Pannier Protectors - Silicon issues

[Funkstar]

R1250RT LE 2019 with standard panniers


I've bought some Halfords body protectors to stick on to the bottom (black plastic) half of my panniers ready for when I drop the bike...


Unfortunately the dealer applied a liberal coating of silicon polish to all of the bike's black plastic parts before I picked the bike up.


As a result the 3M adhesive on the protectors wont stick, it just glides off!


Does anyone have experience of removing silicon from plastics?


Any help appreciated

[Steve398]

Google may be your friend -

One item you may have on hand that helps soften silicone is ​mineral spirits,  which is suitable to get silicone off of hard surfaces like tile, marble or concrete. For removing it from plastic or painted surfaces, however, you should use ​isopropyl alcohol, which won't harm the surface. Regular alcohol you may have for home use may not be strong enough to do the job. Instead, try an industrial-grade isopropyl alcohol with 99 percent purity.

Again, Google says Isopropyl Alcohol is also known as Surgical Spirit.

[Funkstar]

That's helpful thanks.
Google was my first port of call, however it returned lots of advice about removing silicon sealant (bathrooms). I'm not not sure that I need to "soften it" as my problem is silicon sprayed onto the surface, however Isopropyl alcohol is easy to source so I will try it.
Thanks again.

[Doctor T]

Paint thinner will get rid of all the surface silicon and tar marks. Beware you only need a small amount. A can from Halfauds cost £5.80.

[Stu]

A brake/carb cleaner or electrical connector cleaner will work fine!


Tape off the area you want to clean and spray it on to a rag and wipe