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How To Remove Great Stuff From Skin: A Comprehensive Guide

By: Jan Hajek | Date Posted: June 7, 2018

One of the most common ways to take care of cracks and gaps in the house is to spray them with some Great Stuff foam. Once the foam is sprayed, it should cure in a rather short amount of time and stick permanently to almost all surfaces, including your skin. Therefore, it’s probably not a bad idea to figure out how to remove Great Stuff from the skin in case your sealing project gets messy.

In this article, you would be introduced to the characteristics of the Great Stuff foam along with the way to remove it safely and effectively. Helpful tips and tricks about the material usages are also listed down below, you should check them out to learn how to handle the foam.  After you get a clear understanding of the foam tendencies as well as its applications, you could use the material to good effect without much effort.

Important Note: There are a couple of ways to get wet and dried Great Stuff foam away from your skin. Nonetheless, it’s widely advised that you avoid getting the material on your skin in the first place by wearing suitable protective equipment and clothing. In the usual case, the recommended setup is safety goggles, work gloves and clothes that cover all of your skin.

The Characteristics Of Great Stuff

Great Stuff sealant is a type of polyurethane foam that could expand to fill the shapes of gaps and cracks. Seals that utilize Great Stuff foam are completely airtight and water resistant so they are invulnerable to moisture, allergens, insects, etc. Because the foam adhere very well to wood, plastic, metal, masonry and other common surfaces, it could be used on a variety of sealing project.

For most of the time, Great Stuff foam would usually become rigid and tack-free within 5 – 10 minutes after being sprayed. After 8 hours, you could start scraping away the excess foam and that should be everything. Thanks to the foam color, it’s quite easy for you to detect its presence. The elasticity of the Great Stuff foam allows it to cope with a certain degree of movement and shifting within the structure without becoming undone.

How To Remove Great Stuff

Prolonged skin contact with Great Stuff foam could lead to issues like irritation, an allergic reaction, and probably even respiratory sensitization. Seek medical assistance right away if there are severe body reactions to the polyurethane foam.  

When The Foam Is Wet

After being sprayed, the foam should stay wet for a few minutes and this is considered to be the best time to remove the material. If Great Stuff foam gets to your skin, you have to promptly grab a piece of cloth and use it to wipe the sealant off. Pay utmost attention while you wipe the cloth, you definitely don’t want to spread the foam further by accident.

To deal with the foam residue, you could use polish remover (with acetone), polyglycol-based skin cleanser, and corn oil. After that, wash your skin with soap and a lot of water to remove the cleaning agent.  In case everything goes smoothly, the foam should be no longer on your skin. Nonetheless, if some of the foam remains and becomes hardened, it’s time to use other methods.

When The Foam Has Dried

Dried Great Stuff foam could not be removed by solvents and cleanser, you have to mechanically get rid of it. Most of the time, pumice stone along with high-quality hand lotions or some petroleum jelly could take care of most of the cured foam. For stubborn foam residues, you should consider using abrasive material like sandpaper to eliminate them. It’s recommended to take things easy here, you don’t want to cut your skin by mistake.

Great Stuff Application And Usage

  • Because of the flammable nature of the foam and its vapor, you must not use Great Stuff around the heater, furnaces, lighting fixtures, and so on. Shut down all nearby ignition sources and open flame while you spray the polyurethane foam.
  • To reduce the accumulation of combustible vapor, you have to increase air circulation by opening all surrounding doors and windows.  In case you want to spray the Great Stuff foam in a cramped and confined space, it’s advised that you wear a respirator.
  • Each Great Stuff spraying can is designed for one-time use only which means you have to plan every detail in advance instead of improvising. It only takes around 2 hours after the last spray for the inside foam to seal the can and render it usable.
  • Great Stuff shall expand to fill the hollow space, therefore, you should only fill the gaps and cracks up to 50%. Overfilling would cause the Great Stuff polyurethane foam to expand too much and damage the structural integrity in the process.

If you are a DIY-homeowner, you can also read the articles listed below:

How To Fix Sagging Mattress Using Cheap And Easy Techniques

2 Easy Guides on How to Remove a Ceiling Fan

FAQs


What removes Great Stuff foam from hands?

If Great Stuff foam gets to your skin, you have to promptly grab a piece of cloth and use it to wipe the sealant off. To deal with the foam residue, you could use polish remover (with acetone), polyglycol-based skin cleanser, and corn oil.

Is Great Stuff foam fire resistant?

Because of the flammable nature of the foam and its vapor, you must not use Great Stuff around heater, furnaces, lighting fixtures, and so on.

Is great stuff foam waterproof?

Unfortunately, Great Stuff does not list waterproof as one of the properties of this product.

Thank you for reading!

Jan Hajek
 

I am an experienced writer. I write about home improvement topics such as construction, electrical work, plumbing, security and safety, interior design, exterior design, tools and woodworking, gardening, and garage organization. I love helping people improve their homes and make them more enjoyable places to live.

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