Best way to clean the caked up dust on silicone caulking

[Holy Crikey]

I tried cleaning the dust off the silicone caulking on top of my baseboards in my bathrooms and the normal dust cleaning with Swiffer mitten doesn't seem to work at all.

I noticed that the dust accumulated in the bathrooms seem caked up, probably due to the humidity in the bathrooms, although we do leave the bathroom fans on most of the time until we go to sleep. The dust didn't get into the caulking before it cured though.

Has anyone found a good cleaning agent to effectively clean the caked up dust found as mentioned above so as not to ruin the finish on the baseboards and the paint on the wall, or an effective method?

Thanks for your time and courtesy.

[Don Phillipson]

Be advised that standard practice is to fasten baseboard moulding to the wall by nails, not glue or caulk. That way any dust can be removed from either wallpaper or moulding by vacuum cleaning or a soft brush.

If for some unstated reason baseboard moulding had to be fastened to the wall with some adhesive or filler silicone caulk might be avoided as (a) unpaintable and (b) likelier to attract dust than repel it.

[George E. Cawthon]

Water and soap.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

You've discovered why silicone was the wrong stuff to use along the baseboard. The best way to clean it is by wiping it down with lots of water, which is a lousy idea around wood. Flush the dirt off, in other words. If you ever get to the end of your project list (ha ha ha) and you're looking for something to do, remove the silicone and replace with something which dries hard and can be painted. Then, coat with polyurethane, but don't do this until the paint has absolutely no smell. This always takes longer than whatever curing time is indicated on the paint can.

[Holy Crikey]

Thanks for the advice, but the baseboards were indeed nailed using finishing nails and a pneumatic nail gun. The silicone caulking was use purely for esthetic purposes to give a nice smooth finished look.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

As I mentioned before, the silicone should be removed and replaced with putty that dries hard and can be painted with a glossy finish. The silicone will be an endless pain in the ass.

[Malcolm Hoar]

I'd try a damp cloth first. Maybe a cloth with a little Windex or denatured alcohol for the more stubborn areas.

I have often been tempted to try silicone caulk to finish the edge of the baseboard and prevent any hairline cracks. So far, I've resisted that temptation. But now we have the paintable silicone caulks and I wondered if anyone had tried that and with what result?

[Holy Crikey]

Yep, you are correct about that. Thanks for your advice!

[sylvan butler]

For a 'painters caulk' I like working with 'Alex Plus'. It is paintable, quite sticky, and cleans up with water. It doesn't dry out, shrink and crack near as quick as plain 'Alex'.

sdb

[sylvan butler]

Doesn't ever work around my exterior windows. The silicone used around those stays dusty year round. Cannot get it clean without major scrubbing, and then it is dusty again within a week.

Silicone caulk has a few good uses, but it is NOT a panacea.

sdb

[JoeSpareBedroom]

I wasn't clear. My meaning was that the only way to clean silicone caulk is to flush it with water, and the only place you can usually get away with that is in the bath/shower area.

[John]

replying to JoeSpareBedroom, John wrote: Lol, awesome

[ItsJoanNotJoann]

Ten year old thread, Bozo.

[Ed Pawlowski]

But I guess awesomeness goes on forever.

[Pamela]

replying to Holy Crikey, Pamela wrote: Just did it easily after being in quite the mood looking at same dust and grime build up on silicone caulk between window and sill in my kitchen. 70% isopropyl alcohol on a clean, white cotton wash cloth. Boom. Nice and clean once more! Now we’ll see how long it lasts.

[Georgia]

Are you still using the 70% alcohol? I was looking for a solution for pet hair sticking to it, so was gonna try it. Saw this thread and wondered what became of your comment, we'll see how long it lasts...

[Kimberley]

I just found this thread and was wondering how the isopropyl alcohol worked for you? My poor nails and fingers are bloody stumps by the time I finish cleaning our skirts