Removing caulk smear

[dlewand53]

Had some work done our RV trailer where they had to fix the floor in the slide out. Fortunately that was covered by warranty. Some caulk that was used on the wall that attaches to the slide out oozed out and smeared on the side of the slide out and on the rubber seals. I've heard of using WD40 to spray on there and wipe that stuff off. But wondering if there's any other thing that can be used to remove the smeared caulk. Have had it happen in the past and used mineral spirits. Don't know if that's any better. So any suggestions people would have I would appreciate.

[Onyrlef]

Originally Posted by dlewand53

Had some work done our RV trailer where they had to fix the floor in the slide out. Fortunately that was covered by warranty. Some caulk that was used on the wall that attaches to the slide out oozed out and smeared on the side of the slide out and on the rubber seals. I've heard of using WD40 to spray on there and wipe that stuff off. But wondering if there's any other thing that can be used to remove the smeared caulk. Have had it happen in the past and used mineral spirits. Don't know if that's any better. So any suggestions people would have I would appreciate.

In my experience, if it's latex based "Goo Gone" works fairly well, if it's silicon based, "WD40" or mineral spirits.

[LuckyDuck]

Silicone caulk is miserable to remove. I’ve had some luck with acetone on old silicone on our sailboat.

[Jerry713]

Goo Gone or Goop Off works well but can discolor your paint on the slide so try a small area first. 91% alcohol works pretty well. I would not use any of these products on the rubber seal. I would guess in short time you will be able to peel the caulk off the rubber seal. If not I would let it ride there or paint it black before I put Goo Gone on my seals.

[TWP723]

WD-40 should do it. It's safe for those surfaces. Re-wax those areas (if outside) after using it.

[Randel J]

As others have said, you can use WD-40 to help remove dried caulking. But WD-40 is not a "magic bullet". You still may have to use elbow grease to help remove the caulking. Although WD-40 usually won't harm solid surfaces, be careful that vigorous rubbing doesn't either.