Whatever happened to silicone polish?

[Chris Hogg]

Curtain tracks dragging a bit, so I thought I'd wipe them with some silicone polish. But we've used the last of the jar of silicone cream that we used to use, so went looking in the supermarkets, and then online, but couldn't find any. In fact several were advertised as silicone-free, as if containing silicone was some sort of disadvantage.

So whatever happened to silicone polish?

As it happens, I have an aerosol can of silicone lubricant which will do, failing all else. It's just that you can apply the cream polish where you want it; with an aerosol I usually get some overspray which I'd rather avoid.

[Dave Liquorice]

Doesn't Mr Sheen aerosol furniture "polish" contain silicone any more?

Curtain tracks are the only thing we us it for so it lasts a long time. The one we have is probably 30 years old and still feels full...

[Brian Gaff]

I think a lot of people found it tended to stay sticky and hence attract muck. I don't recall any health scares. I do remember back in the days of tvs having actual front controls that the touch sensitive buttons used to spontaneously operate if the houseproud polisher put wax and silicone polish on them. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

It used to, dunno now. For curtain tracks spray it on a duster and use that to apply the stuff. Brian

[michael adams]

Silcone polish is difficult if not impossible to remove without damaging the substrate and it repels not just dirt but many other types of finish.

Basically once you use silicone polish on something you're making a lifelong committment to carry on doing so.

michael adams

...

[Martin]

PTFE spray does the job

[alan_m]

+1 Earlier this year I replaced some curtains and searched in vain for a polish containing silicone to find they all prominently displayed silicone free as though that was a good thing.

[newshound]

That's what I usually use, sprayed on to a bit of kitchen roll. First application or two removes dirt, continue until paper comes off clean.

[Chris J Dixon]

How about this?

Chris

[Chris Hogg]

Oh yes, silicone aerosol spray lubricant is readily available and I have a can. But it's not silicone furniture polish, whose absence I was bemoaning!

[Chris Hogg]

As it's now clear that silicone polish is a thing of the past, that's what I'll have to do.

[Harry Bloomfield]

It happens that Chris Hogg formulated :

Spray onto a cloth, then wipe the track with the cloth.

[Peter Parry]

Not quite, still common in car polishes, for example

It is also used by those who like to dress in Latex and need to polish themselves.

or for car upholstery

[Andy Burns]

This looks a bit American, but you never now ..

Or see if you get any more hits from

[Andrew]

Wickes used to sell it in liquid form, for lubricating the joints of 110mm drainage systems that push together.

[DerbyBorn]

Aldi sells a spray "GT85" which seems to be silicone.

[DerbyBorn]

[fred]

I was under the impression that silicone was an additive to polish which made the polished surface slippier which people equated with better/shinier.

Silicone in car wash is a p.i.t.a. as it interferes with the wipers and is well night impossible to remove.

Silicone on furniture will interfere badly with applied nfinished.

[Cynic]

Car paint shops round here won't let silicone through the spray booth door reportedly due to it causing adhesion problems for the paint they are applying.