How to clean your clothes from polyurethane foam?

During repair work, clothes are often dirty with various finishing materials. One of the most difficult to remove types of dirt is traces of polyurethane foam. The mixture has good adhesion, therefore it adheres firmly to a wide variety of materials.

Polyurethane foam is one of the most popular building materials. It is used to seal cracks and crevices on various surfaces. The mixture perfectly penetrates even the most inaccessible places and adheres tightly to the surface.

Removing polyurethane foam sealant from fabric is quite problematic. This is especially true when the foam has hardened. When solidified, the assembly mixture expands and fills more and more areas of the fabric. Stubborn stains can only be dealt with with fairly aggressive cleaning methods.

The simplest method of cleaning things from polyurethane foam sealant is to use special mixtures. In hardware stores, a solution is sold for flushing a construction gun from foam residues. This product easily removes PU foam sealant from fabric. However, such a solution may not be at hand. You can also remove the stain yourself by using folk remedies.

Special solutions are not always at hand to eliminate traces of polyurethane foam.In this case, you can deal with pollution with the help of folk remedies.

In everyday life, refined gasoline is often used for lighters and gas burners. This solution is mainly used to remove oily paints and varnishes. However, refined gasoline also softens polyurethane foam well. The advantage of this product is the absence in the composition of components that could leave traces of dirt on the fabric.

Almost every female in the house has a cosmetic product for removing nail polish. If acetone is a part of such a liquid, the tool can be safely used to remove polyurethane foam. However, nail polish remover can only deal with fresh stains.

Sunflower oil acts on polyurethane foam sealant no worse than solvents. For the best effect, it is recommended to warm up the oil before applying to the contaminated area. The disadvantage of this method is the appearance of greasy oil stains on clothes, which will not be so easy to get rid of.

Special mixtures include tools for cleaning assembly guns, which are often produced by manufacturers together with a specific type of sealant, as well as compositions designed to remove polyurethane foam from various surfaces.

Solvents for polyurethane foam are able to soften the building material, which will allow it to be wiped off the surface. Such mixtures are more expensive than solutions for a nailer, but also more effective.

You can try to remove fresh and not dried foam marks. A few tablespoons of salt is sometimes added to soapy water and clothes are soaked in the resulting solution. The contaminated area must be washed by rubbing thoroughly with your hands. If the polyurethane foam did not have time to penetrate deeply into the structure of the fabric, then it can be easily removed.

You can also remove polyurethane foam from clothes using conventional stain removers. The top layer of foam must be removed with a utility knife blade. Then the problem area is treated with a stain remover, after which the thing must be thoroughly washed.

After curing, the polyurethane foam sealant deeply penetrates between the fibers of the fabric and adheres tightly to them. Dried polyurethane foam stains can be removed only with the use of aggressive agents. If there was no special solution in the house for removing polyurethane foam sealant, then you can use the following compositions:

• refined gasoline for gas burners;
• acetone;
• special fluids for removing dry assembly mixture;
• solvent white spirit.

Using a cotton swab or rag, the selected product is applied to the contaminated surface, after which the foam is cleaned off the cloth with a brush. Then the clothes should be washed well.

The disadvantages of using chemical solutions include the following points:

• softening and cleaning polyurethane foam with solvents is much more difficult and longer in time than when using a special composition;
• aggressive solutions can spoil the thing, since with active exposure they can dissolve coloring pigments on clothes or fabric fibers.

DMSO will help deal with stubborn stains. The product can be purchased at any pharmacy. The solution is popularly known as "Dimexide".The cotton wool soaked in this composition is applied to the contaminated area and left for good impregnation for about half an hour.

The polyurethane foam sealant becomes soft and elastic under the influence of dimethyl sulfoxide. The foam can be tipped with the tip of a knife and removed in small pieces of cloth. Residual foam can be washed off with soapy water.

There are many solutions on the building materials market for removing polyurethane foam from various surfaces. The effectiveness of a particular cleaner depends on the composition of the mixture, as well as on the manufacturer. Before carrying out construction work, it is advisable to purchase a special cleaner in advance. You can get acquainted with the assortment directly in the store or study the information about the product in advance.

• Purifier "Oppa" designed to remove PU foam sealant residues from assembly guns. However, this tool does an excellent job of removing dirt from polyurethane foam and other surfaces. The mixture is available in 500 ml aerosol cans. Many masters recommend Oppa cleaner for use. The mixture was loved by buyers for its high quality and low cost. The disadvantages include the high consumption of the solution.
• Makroflex Premium. Makroflex Foam Cleaner is only suitable for removing fresh stains. The price of this product is significantly higher than the cost of the Oppa purifier. Makroflex Premium is also available in 500 ml aerosol cans. Buyers note the good quality of the mixture. The cleaner copes with fresh stains quickly and efficiently.

• Grover... Two modifications of polyurethane foam sealant are produced under this brand: Grover Cleaner and Grover Remover. Grover Cleaner is only used to remove fresh traces. This solution can also be used as a degreaser on various surfaces prior to painting. Grover Remover is the more popular modification. This solution is most effective in combating foam contamination and helps to remove even old marks. Foam stains can be removed not only from regular fabrics, but also from leather items. This product does not contain CFCs.

• Soudal. Soudal foam cleaning products are available in the form of a spray and a special paste. Aerosol helps to deal only with fresh traces. Compared to paste, this type of cleaner has a low cost.

Soudal Cured Foam Cleansing Paste is more expensive than many aerosols. However, this disadvantage is compensated for by the high quality of the product and low consumption. Buyers highlight the following advantages of this tool:

• ease of use;
• to remove stains, you need very little of such a paste;
• does not spoil the surface.

The process of cleaning clothes from polyurethane foam will completely depend on the chosen product. As noted earlier, the simplest way to remove this contamination is with a tool cleaning fluid. In this case, the cleaning process will proceed as follows:

• The outer layer of foam is removed from the surface using a metal spatula or a knife blade.
• Different types of fabric can react differently to a chemical. Therefore, it is recommended to first apply a little solution to an inconspicuous area of ​​clothing. If the fabric has not deteriorated and has not changed color, then the liquid can be applied to the contaminated area.
• Pour the cleaner onto a piece of cotton wool or a soft cloth, and then begin to gently rub the solution into the stain on the clothes.
• When the foam is well soaked, it must be scrubbed off the surface with a dishwashing sponge or stiff bristled brush.
• Then the thing is washed in any convenient way with the addition of a large amount of laundry soap or washing powder.

The most effective way to remove old traces of polyurethane foam are special solvents. Before applying the liquid to the contaminated area, the fabric must be well cleaned of adhering pieces of foam. A sharp knife or thin blade can be used for this purpose. You need to act carefully so as not to cut the fabric.

The foam embedded in the structure of the material is treated with a solvent. The problem area is soaked in the solution and left to soak for the time indicated on the package. In most cases, it is sufficient to wait 15 minutes. Soft foam can be removed by brushing or rubbing the contaminated area.

It is possible to influence pollution from polyurethane foam not only with the help of special or improvised means. The building material reacts to temperature effects. There are two ways to remove PU foam sealant from clothing using temperature:

• under the influence of negative temperatures;
• under the influence of high temperatures.

In the first case, the clothes are tightly packed in a plastic bag, while the contaminated area of ​​the fabric should protrude outward. Then the thing must be put into the freezer until the foam stain completely freezes. After the sealant has cured, the contaminated area is cleaned with a knife blade. The remaining foam can be removed with a solvent. Finally, the clothes should be washed well.

You can clean old jeans or a canvas jacket with prolonged exposure to high temperatures. Hang things up in such a way that direct sunlight falls on them and leave them for several days. Soiled areas of the fabric should be rubbed with hands as often as possible so that the foam better comes off the material.

When using aggressive chemicals to remove foam stains, you need to take care not only of the safety of the fabric, but also of your own health. Solvents are quite toxic, therefore when working with such substances, the room must be well ventilated.

It is not always possible to remove an old foam stain from clothing. The building material can penetrate deep enough into the structure of the fabric and be difficult to attack with various cleaning agents. In this case, the stained area can be painted over the fabric of the appropriate color - this will make the stain less noticeable.

It is better not to use aggressive agents and solvents to clean delicate trousers. Chemicals can corrode the fibers of the material and the pants will become unusable.

For information on how to remove polyurethane foam from clothes, see the next video.