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Spray a steady line of caulk remover chemical along the line of cracked caulk you plan to replace. Scraping out moldy caulk from around a bathtub is a tough tedious job.

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Caulk removers also harm plastic photo by david carmack.

How to remove bathtub caulk. Otherwise you could damage the tub sink shower or wall you re trying to improve. See video below pros use a utility knife or blade but don t be tempted unless your hands are as steady as a surgeon s. Removing mildew moldy caulk does not have to be a difficult task.

You can also use a utility knife to remove old caulking. The best way to remove silicone caulk is to treat it with a chemical that digests or swells it then physically cut and pull the caulk. Then simply scrape the old caulk away.

Before you can re caulk the tub you need to remove the old stuff entirely it can be a time consuming task but it s. Treat any mold in the grout along the wall tub gap with a mold killing product. You may get lucky and be able to remove most of it that way but it s more likely you ll have to cut and scrape using the knife and putty knife.

Simplify old moldy caulk removal by applying special caulk remover over the caulk to soften it and break the bond. Nothing dissolves cured silicone caulk but some products digest it. Use a plastic razor blade instead.

Keep the scraper handles. These products can be messy to use so removing as much caulk as possible first will minimize the mess. If the caulk is loose or brittle remove as much as you can with a utility knife or caulk removal tool before using the remover solvent.

For this job tom sliced away the old acrylic latex caulk with quick sharp strokes of a 5 in 1 painter s tool and a razor scraper. The first step in applying new caulk around your bathtub shower or sink is to remove the old caulk. These products work by cleaving the siloxane bonds and breaking the polymer chains into pieces.

Most of the caulk should come off easily in long strips although you might. Use a caulk remover tool to pry the caulk loose. Scrub the grout and then rinse off the mold killer with water and let it dry use a hair dryer to speed the drying.

The caulk around a bathtub looks pretty nasty when it begins to peel away. Metal blades can scratch plastic sinks tubs and surrounds. Once the old caulk is gone remove any loose grout between the walls and the tub or shower floor.

Moldy caulk tends to lose its grip on the bathtub and the wall behind it so start by slicing into a section with the knife gripping one of the ends with pliers and pulling. In fact using this method you can finish the task in seconds. When autoplay is enabled a suggested video will automatically play.

New caulk doesn t stick to old caulk so if you fail to remove the old stuff the new caulk can t form a watertight seal leaving the potential for moisture to seep into areas where you don t want it. And if you get too aggressive you ll chip a tile or mar the tub finish.