Removing Silicone From Windows

[78brave1]

Sent: 6/15/2006

Does anybody know what to use to remove old silicone from around the windows, do they have a chemical or a solvent on the market that removes it .I am having a hard time getting all the residue off the metal surface.

Thanks

[Slantsixness]

Sent: 6/16/2006

Razor blades, elbow grease, picking and rubbing it off with your fingers.

use acetone or lye (oven cleaner) to clean the residue, but it will probably take off some paint.

It'll take 90 million years, but it can be done!

Tom

[FredU-S-Ma1e]

Sent: 6/16/2006

elbow grease? that is crude & unrefined. personally i use baby oil. it has been refined and is smoother and easier to use. try not to think how they extracted it out of all those babies though. }:>

[denisondc]

Sent: 6/17/2006

The sealant/caulk I use is the 100% silicone sealer, usually in white. It never hardens and I can slice through the old bead with an exacto knife, and sometimes pull most of it off. To get the remainder off I use a safety razor/exacto knife, along with a final light scrub with a brass bristle brush. a steel or stainless steel bristle brush is harder on the aluminum. I have also used steel wool. I don't really need to get the aluminum surface -silicone free- since the sealant I am going to put right back on is a new bead of the same 100% silicone RTV stuff. Nice and stretchy. I try to do the replacement to every seam on the RV about each 2 years. For the roof seams I work up there after the sun has dropped below the trees; so it takes more than one or two evenings to do the roof.
I don't know of any -solvent- for the cured silicone rubber though.

[78brave1]

Sent: 7/22/2007

What I have found also that WD-40 removes it from glass or other surfaces.

[ontheroadagain]

Sent: 7/22/2007

the best stuff i found is lacquer thinner it gets under the silicone and then it peels right off it also works on butyl tape and most other sealants and glues it doesn't affect good paint unless you really rub it a lot !!! it is flammable read the can!!!

[tiinytina]

Sent: 7/23/2007

thanks I'll try both... what do you suggest to get off the residue from WD-40 as I will need to wash and wax her up! Also may get a stripe or two in front repainted before then and the new Allegro Decal put on.... ok... hmmmm thats the dream list.... see what I can do in 2 weeks!

Tina

[78brave1]

Sent: 7/23/2007

Tina all I used was Windex window cleaner, or any grease cutter solution. 

[denisondc]

Sent: 7/23/2007

Has anyone tried using Gunk engine degreaser for removing wd-40 residue? 

[Lefty]

Sent: 7/23/2007

There is a product on the market called "Prep-Sol", it is intended for use by automotive painters. It's purpose is to remove all wax,grease,finger-print oil, and (the magic part) SILICONE!! from panels prior to painting. It is also safe for use on painted finishes (even freshly painted ones). Painters wet a cloth with it and wipe the entire repair area with it, then allow to air-dry. It leaves no residue whatsoever, which is vital for painting purposes.
It will easily cut WD-40, grease,hydraulic oil, car wax, polish, and Armor All, from a panel.
It will not dissolve big hunks of dried silicone, but will remove the remains left after cutting or scraping the bulk of it away (I've used it for that very purpose personally.)
It also is much easier on the skin than lacquer thinner, and doesn't have near as much odor.

You should be able to get it wherever paint is sold, I think even Home Depot carries it.

Some notes: It will strip away any wax it contacts, so after you use it you'll need to re-wax any areas that you wipe. It is also flammable, and also don't allow it to make contact with any window tint (it melts it into goo... been there, done that. lol).

[ontheroadagain]

Sent: 7/23/2007

gunk is just high priced canned kerosene brake cleaner will remove oil and leave no residue but can ruin paint i would use a strong soap with hot water simple green works good but its a little expensive

[tiinytina]

Sent: 7/31/2007

Well, between a box cutter, standard small screwdriver, a roll of paper towels, and half a can of lacquer thinner... got about 80% of the solid and melted silicone out of the gasket area. Phew. Hit the residue with full concentrated Simple green after the install was complete. Nothing was 100% but was good enough. yea!

Thanks!
Tina

[labbie1]

If your trying to be gentle but need to remove a petrolium film why not try Dawn dishsoap. It really does break up the grease.