silicone removal

[Ohsirr]

I've noticed some small amounts of silicone smears around the doors on my Winnebago Vista. It's enough to drive me nuts looking at it. I haven't tried to remove it yet because I don't want the distroy the finish.

Any suggestions of what I can use?

[Skip426]

There is a product specifically for silicone removal , but it may be too harsh for the surface that the smear is on.
Once fully dry silicone will peal off a smooth surface , have you tried just rubbing over it with your finger tips?

[AFChap]

Originally Posted by Skip426

Once fully dry silicone will peal off a smooth surface , have you tried just rubbing over it with your finger tips?

Yep, that is my normal method, and if necessary, a bit of acetone on a paper towel as a final cleanup. An easy source of acetone is nail polish remover.

[Ohsirr]

Looks like good old fashion elbow grease is required. I think the acetone will damage the finish.

[OlYeller]

This is an issue that I will have to deal with soon too. A PO used clear silicone instead of Dicor to fill some cracks in the roof seams. I have read that silicone based products leave a residue that nothing (including more silicone) will adhere to. This is the reason why acetone has to be used. You could test the finish by applying some acetone to an unnoticeable place like inside a compartment or where the body rolls under the side of the RV to see if it would damage the paint. I think if you scrub softly and rinse well, it won't hurt the finish. Acetone can be purchased at Box stores like Home Depot, to name one, in gallon sizes or smaller. Using acetone in my case will be less problematic as I only have to remove the residue from the old Dicor, not someplace that has a paint finish.

[Duner]

I googled "silicone remover" and got two I read about: 3M and McKanica. One review the guy bought both for his rv application. 3M took off some of the silicone but not all and it also took off the paint. The McKanica took off all the silicone and didn't remove the paint.

This is the stuff: link

[Arch Hoagland]

I think I'd let it alone. Gives you coach character.

[dezrtracr]

I've used Goo Gone before and with a little scrubbing, it worked pretty well. Safe to use on many surfaces.

[Ohsirr]

I'm using Meguiers clear coat safe rubbing compound and its rubbing off.

[oldsarge]

I agree mechanica is great stuff to remove cured silicone. Amazon sells it. I also believe ace hardware carries it online.