This morning I dismantled the cistern. Everything so far has gone very
well. The wing nuts underneath the cistern came loose after a few
squirts of WD-40 and the screws holding the cistern to the bathroom
wall came out easily as well.

My only question at this point is: How to I clean ALL residues of
silcone sealer from the bowl unit? The plumber must have placed a
fillet of silicone all around the hole before installing the large
round seal and the cistern. This is an Armitage Shanks Sandringham or
very close match. Deffo Armitage shanks, though.

But this silicone residue is proving the dickens of a job to clean
off. I got most of it off buy cutting the fillet with a Stanley knife
held close to the porcelain. But there are still little bits of it
left. It's sticking like the veritable s***to a blanket. I just got a
scouring pad from the kitchen and some cream cleanser, but initial
results haven't shifted those bits hardly at all.

In the past I've used acetone to remove glue residues from items where
the shop hasn't used easy-peel labels. Acetone has proved very useful
for removing crud that won't be shifted by anything else.

So would it be any good on silicone? Or what would you recommend? I
may have to pop to the Co-op pharmacy who stock small bottles of
acetone.

Ideas please?

Thanks!

MM