We have two identical basins in upstairs and downstairs bathrooms.

The plugs are push fit - rubbber grommet provides friction to hold centre
mushroom up to keep plug hole open.

The one upstairs is very stiff but works as intended.
The one downstairs seems to have traces of a lubricant, and you can watch
the plug slide gently down to close of the plughole.

I have my suspicions that the builders put a bit of silicone grease (as used
for lubricating push fit pipes) onto the stem of the plug because they
thought it was too tight.

So how to clean it off?

Google has so far suggested that it is very difficult but that chloroform
should work(!).

Any experience of cleaning this stuff off?

TIA

Dave R

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

David WE Roberts wrote:

So how to clean it off?

Sodium Hydroxide sounds preferable to Hydrofluoric Acid, had no idea the
stuff was so hard to shift ...

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ed074p841

Andy Burns wrote:
David WE Roberts wrote:

So how to clean it off?

Sodium Hydroxide sounds preferable to Hydrofluoric Acid,


NEVER, EVER try to use hydroflouric acid for anything.
It is deadly.

"Jim Hawkins" wrote:
Andy Burns wrote:
David WE Roberts wrote:

So how to clean it off?

Sodium Hydroxide sounds preferable to Hydrofluoric Acid,


NEVER, EVER try to use hydroflouric acid for anything.
It is deadly.

Yes, but what about Hydrofluoric Acid?

--
€¢DarWin|
_/ _/

And if it fails you won't ever know as you will pass out with the fumes I
suppose.

I'd be tempted to wait till all parts are dry then clean it of with just
wiping it I guess the hard bit is the sleeve. You need a degreasing fluid of
some sort. I'm sure I used to use something like acetone but that tooo
tended to make you go wonky if you breathed in the fumes!

Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"David WE Roberts" wrote in message
...
We have two identical basins in upstairs and downstairs bathrooms.

The plugs are push fit - rubbber grommet provides friction to hold centre
mushroom up to keep plug hole open.

The one upstairs is very stiff but works as intended.
The one downstairs seems to have traces of a lubricant, and you can watch
the plug slide gently down to close of the plughole.

I have my suspicions that the builders put a bit of silicone grease (as
used for lubricating push fit pipes) onto the stem of the plug because
they thought it was too tight.

So how to clean it off?

Google has so far suggested that it is very difficult but that chloroform
should work(!).

Any experience of cleaning this stuff off?

TIA

Dave R

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
...
And if it fails you won't ever know as you will pass out with the fumes I
suppose.

I'd be tempted to wait till all parts are dry then clean it of with just
wiping it I guess the hard bit is the sleeve. You need a degreasing fluid
of some sort. I'm sure I used to use something like acetone but that tooo
tended to make you go wonky if you breathed in the fumes!


...and the downside is..?

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

On 11/12/2012 10:01, David WE Roberts wrote:
We have two identical basins in upstairs and downstairs bathrooms.

The plugs are push fit - rubbber grommet provides friction to hold
centre mushroom up to keep plug hole open.

The one upstairs is very stiff but works as intended.
The one downstairs seems to have traces of a lubricant, and you can
watch the plug slide gently down to close of the plughole.

I have my suspicions that the builders put a bit of silicone grease (as
used for lubricating push fit pipes) onto the stem of the plug because
they thought it was too tight.

So how to clean it off?

Google has so far suggested that it is very difficult but that
chloroform should work(!).

Any experience of cleaning this stuff off?

Not tried with silicone grease, but IPA takes off uncured sealant cleanly.

--
Cheers,

John.

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