Silicon grease removal

[David WE Roberts]

We have two identical basins in upstairs and downstairs bathrooms.

The plugs are push fit - rubbber grommet provides friction to hold centre mushroom up to keep plug hole open.

The one upstairs is very stiff but works as intended. The one downstairs seems to have traces of a lubricant, and you can watch the plug slide gently down to close of the plughole.

I have my suspicions that the builders put a bit of silicone grease (as used for lubricating push fit pipes) onto the stem of the plug because they thought it was too tight.

So how to clean it off?

Google has so far suggested that it is very difficult but that chloroform should work(!).

Any experience of cleaning this stuff off?

TIA

Dave R

[Andy Burns]

Sodium Hydroxide sounds preferable to Hydrofluoric Acid, had no idea the stuff was so hard to shift ...

[Brian Gaff]

And if it fails you won't ever know as you will pass out with the fumes I suppose.

I'd be tempted to wait till all parts are dry then clean it of with just wiping it I guess the hard bit is the sleeve. You need a degreasing fluid of some sort. I'm sure I used to use something like acetone but that tooo tended to make you go wonky if you breathed in the fumes!

Brian

[David WE Roberts]

..and the downside is..?

[Jim Hawkins]

NEVER, EVER try to use hydroflouric acid for anything. It is deadly.

[Steve Firth]

Yes, but what about Hydrofluoric Acid?

[John Rumm]

Not tried with silicone grease, but IPA takes off uncured sealant cleanly.