I used acetone to clean my EMPD roof and siding and caulk while resealing the roof area. It worked well and I knew it was working and clean because I could see the shiny bare aluminum!So now I need to do some lower more visible places and I'd rather not strip off all the paint.There's such a jumble of thinner! mineral spirits, naptha, turpentine, acetone, alcohol, laquer thinner, denatured alcohol. My mind is melted....What would one recommend to clean up prior to recaulking but without completely stripping paint down to bare aluminum?And if you have a specific suggestion - is it known by a second name? So many of these things seem to end up meaning the same thing just labeled differently.Much thanks!

I NEVER use acetone unless I NEED to.Start w/ mineral spirits, and go hotter from there, but only if needed hotter.I myself use plain ole gasoline for most stuff. It cleans any chalk.....silicone or otherewise.

RJsfishin wrote:Start w/ mineral spirits, and go hotter from there, but only if needed hotter. I myself use plain ole gasoline for most stuff. It cleans any chalk.....silicone or otherewise.X2

Been doing a little roof work lately, have found "Goo-Gone" cleans up pretty well, removes butyl tape and caulk residue and so forth. Seems it can cause temporary swelling of EDPM rubber, might use a little caution there. Follow up w/ denatured alcohol wipe.

RJsfishin wrote:I NEVER use acetone unless I NEED to.Start w/ mineral spirits, and go hotter from there, but only if needed hotter.I myself use plain ole gasoline for most stuff. It cleans any chalk.....silicone or otherewise.Just saying, wonder how many people are burned each year from using gasoline as a cleaner. I personally know of three.

martipr wrote:RJsfishin wrote:I NEVER use acetone unless I NEED to.Start w/ mineral spirits, and go hotter from there, but only if needed hotter.I myself use plain ole gasoline for most stuff. It cleans any chalk.....silicone or otherewise.Just saying, wonder how many people are burned each year from using gasoline as a cleaner. I personally know of three.Now which do you suppose is more flammable, gasoline, or laquer thinner/acetone ???Get real !

Cleaning caulk without stripping paint! | Good Sam Community

brulaz
Explorer
Aug 25, 2014
chilly81 wrote:
Well I tried mineral spirits and goo gone this time. It seems to cut putty/butyl and dirt. It doesn't seem to even dent what I think is Proflex RV (although I'm not 100% sure). Doesn't phase silicon either - but even the acetone barely did anything there.
...

Guess "paint thinner" is a stinkier, less refined form of mineral spirits? Anyway, it works fine cleaning up fresh polyurethane caulk.

Silicone is notoriously difficult to remove, and difficult to get anything else to stick to. Which is why many people recommend not to use it.
RJsfishin
Explorer
Aug 24, 2014
Mineral Spirits is just about the weakest, cleaner there is. One thing about gasoline I know for a fact, is that it cuts Dycor real good, and silicone reasonably well. The silicone just needs a little more soaking (time).
And it doesn't attack paint or plastic. But if I was you, I think I'd have that smoke BEFORE you climb up there.:)
martipr
Explorer
Aug 24, 2014
chilly81 wrote:
Well I tried mineral spirits and goo gone this time. It seems to cut putty/butyl and dirt. It doesn't seem to even dent what I think is Proflex RV (although I'm not 100% sure). Doesn't phase silicon either - but even the acetone barely did anything there.

It does leave the paint in tact though so maybe I'll just need to scrape a bit better. I'll give some gasoline a try - see if it does any better on the remaining caulks. I ran out of cigarettes though, so just need to run to the store quick first. :)

Be sure and light up while using gasoline!
sjturbo
Explorer
Aug 24, 2014
I use Simple Green! It takes a bit more elbow grease but you will never spontaneously combust!
chilly81
Explorer
Aug 24, 2014
Well I tried mineral spirits and goo gone this time. It seems to cut putty/butyl and dirt. It doesn't seem to even dent what I think is Proflex RV (although I'm not 100% sure). Doesn't phase silicon either - but even the acetone barely did anything there.

It does leave the paint in tact though so maybe I'll just need to scrape a bit better. I'll give some gasoline a try - see if it does any better on the remaining caulks. I ran out of cigarettes though, so just need to run to the store quick first. :)
martipr
Explorer
Aug 24, 2014
The flash point of a volatile material is the lowest temperature at which it can vaporize to form an ignitable mixture in air. If any combustible liquid is above that temp they ignite with the same ease if, and only if, they are within their concentration level. Since both gasoline and acetone have flash points below 0 degrees their flash point for this discussion is completely irrelevant.
Regardless, any flammable liquid is only as safe as the precautions taken by the user.
NinerBikes
Explorer
Aug 23, 2014
Unleaded gasoline - 45F... seems to be the winner. But you still need something to ignite it. I know they've run JP-8 or something similar to it, kerosene based, in jet engines down at the South Pole, when in season. It was rather dicey.
RJsfishin
Explorer
Aug 23, 2014
Yeah, tell us about people that don't know what their talking about !

Flashpoints. the lower the more flammable

•Triethalemine 17 deg. F

•Barsol A-2316 54 deg. F

•Acetone Solvent -4 deg. F

•Barsol A-2343 56 deg. F

•Barsol A-3447 0 deg. F

•N-Butanol 97 deg. F

•Sec. Butanol 14 deg. F

•Glycol Ether 142 deg. F
•Enamel Reducer 20-73 deg. F

•Isopropyl Alcohol 53 deg. F

•Methanol 52 deg. F

•MEK 16 deg. F

•Xylene 81 deg. F

•Toluene 40 deg. F

•Gasoline Unleaded -45 deg. F

•142 Solvent 66/3 150 F
westend
Explorer
Aug 23, 2014
Mineral spirits is a good all around solvent that is harmless to most paints.
martipr
Explorer
Aug 23, 2014
RJsfishin wrote:
martipr wrote:
RJsfishin wrote:
I NEVER use acetone unless I NEED to.
Start w/ mineral spirits, and go hotter from there, but only if needed hotter.
I myself use plain ole gasoline for most stuff. It cleans any chalk.....silicone or otherewise.

Just saying, wonder how many people are burned each year from using gasoline as a cleaner. I personally know of three.

Now which do you suppose is more flammable, gasoline, or laquer thinner/acetone ???
Get real !

It's gasoline! I am not supposing. I checked it out. Gasoline will ignite at a concentration as low as 1.4%. Acetone will not ignite until a concentration of 2.6%. Lacquer thinner will be higher still but since it can be a mixture of several different chemicals the % will vary. It's unfortunate that so many on this forum suppose and then post for the truth.

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