How to remove bath sealant

In this guide we talk you through the best methods for removing silicone sealant. It may be that you need to replace old sealant which has discoloured over time, or you have replaced your tiles but have leftover product on your sanitary ware.

Unfortunately, learning how to remove silicone is about accepting that it’s a long and manual process! You will need to remove all the silicone to ensure your new application adheres correctly to each surface.

There are a few tools available for removing silicone from joints, both manual scrapers and chemicals to remove existing residues. If you’re working with a clean edge, often applying heat from something like a hair dryer and then scraping the silicone off works well. For more stubborn sealant, a sharp Stanley Knife on a completely dry surface will allow you to penetrate the rubbery sealant to get you started.

If you’re removing silicone residue from a non-delicate surface and the chemical products are either out of budget or not working for you, try using a fresh blade from your Stanley Knife and gently rubbing it over the surface of the silicone. As the blade is sharp and you don’t have the safety handle, ensure you wear gloves to protect your hands.

Once you have removed the old sealant, it’s time to upgrade to a new one, learn how to apply silicone sealant with our step-by-step guide.