We clear surfaces from polyurethane foam

Foam has become an indispensable attribute in any construction work. Having appeared on the market relatively recently, polyurethane foam has gained popularity due to its wonderful property - it is easy to fill any volume. When applied, the foam is in a viscous state, after which it expands slightly (the degree of expansion depends on the type of foam), and then it becomes quite solid. In a dried form, such a layer is able to withstand various types of negative influences.

However, it should be noted that when foam gets on many surfaces, it can be very difficult to remove. In liquid form it is difficult to collect, and in dried form it is difficult to separate from the surface. The application of foam is most often associated with the use of a special gun, which after a large number of works is clogged and does not really cope with its task. In both cases, specially designed cleaners will be needed.

In the market of building materials and tools you can see a huge number of polyurethane foam cleaners, all of them have some differences from each other. When buying a foam cleaner it is best to buy immediately. Until now, many builders remove foam with the old "folk" methods, but often this technique does not justify itself.

There are two main types of cleaner:

• funds that remove the newly applied foam, which did not have time to dry;
• means for removing dried foam from various surfaces.

Cleaners can be produced in the form of a normal liquid, which simply needs to be dampened with a cloth and treated with a surface. You can also see the variation in the form of a spray. This option is much more convenient for removing foam from the finishing surface, when the foam must be dissolved and cleaned quickly without damaging the surface.

Many people believe that you should not spend money on a special cleaner - just have acetone on hand. It is worth saying that any cleaner contains acetone, but its amount is extremely small. Using a cleaner will not cause any problems with surfaces such as ceramic or plastic.

At the same time, the use of acetone in its pure form can harm - there may be unpleasant stains for which you need to buy another remedy, or you can’t remove these stains altogether. Acetone also dissolves or strongly corrodes certain types of surfaces.

The advantages of special tools include the following.

• They include a large number of chemical compounds and reagents that provide softening foam. After that, it can be easily removed from any surface without harming it.
• Separately, use a gun cleaner. These tools allow you to keep the gun in excellent condition. With proper care, you can achieve good results and proper foam distribution for a long time without replacing the working tool.
• Also, the gun makes it easy to work with the cleaner itself, carefully guiding it exactly to the place that needs to be cleaned.

Acetone cannot boast of such benefits. Due to the inaccuracy of the process of using rags with acetone, surfaces that often had no contact with the mounting foam and do not require cleaning are often treated.

It is also difficult to use acetone pointwise, because you can not use it with a gun - acetone is not sold in cylinders. Hence the appearance of large spots.

In other cases, it is necessary to use only special cleaners, which in any case will cope with this problem.

The use of the cleaner may vary depending on the situation. The surface is also taken into account - what material it is made of, how long ago work with foam was carried out, size of pollution and some other factors.

Below we will consider the most recurring situations.

• Some foam on the final surface. To remove it is best to use a regular or clerical knife. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that nothing is smeared and does not increase the area of ​​the spot. The stain that remains must be wiped with a rag or paper with a cleaner applied to them.
• If the foam has already hardened, it’s not so easy to delete it. It’s best not to wait for the material to solidify completely, but to start removing it while it is viscous. Then you can use a knife or spatula. If the foam has already hardened, it is necessary to use special cleaners for hardened mounting foam, which are used with the gun. This allows the cleaner to be sprayed with precision without contacting clean areas.

• When removed from an expensive or decorative surface everything must be done very carefully. It is worth remembering that it is impossible to apply cleaners on such surfaces. It is necessary to put a small amount of cleaner on a rag and carefully remove everything. In this case, you must constantly pay attention to the fact that there are no residues on the surface.
• If foam gets on a wooden surface removal will not be particularly difficult.If the wooden surface is already clean, then it is necessarily treated with a paint and varnish material, so the process boils down to the use of fine-grained sandpaper. If the area is large enough, then to increase the speed of work you can use a grinder.
• When installing plastic windows. If it is necessary to remove excess from the surface of the plastic window frame, special wipes with an already applied cleaner will help.
• In contact with linoleum. In this case, it’s best not to start the removal right away, but to wait a certain time. After a couple of hours, the foam will be more viscous and can be easily removed without damaging the linoleum.

Do not try to wash off the foam with water - water only speeds up the curing process of the foam. No soapy solution will help either; removing with a knife or scraper is also pointless - the foam will remain on the fabric. If you hesitate, the foam can penetrate the structure of the material and leave a yellow, extremely unpleasant stain.

Using a cleaner can help in this situation. The action algorithm looks like this:

• apply cleaner to the required area;
• leave it for half an hour;
• at this time it is impossible to exert any mechanical effect on the clothes, for the fabric can be very easily damaged or torn;
• after the foam is wet, it must be removed with a dry cloth;
• perhaps the first time you remove the stain will not work, so repeat the procedure;
• before re-applying the solvent, pay attention to whether it corrodes the fabric, if it is damaged, the action of the cleaner itself should not be expected;
• after the stain is completely removed, the clothes are washed in warm water.

Products BAU MASTER sold in cylinders of 500 ml. These cleaners are necessary to remove fresh foam from absolutely any surface, even from fabric and skin. There are two types of cleaner from BAU MASTER: Ultima and Hobby. The first type is designed to clean pistols and remove fresh foam from any surface, the second - to clean the gun and remove stains from skin and fabric.

Often you can buy them just a couple. As an example, you can consider the company's products Tytan. They make foam and a cleaner for working with plastic - this allows you to be 100% sure of the quality of the compounds.

Cleaner Dali differs in universality of application and high quality indicators. Also, buyers are attracted by the low price of this product.

The cleaner also does a great job Cosmofen. It perfectly removes stains from plastic and glass. Cleaner Macroflex It is used to soften already hardened polyurethane foam. All the names given here have very good technical characteristics and fully comply with GOST.

The composition of the cleaners includes a large number of different chemical compounds, so when working with them certain safety rules must be observed:

• work with solvents and cleaners only in well-ventilated areas;
• it is imperative to carry out such work with gloves, goggles and other personal protective equipment;
• during storage, the container should not be exposed to ultraviolet rays;
• it is forbidden to store the cylinder or use it at very high temperatures;
• if foam gets on your skin or hair, you must immediately remove it - for this you can use a cleaner, but in a very small amount, and only when applied to a towel or napkin;
• in case of contact with skin, it is necessary to thoroughly wash the stained area with water and then treat it with a baby hypoallergenic cream;
• if the solvent gets into the eyes, they must be washed and consult a doctor as soon as possible;
• if the foam has got on the head, especially on the hair, it is rarely possible to remove the pollution with a solvent. The only way out is hair removal.

With the right solvent, you can easily achieve the required purity. When working with cleaners, you must always be aware of safety precautions.

See how to use the foam cleaner in the video below.