How do you remove excess caulk?

To remove excess silicone caulk, wipe it with a sponge, apply mineral spirits, remove the caulk with pliers, soak the residue in mineral spirits, scrub it, and scrape it with a razor. The required supplies are rags, mineral spirits, a sponge, a knife, pliers, a brush and a razor blade.

1. Wipe the excess wet caulk with a damp sponge

   Dampen a sponge, and smooth it over the wet caulk. Continue wiping until all of the excess caulk disappears.

2. Soak the excess dried caulk in mineral spirits

   Soak a rag in mineral spirits, and lay it over the excess caulk. Leave it there for several hours.

3. Pull up the caulk with pliers

   Use a knife to cut the caulk into small pieces. Pull the pieces up with needle-nose pliers, and discard them.

4. Soak the residue in mineral spirits

   Soak a clean rag in mineral spirits, and cover the caulk residue with it. Use multiple cloths if the residue covers a large area. Leave the rags undisturbed for several hours.

5. Scrub the residue

   Remove the rag, and scrub the residue with a scrub brush. Scrub forcefully until most of the residue comes off.

6. Scrape the residue with a razor blade

   Scrape the surface with a razor blade to remove the last traces of caulk.