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How to clean dirty window sealant?

Hi . We bought the house and in the windows there is a very sticky rough material that is all dirty and black. I’m assuming it’s silicone or some sort of sealer but I’m not sure. It is in the corner so maybe was there to glue things together or maybe prevent from water to come in, even though I didn’t see any issue as such. Any idea what is the material or how can I clean it/remove /replace it? It’s in all the windows in the house. Thanks

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EricL

Hello @HomeDIY18

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your window sealant.

I suspect what you are looking at is the assembler's silicone. When the windows were assembled at the factory the silicone possibly started out as translucent, but as time moved on it started to get dirty and has become discoloured. I don't recommend removing them as they are factory installed which means that it is a permanent seal that prevents water from coming through the joins of the window frame. To hide the silicone from direct view, I suggest painting the surface in white.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

MitchellMc

Hi @HomeDIY18,

If you were to paint the area, first clean it with Sugar Soap wipes to remove grime from the surface of the silicone. Alternatively, instead of painting, applying fresh white silicone over the top of the old discoloured silicone would cover it and blend nicely with the frame.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

HomeDIY18

Thanks I will give it a try 😊

HomeDIY18

Thank you for explaining that.
I have this on hand. Would that do the work? If not what would you recommend to use? Thanks

HomeDIY18

or maybe this?

MitchellMc

Hi @HomeDIY18,

That will work, but it's relatively soft wall paint. I'd probably prefer you grabbed some white silicone and painted it onto the old silicone with a small brush. You could try the paint; I'm just not sure it will be a long-lasting solution.

Mitchell

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