Update date: 07/23/2020 11:19:20 14631 Share:
Author: Dina Frish
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Silicone grease is an indispensable material in construction and farming, industry and mechanical engineering. Popularly known as sealant. In its structure, it is a solid substance that adheres firmly to the material. And if silicone gets on the same clothing or interior item, it will be difficult to get rid of it.
We have prepared for you ways to remove silicone grease stains from various surfaces and materials.
Preparation
Silicone grease stains are some of the most difficult to remove. Therefore, preparing to remove them will require time and “tools.” You will need:
- Alcohol;
- Acetic acid;
- Knife (razor blade or hob scraper) or metal brush;
- Baby or laundry soap;
- A thin, sharp object (a needle or pin);
- Iron;
- Gloves;
- Respirator, glasses.
Optionally, you can use special tools:
- Gasoline solvent;
- Silicone grease remover;
- Any general purpose solvent such as acetone or solvent 646;
- Brake cleaner.
But they can be replaced with improvised means.
What types of spots are there?
All motor oils in their chemical nature and properties (in the part that interests us) are close to fats. But their diversity does not allow us to consider emerging pollution as something fundamentally unified. Thus, the oil initially poured into car engines is called fatty oil among professionals. After a certain period of operation, being exposed to high temperatures, oxidizing with oxygen and taking on mechanical stress, the oil turns into waste.
Chemical changes that have occurred in the composition of the lubricant radically change its practical properties. But in terms of contamination and its removal, there are no special differences, and the same means can be used.
You just need to take into account what the fabric is and how long ago the stain appeared; Depending on this, a suitable cleaning method is selected using the means available to you.
How to remove silicone grease from clothes
It is better to dry clean clothes made from delicate fabrics. It may not withstand chemical or mechanical influences. But with the rest it’s easier.
If clothing made from thick fabrics gets dirty, put it in the freezer for an hour or two. If the item is large, you can use ice cubes in a bag, or hang it on the balcony in winter. The structure of the lubricant will become fragile, after which it can be carefully pryed off with a knife or needle.
Tip: This method is suitable for removing fresh stains. If the stain is old, a vinegar solution will help, in which you will need to soak the clothes, then rub the dirty area with a cloth. On colored fabric it is necessary to use a local method. Wipe the mark with vodka or alcohol, wait 15 minutes and remove the residue with a medium-bristled brush.
Other options:
- Place a thick cloth under the stained fabric. Use a bottle of brake cleaner. Spray it on the contaminated area. Wait 20-30 minutes. Send things to the wash.
- Any solvent will do: purified gasoline, acetone or nail polish remover. Wear gloves to avoid chemical burns, as well as a respirator and goggles. Soak a soft sponge in solvent. Gently wipe the silicone mark with it and leave for half an hour. After the specified time, repeat the procedure. Rinse clothes in hot water, then put them in the washing machine. When washing, use high-quality washing powder.
- Baby soap will help soften the stain if you lather thoroughly. Wait about half an hour, then hand wash the clothes in warm water. Then perform the manipulation with soap again.
- If there is an old stain on your clothing, apply damp gauze to it and steam the top with an iron. The structure will soften, after which the rubber will remove the silicone grease.
Since solvents are caustic substances, washing after such treatment must be carried out especially carefully. It is advisable to do this several times to completely remove the smell of gasoline or acetone.
Cleaning methods and means
For quick cleaning, stock up on several ingredients: it can be ammonia and turpentine, soap shavings with the addition of ether, magnesia powder, potato starch. Do not forget about a variety of household chemicals: ordinary washing powder and laundry soap, as well as special professional products for combating the corresponding contaminants, can be useful.
Now we’ll tell you in more detail how to remove grease from clothes. If you need to remove an old stain, take turpentine, ammonia and soap shavings (1 tablespoon each). Mix the ingredients thoroughly and apply the mixture to the problem area. After three hours, get rid of the dried crust and wash the item, adding powder.
To quickly get rid of traces of grease, the following composition will also help. Take ether and magnesia powder in equal proportions, mix until smooth and generously treat the stained areas.
After drying, remove the remaining product using a dry clothes brush. Having finished with this, we wash the item of clothing and hang it to dry on the balcony. Let's talk about another useful recipe that will remove traces of the substance.
We take a bowl of water, add a small amount of turpentine and ammonia, and soak the item for a short time. When the solution takes effect (it may take two or three hours), wash the product. If necessary, repeat the procedure.
How to remove silicone grease from glass and tiles
In this case, it is not necessary to resort to solvents. You can just scrape it off:
- If after the repair traces of sealant remain on the glass or tiles, a mechanical method will help. If used carelessly, these surfaces can be scratched. Therefore, this method is best suited if you don’t mind glass or tiles and are planning to change your interior in the near future. Use a knife or blade to scrape off most of the grease, then sand with a pumice stone. An oil stain may remain, which can be easily removed with any detergent.
- If you want to maintain the integrity of glass or tiles, soak a thick cloth in a saline solution and fold it like a bag. Salt crystals form on the surface of the fabric. After scraping off the dirt with a knife, rub the surface with a “bag of salt.”
- If the tiles and glass are completely new, then gasoline solvent or white spirit will help. Wear gloves. Apply white spirit to the mark, wait 2-3 minutes. The silicone grease will soften and can be removed with a thin blade. Wipe over the surface with a cloth soaked in solvent, then wipe with a dry cloth.
Advice:
You can also use white spirit to treat acrylic enamel in the bathroom. The main thing is to act very carefully so that a complete restoration of the bathtub is not required.
What is silicone and where is it used?
Silicone is a chemical compound that is an organic substance containing silicon and oxygen. It is quite difficult to wash from fabric, because it tends to quickly penetrate its fibers. The difficulty of removing this substance is also due to the following factors:
Silicone Bathroom Sealant
- rapid hardening;
- resistance to high temperatures;
- moisture resistance - for this reason, regular washing with powder is not able to cope with contamination;
- elasticity.
Silicone has a lot of advantages. It is able to increase or decrease adhesion, impart hydrophobicity, and work at any, even extreme, temperatures and in conditions of high humidity. This substance also has dielectric properties, bio- and chemical inertness, durability, and environmental friendliness. Thanks to these qualities, it is widely used in a variety of fields:
How to remove silicone grease from furniture
The choice of processing method depends on the material from which the furniture is made:
- Silicone is the easiest to remove from plastic furniture. Large pieces must be cleaned with a spatula, then treated with acetone or refined gasoline to remove traces of fat.
- It's more difficult with wooden furniture. Solvents are not suitable, as there is a risk of damaging the surface, especially if it is varnished. Take a wooden scraper and carefully scrape off the rubber mixture. This method requires time and patience.
- In addition to a wooden scraper, you can also use a plastic one. Or a regular bank or discount card. Just try to scrape off traces of silicone grease with it.
Useful tips
Aggressive substances are usually used to remove silicone grease. In order not to completely ruin the item, you must first test the chosen product. To do this, apply the selected product with a cotton swab to an inconspicuous area on the product. This can be an inner seam or a place under the collar, on the back of the cuff. If there is no reaction after an hour and the cleanser does not damage the fabric, it can also be used to clean the front side of the garment.
When removing a stain with a cotton swab, it is necessary to direct movements from the edges of the stain to its center. This is especially important if solvents are used for cleaning. If you rub the dirt in different directions, you can spread the stain over an even larger area.
After cleaning the product with aggressive substances, you must wash it, rinse it twice in a large amount of water, or set the automatic machine to a mode with additional rinsing. This is necessary to ensure that all harmful substances are removed from the fabric. After treatment, it is advisable to dry clothes in the fresh air.
As you can see, there are several reliable ways to remove silicone grease from clothing or fabric items. Don’t be upset if your husband once again comes in with soiled clothes - you can save them even at home with your own hands, using simple and affordable means.
It doesn’t matter if yellow stains appear on your down winter jacket after an unsuccessful wash. It happens that you have to wash vomit stains from upholstered furniture or clothes, and it is very difficult to clean a mattress from red stains and the smell of urine, but there are methods. You can, Removing stains is always a long and labor-intensive process, especially if it concerns traces of food or
Preventive measures
There are several “folk” preventive measures that make it easier to wash your hands after repairing a car. The simplest of them is to work with gloves. Especially if the work involves very dirty parts. The main thing is to choose good gloves, in particular, rubberized ones or with rubber notches applied to their inner surface, preventing the tool from turning in the palm.
Also, before work, you can lubricate the surface of your hands with liquid soap (or dissolved solid soap) and let it dry. Thus, a certain protective layer is formed on the skin, on which all the dirt will remain and not penetrate the skin. At the end of the work, hands are washed quite simply, even without the use of special products and pastes.
After washing your hands with any of the above products and regular soap, it makes sense to apply protective creams to the skin for preventive purposes - for example, traditional baby cream or special compositions to protect the skin of the hands (usually always in a woman’s home cosmetics bag, so you can ask your girlfriend/wife ). Such creams will not only help get rid of dry skin, but will also allow it to be less sensitive to pollution in the future.
About the problem in general
Regular washing with powder and soaking will not help here, and a fresh stain can stain an adjacent area of fabric or the drum of the washing machine. To remove oil, you will need aggressive chemicals that can ruin your clothes. Therefore, it is better to carry out preliminary testing by applying the composition on the wrong side of the seam or hem. They must be used carefully, using rubber gloves.
There is no point in rubbing an oil stain with a dry cloth or brush without a cleaning agent. The fat will only be spread over the surface and absorbed deeper into the material. It’s better not to rack your brains than to wash off machine oil, but to use one of the methods given, taking into account the characteristics of the material.
Important: as soon as a stain appears, you should immediately blot it with a paper towel or clean rag to avoid further spread. After this, start making a print.
From tracksuits, trousers
- Sportswear can be washed with any of the degreasing agents. Solvent, acetone or nail polish remover will do. Wipe the machine oil stain with a sponge soaked in any of the chemicals. Leave for 30-40 minutes and wash with regular detergent.
- Mix magnesia powder with ether until paste-like. Cover the contaminated area of the pants completely with the paste and rub into the fabric with gentle movements.
- A wool tracksuit is restored after oil contamination with a special solution of dish gel, white vinegar and warm water. The proportion is maintained 1:1:6. Apply the mixture to the stain and carefully scrub it off with a toothbrush. Leave for 5-7 minutes and blot the composition with a damp and dry towel.
Preparatory work
When preparing to remove a stain, be sure to protect yourself. All any active cleaning agents should be used only with rubber gloves, and the most powerful reagents and mixtures can harm the respiratory system. Carefully read the instructions for the drug or reviews about using a homemade product before you start working. Make sure that the type of fabric can be processed in a certain way. Finally, strictly follow the technical rules, otherwise, instead of removing the stain, you can wash it over a larger area or transfer it to other clothes.
When using a product that has not been tried before or when trying to clean a new item, first test the effect of the reagent on a similar sample of fabric or on a visually inconspicuous area. If everything goes well, you can proceed.