We’re doing clean up on the new house and find that the plumber got some purple PVC cleaner on the Lasco fiberglass shower stall. We haven’t attempted to remove it yet and would like to know if there is some way to get it off without ruining the finish. I’m assuming it is not just going to come off with Soft Scrub or something similiar (but I’ve been wrong before- just ask my wife- lol)
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE AND THANKS FOR ALL THE HELPFUL IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS OVER THE PAST YEAR WHILE THIS PROJECT HAS EVOLVED.
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You have probably noticed that plumbers and electricians do not clean up after themselves but in this case I would call the plumber back to take care of his mess.
I've been fortunate all these years not to have had to deal with dyed solvent on a finished surface so I can't tell you if the stain is permanently etched in or not.
I think your plumber is going to replace your shower stall, unless you can live with the stain. That purple stain seems to go deep into the f/g and gelcoat of tups and showers.
I haven't found anything that will remove it and not damage the finish. Maybe some else here has had better luck than me.
Dave
That primer can eat thru a finish. If it has etched, the only thing I can think of would be some rubbing compound. Use the fine grit type. Might work
I don't know of anything that will remove purple primer from fiberglass, you can call a fiberglass repair Co. and see what they say. The bottom line is that the plumber is responsible. Luck.
Get a big can of the stuff and a paint sprayer, coat the entire thing and then change your bathroom's color scheme.
In other words, don't think there's anything that will get that stuff off.
Sorry, but I have to agree with all the other posters - I have never found anything which will take the primer stain off.
On a positive note it is virtually impossible to harm cured gel coat with solvents - Goof Off, acetone, naptha, lacquer thinner, gasoline, alcohols, etc. Most will strip any wax off of the surface and produce a dull spot - restore with car wax.
The gel coat can be ground / sanded off and refinished, color matching can be tricky.
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
Edit: Check at http://www.oatey.com - FAQ. They are saying that you may be able to remove or lessen the stain by dabbing the stained area with their Clear Pipe Cleaner - but they don't sound overly optomistic. FAQ #9.
I must admit, I have never tried their cleaner as a solvent - but I always have their cleaner on hand. It is a witch's brew of organic solvents. I use their recommended cleaner-primer-cement sequence with great results.
Edited 12/23/2005 8:38 pm ET by JTC1
Try lacquer thinner.
Thanks, the only time I actually tried to remove some, it was splashed on a vinyl floor by a professional plumber at a HfH house.
Lacquer thinner was found to eat the vinyl flooring durig my testing on scrap, so it never made it to the stain removal test on the actual floor.
The HO was very nice and said it was fine as she would have a mat in front of the kitchen sink anyhow which would cover the stain. Sometimes the HfH owners are a little more understanding / forgiving.
Jim
Never underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
My plumber told me that clear primer (acetone) removes the purple stuff. Dont know if it would work on fiberglas though. Maybe if it didnt etch.
You might try to contact the manufacturer. They may have some tips of what solvent might work without doing too much damage. I would try bleaching the stain out and they may have suggestions for doing it.
They may advocate polishing down through the stain with a rubbing compound and then restoring the shine with clear finish and polishing.
Been there, done that, didn't get the stain out. (or should I say the plumber done that).
Tired everything I could think of to get that stain out. Do dice.
Called one of our local fiberglass tub repair guys and he fixed it - don't know what he did. The way it works with these tub repair guys is he walks into the house with his repair kit, goes into the bathroom and shuts the door. Comes out 35 minutes later with his newspaper under his arm and hands you a bill for $160.
For my purple primer expierence I back-charged the plumber. You need to let him know ahead of time though.
I used to sell Lasco products, they have or at least had a great network of repair people. Try contacting them.
My experience included cutting out the entire floor of a damaged shower unit and replacing it in place. This guy did some magic, done in two nights while the job site was shut down. We couldn't find the seam.
Best of luck,
Garett
I have heard that the clear primer will remove that purple primer but not sure if it leaves a residue.
Just wanted to let everyone know that I used acetone as suggested by the Lasco Technical Dept. and it took the stain off. I hadn't told the plumber of the goof yet - but I'm sure he would be at least as pleased as I am.
Again thanks for the help.
I'm glad it worked out for you. I will have to remember acetone for removing PVC primer staining. It has come up before and likely will again. I was worried about strong solvents attacking the enclosure. Always best to ask the manufacturer. They want their product to work well and have heard it all.