over the counter chemicals. Surphuric acid might cause a problem, and muriatic acid might discolor the affected section of tile, but they are not usually used in your problem.

Any of the above, and if the turps and alcohol don't do the trick, try in this order, "lacquer thinner, acetone, xylene, toluene". All come in pints at the local hardware store.

Usually on the tube of silicone sealant you used, there is a "clean up" recommendation? Look for that as well.

you can use denatured alcohol or mineral spirits be careful not to get it on you silicone finish.

silicone remover. look where you bought your silicone.