We clear surfaces of polyurethane foam

Polyurethane foam has become an indispensable attribute for any construction work. Having appeared on the market relatively recently, polyurethane foam has gained popularity because of its wonderful properties - 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 becomes quite solid. In the dried form, such a layer is able to withstand various types of negative impacts.

However, it should be noted that If foam gets on many surfaces, it can be very difficult to remove. In liquid form, it is difficult to assemble, and in the dried state it is difficult to separate from the surface. The application of foam is most often associated with the use of a special pistol, which, after a large amount of work, becomes clogged and does not particularly cope with its task. In both cases, specially created cleaners will be needed.

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

There are two main types of cleaner:

• products that remove the foam that has just been applied, which did not have time to dry out;
• means for removal of the dried foam from various surfaces.

Cleaners can be produced in the form of ordinary liquid, which you just need to moisten a cloth and handle the 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 removed quickly, without spoiling the surface.

Many people believe that you should not spend money on a special cleaner - just enough to have acetone on hand. Worth saying that As part of any cleaner there is acetone, but its amount is extremely small. Using a cleaner will not cause any problems with surfaces such as ceramics or plastic.

At the same time, the use of acetone in its pure form can be harmful - there may be unpleasant stains for which you need to buy another tool, or these stains cannot be removed at all. Also, acetone dissolves in itself or strongly erodes some types of surfaces.

The advantages of special tools include the following.

• They include a large number of chemical compounds and reagents that soften the mounting foam. After that, it can be easily removed from any surface without harming it.
• Separately, it is worth using a cleaner for pistols. These funds allow you to keep the gun in excellent condition. With proper care, it is possible to achieve good results for a long time and correct foam distribution without changing the working tool.
• Also, the gun makes it easy to work with the cleaner itself, gently directing it to the place that needs to be cleaned.

Acetone can not boast of such benefits.Due to the inaccuracy of the process of using rags with acetone, surfaces are often treated that did not have contact with the mounting foam and do not require cleaning.

Also, acetone is difficult to use point, 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 - from what material it is, how long it has been done with foam, the size of pollution and some other factors.

Below will be considered the most repetitive situations.

• Getting some foam on the finishing surface. For removal, it is best to use a plain or stationery knife. At the same time, care must be taken not to smudge anything and not to increase the spot area. The stain that remains, you must wipe with a rag or paper with a cleaner applied to them.
• If the foam has already hardened, it is not so easy to remove it. It is 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 is already hardened, you must use special cleaners for hardened foam, which are used with the gun. This allows point-to-point spraying of the cleaner without getting into clean surface areas.

• When removed from an expensive or decorative surface it is necessary to do everything very carefully. It is worth remembering that cleaners cannot be applied to such surfaces. It is necessary to apply a small amount of cleaner on a rag and remove everything with neat movements. It is necessary to constantly pay attention to the fact that there is no residue on the surface.
• At hit of foam on surfaces from a tree removal will not be particularly difficult. If the wooden surface is already finished, then it is necessarily treated with a paint-and-lacquer material, therefore the process is reduced to the use of fine-grained emery paper. If the area is quite extensive, then to increase the speed of work, you can use a grinder.
• When installing plastic windows. If it is necessary to remove the excess from the surface of the plastic window frame, special wipes with an already applied cleaner will help.
• When hit on linoleum. In this case, it is best not to start the removal right away, but to wait a certain time. After a couple of hours, the foam will be more volatile and can be easily removed without damaging the linoleum.

You should not try to wash off the foam with water - water only accelerates the process of hardening foam. No soap solution will help either; removing it with a knife or scraper is also pointless - the foam will remain on the fabric. If you delay, the foam can penetrate into 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 the cleaner to the desired area;
• leave so for half an hour;
• at this time, no mechanical impact can be exerted on clothes, for the fabric can be very easily damaged or torn;
• after the foam is soaked, it must be removed with a dry cloth;
• it is possible that removing the whole stain from the first time will not work, so repeat the procedure;
• before re-applying the solvent, pay attention to whether it is corroding the fabric, if it is damaged, you should not wait for the action of the cleaner itself;
• After the stain is completely removed, the clothes are washed in warm water.

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

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

Cleaner Dali it is distinguished by its versatility and high quality indicators. Also, buyers are attracted by the low price of these products.

It also works fine cleaner "Cosmofen". It perfectly removes stains from plastic and glass. Cleaner Macroflex used to soften the already cured 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 You must comply with certain safety rules:

• it is possible to work with solvents and cleaners only in well-ventilated areas;
• be sure to carry out such work in gloves, goggles and other personal protective equipment;
• during storage the balloon must not be exposed to ultraviolet rays;
• it is prohibited to store the balloon or use it at very high temperatures;
• when foam gets on the skin or hair, it must be removed immediately - for this you can use a cleaner, but in very small quantities, and only when applied to a towel or napkin;
• if the solvent gets on the skin, it is necessary to thoroughly wash the soiled area with water and then treat it with a hypoallergenic child cream;
• if the solvent gets into the eyes, they should be washed and consult a doctor as soon as possible;
• if foam gets on the head, especially on the hair, it is rarely possible to remove the contamination with a solvent. The only solution is hair removal.

With the right choice of solvent, you can easily achieve the required purity. When working with cleaners, you must always remember to adhere to safety regulations.

See the video below for how to properly apply the foam cleaner.