What's the easiest way to remove old caulking from a bath tub?
Question:
Answers:
Remove the bulk of the caulk with a plastic putty knife (commonly found in the paint department at Walmarts). This will prevent scratching the tub surface. Then use denatured alcohol for cleaning off the residue. Make sure the area is clean and dry before recaulking. I like to use the tip of a wet spoon to smooth out new caulk. It maintains a smooth surface.
a razor blade
huh he he huh she said caulk
Razor & your hands
call a plumber
Razor blade, steady hand and a lot of patience.
Putty knife!
The best way is with a small putty knife and razor blade. Use the putty knife for the big stuff and the razor blade to clean up the little pieces.
Seriously, if you aren't 100% confident that you can do this without hurting yourself, get someone else to do it.
If you are also re-caulking, practice making clean edges and corners. A crappy caulking job can make the whole bathroom look cheap.
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I know how you feel because I just taking down two of my shower doors. They leave holds and adhesive mark on. I regret that I ever put them up the first place. I will do what all the FindHomeAnswers people here said, "Razor Blade".
there is actually a tool made just for removing calking. I have used it & it works great. it's made of plastic but it is still very sharp & is capable of a doozer of a cut (learned the hard way)
you would still need a paint scraper razor blade to get the stubborn parts off.
silicone? rubberry stuff? silicone remover. Other stuff is carefully scraped off with something softer than metal. Wood edges off of plywood works like a tough fingernail. That and formica. Won't damage the enamel on the tub.
I'd use a plastic putty knife and a lot of elbow grease. The plastic won't damage the tub, try a razor blade if you have a metal/ceramic tub.
When you recaulk, fill the tub with water and then caulk. This will make sure that when you take your first bath after you recaulk the weight of a person and the water won't pull the caulking loose.
Razor blade is definitely the answer. The best thing to do is put the razor blade flat against the vertical surface and push it down behind the caulk. Be sure to start high enough that you are getting behind ALL the caulk. Then do the same for the horizontal surface. Once you do that you can use any plastic implement to scrape it. I like the plastic bowl scrapers you can buy at kitchen stores for $1. If you do a good enough job, you should be able to get the end started and the whole like of caulk will lift right off.
A heatgun and scraper and gloves
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