As per my other thread, I have to renew the silicone in one of my showers.  I've always just removed mechanically.  Just looking to see if anyone has experience with silicone removal products. Youtube has of course many videos, inc the use of WD40.  The issue I have is that I don't want to damage the last line of defence sealant between the bottom of the wet-wall and shower tray (not visible but its there) but simply remove the secondary visible bead that runs around the junction between wall and tray.

ive just redone mine around the bath, which was fibo wall panels so i didnt want to risk any silicone removers. i used a snap off blade knife and a razor blade type scraper. it wasn't too bad of a task. i went over it with some everbuild wonderwipes to get the last bits off. i was worried the silicone removers might damage the wetwall so chickened out and went old school. the wipes are good for cleaning off freshly applied silicone.

Once you have removed the old, try using a profile tool it gives a much thinner/professional look than wiping a finger down the length. 

 

https://www.toolstation.com/cramer-fugi-profiling-tool-set/p46602

 

 

Quick update with what I hope is a useful tip. In the end I went for simple mechanical removal with a Stanley blade scraper.

 

To reduce friction and prevent the blade digging into the shower tray, I used a little lightly diluted washing up liquid to wipe over the silicone and the blade. This worked brilliantly and let the blade glide on the shower tray and easily break the bond of the silicone for removal.  First time I've tried it but worked a treat.

 

Likewise having cleaned off the old silicone I used wet wipes to remove any final residue (when you see what they do to your hands I can't fathom why you would want to use them on a baby!), I did a final clean / degrease with meths before applying the new silicone, finished as suggested with profile tool.

 

 

CT1 Multi-solve is very good for this. Yes to removing the majority with mechanical methods ( and patience ) but the Multi-solve chemically breaks remnants of silicone down and is neutral / non-aggressive, so will not tarnish most common adjoining materials. 

Edited March 21, 20224 yr by Nickfromwales