How can I get dried Sixaflex off my hands - HELP!!!

[Hadenough]

http://m.screwfix.com/p/de-solv-it-...sionid=zWKTD9vmocE+FhrUX51duwvW?filtered=true

These are brilliant. Even takes off spray foam residue as long as you don't let it dry. Great for pointing mastic, Sikaflex, Saba, Wrap one around your finger and smooth the joint. Drys your skin horribly but then I use Neutrogena ducky!

 

[ghostlymoron]

My tank erecting gang used MEK. Don't know if it works once the SIKA has cured.

 

[lpdsn]

I was doing a job yesterday and got some black Sixa and my hands but didn't have any white spirit to clean up. It dried off but nothing seems to get the ingrained stuff off my hands and nails. White spirit and meths have failed. Any ideas that don't involve a potato peeler? Got to get smart by the weekend.

Have a relaxing bath. Wait for your skin to go wrinkly* then rub your hands together. Works for me.

*If skin already wrinkly at start of bath, wait for it to go wrinklier.

 

[ratbag]

this might sound daft but try the wife's make up wipes
i've got stuff off where everything else has failed

 

[MoodySabre]

Time and resort to gloves if not all off by the weekend..........whats so important about weekend though you should spend it doing some more mucky jobs.

Going away for the weekend. Nice hotel on Amsterdam with friends

Thanks all. Will continue washing and scrubbing. Wrinkles? Me? Hoho.

 

[GrahamHR]

Nothing will shift it chemically. The only way is "mechanical". ie, live with it. Or scrub it off (plus your skin) with a scotchbrite pad.

ps. that's why it works so well...

Dimethyl formamide (DMF), a solvent used in the printing industry will break it and other polyurethanes down to a fragile gel like material that is easily mechanically removed. It does cause alcohol intolerance in around 10- 15% of the population though; me being one of them ! I don't recommend you try it.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Going away for the weekend. Nice hotel on Amsterdam with friends

Thanks all. Will continue washing and scrubbing. Wrinkles? Me? Hoho.

Time is definitely effective as the natural wear and tear of the skin continues.

However you can speed up the process in time for the weekend by continuously wearin rubber gloves, day and night. Don't take them off even if you go out to the shops, pub or whatever.

Pink marigolds will work particularly well.

 

[coopec]

BUT BE VERY AWARE OF THE DANGERS OF SOME OF THE SOLVENTS SUGGESTED


BENZENE Benzene is a dangerous chemical, but years ago people didn’t know this. At one time it was a standard practice for workers to wash grease and oil off their hands with benzene.

TOLUENE Exposure to high levels of toluene may affect your kidneys, nervous system, liver, brain, and heart. You can be exposed to toluene at work by breathing contaminated air or having skin contact with it.

XYLENE Exposure to xylene may result in: headaches, lack of muscle coordination, dizziness, confusion, affected sense of balance.

DIMETHYLFORMAMAIDE Warning! Avoid skin contact with dimethylformamide (DMF)! This chemical is easily absorbed through the skin and can cause liver damage and other adverse ...

 

[Lakesailor]

I vote for Scotchbrite. Gets just about everything off. Fingerprints as well.
I'm surprised meths didn't shift it. Probably EU-compliant meths these days.

 

[coopec]

WD40 has been suggested by a poster on another forum

 

[ianabc]

All solvents

flush the toxic sikaflex

into the bloodstream

 

[coopec]

Caution
Avoid contact with skin. Wash hands
thoroughly with warm water and
soap. According to FHSLA Toxicity
rating, Sikaflex 1a is a skin irritant,
an eye irritant, not toxic orally, not
toxic by inhalation and not toxic
dermally. Consult product label for
additional information.

http://www.servitek.ca/documents/en/Sikaflex1a_En.pdf

 

[Andrew G]

Wear it as a badge of honour and converstation starter. What activities is it going to hinder - I dare ask? Andrew

 

[MoodySabre]

Thanks Nick. We are going with the Full Circles so pink Marigolds it is. I'll take some WD40 in case any of the males need checking out.

 

[davidwf]

Use hand cream / mosturiser seems to work although not instantly.

 

[savageseadog]

Go to Saudi Arabia and do a spot of shoplifting. A quick bit of Islamic justice and job done.

 

[coopec]

Thanks Nick. We are going with the Full Circles so pink Marigolds it is. I'll take some WD40 in case any of the males need checking out.

Can we have that in English now please?

 

[PhillM]

The finest hand cleaners of all are baby wipes. They will clean just about anything off.

I have no idea whats in them, but they really work. And they leave your hands as smooth as a baby's bottom too!

The Johnson ones are best, but sainsburys look-alike seem to work quote well too.

 

[Plevier]

Going away for the weekend. Nice hotel on Amsterdam with friends

If you run out of things to do you can pop up a few km north to Monnickendam - I shall be Sikaflexing and antifouling our new toy there ready to head back to UK next week. As your hands are already mucky....

 

[Iliade]

A. Use barrier cream first.

B. Don't get the stuff on your hands in the first place. Blue nitrile gloves (from any motor factor) will usually limit it to one or two digits.

C. Small amounts could be removed with one of the hideous solvents mentioned (I used to use zylene because that does actually dissolve uncured sikaflex, AFAIR acetone does not, and it is one of the international paint thinners, so I had it available) but they are truly dangerous.

D. scrape the worst off with the back of a knife then olive oil (as a cutting lubricant) and a new stainless steel pan scrub. I use these things for nearly all tough cleaning jobs. They're great, like slightly less aggressive surforms...

E. Finish with neutragena hand cream

F. Anything capable of dissolving cured sikaflex would probably preferentially dissolve your hand.