How to clean polyurethane foam: methods and tips
Polyurethane foam is widely used in construction, it is very popular due to its properties. This material fills all inaccessible cavities, voids and crevices, has excellent thermal insulation properties. High adhesion allows the use of "mounting" on all types of surfaces, creating a strong connection. During the repair, the composition often gets on the skin, hair, clothes, on the floor and walls. But there are effective solutions that can help clean fresh or already dried mounting foam.
How to clean fresh and dried foam
The ability of polyurethane foam to expand significantly and quickly harden, reliably grasping with almost all materials, makes foam removal difficult. It is much easier to clean fresh spots, but if the sealant is well dried up, it will be more difficult to get rid of dirt. So that during repair the surfaces do not get dirty, they should be covered with a film.
It is better to choose clothes with long sleeves, which it is not a pity to throw them away later, and remove the hair under a scarf or cap.
How to clean gun from foam
Filling of foam is carried out with the help of a mounting gun. For the tool to work for a long time and efficiently, it must be washed after each use. It is advisable to do this quickly before the foam has time to harden.
Sequencing:
- If the “installation” is still fresh, then clean the gun with Isofoam R or ordinary white spirit.
- Carefully scrub off the hardened foam with a knife or screwdriver and then rinse with Oppa or Penosil solvent.
- In case of severe contamination, the gun should be disassembled and cleaned with a thin wire, and all parts should be washed in a cleaning composition.
After cleaning, the tool must be assembled, it is again ready for use.
How to remove foam from your hands
To wash hands and face from the "installation", most often use folk methods and improvised tools that are in every home. Specialized chemical cleaners will not help here, active substances have a harmful effect on the skin and can cause irritation or chemical burns.
Hand cleaning methods:
- a warm bath with the addition of a tablespoon of salt or liquid soap is perfect for removing fresh foam;
- the foam stain and the skin around it should be generously smeared with a fat cream and wait 20-30 minutes, and then carefully separate the particles;
- the heated vegetable oil well destroys the spots of polyurethane foam, it should be applied for 30 minutes, and then pour a little washing powder on top, foam it and clean off the dried foam, wash your hands with a mild soap;
- from chemicals, you can use alcohol, vinegar, kerosene, acetone, which destroy the structure of the foam.
After the skin cleaning procedure, it is advisable to wash and lubricate the hands with a soothing and emollient cream.
With clothes
When cleaning work clothes from polyurethane, discoloration or mechanical damage to the fabric is possible, so proceed with caution. When exposed to water, the foam only hardens more and penetrates deeper into the fabric, so you cannot wet contaminated clothing. First you need to cut the bulk of the foam with a sharp knife, and then remove the remaining lumps.
Methods for cleaning fabric:
- if you put a work suit in a plastic bag and place it in the freezer, then after about an hour the mounting foam will become brittle and will easily be removed by hand;
- Dimexide pharmaceutical preparation softens the foam layer, a few minutes after application, remove contamination with a brush or sponge, and then wash the suit in normal mode using a stain remover and washing powder;
- from ready-made products, the effective and at the same time delicate SOL SOL Delicat Bartons solvent, which quickly removes stains from plastic, clothes and even from the skin of hands and face, is absolutely harmless.
When using the method with Dimexidum, it is necessary to observe safety measures and work with gloves.
From the door
Typically, doors are made of varnished or painted wood, metal, glass. In all cases, you can successfully wash the foam that has fallen on them.
Door cleaning methods:
- it is undesirable to wipe the varnished wooden cloths and MDF with strong compositions, since it is easy to damage the top layer. In this case, the optimal solution is the use of Dimexidum;
- metal surfaces are more resistant to aggressive chemicals, so the foam stain can be cleaned by rubbing it with a sponge moistened with any ready-made product, as well as acetone or white spirit;
- the glass doors and windows of the master are cleaned from the “installation” using vegetable oil and a thin blade, while the head of the foam is cut off, and the residues are oiled and left to stand for 15 minutes, then removed and wiped with soapy water.
Other cases
If the builders forgot to cover the floors with film or paper, then you will have to clean the installation foam from linoleum or laminate. These materials have an external decorative coating that can be scratched with a knife when cutting the foam or spoiled with strong solvents. Therefore, to remove stains from linoleum and laminate, dimexide or a special composition without acetone is suitable.
A wood surface not covered with varnish or paint can be rubbed with sandpaper and thus remove particles of montana foam.
The eternal problem of dirt after repair is not so terrible, even for such hard-to-remove material as polyurethane foam there are effective methods and means of removal, verified by the masters and ordinary owners of houses and apartments.
