How to Clean Resin: For When Things Get Messy

It’s inevitable that through the process of creation, your workspace and tools will probably get a little messy. No one looks forward to cleaning up after a project. It’s like washing dishes after dinner­—and who wants to do that? There are ways, however, that you can minimize clean-up during your creative process. And, if you follow our advice below, cleaning up after using epoxy resin doesn’t have to be a nightmare.

Remember, if you use any chemicals to clean off your tools, be sure to pay careful attention to wearing proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), follow all safety warnings, on the labels and work in a space with sufficient ventilation.

In most cases, when cleaning resin off of your hands and arms, you will want to use soap and warm water.

First thing’s first: What can you can do now to make sure that your future (epoxy pro) self doesn’t resent your past self? One big precaution you can take is fairly simple—cover your workspace with something plastic. Then, when your project is over and all of the resin on the plastic has cured, you can simply throw it away. Combined and cured resin can be disposed of by being thrown directly in the trash. For more information about resin storage and disposal, take a look at our blog post on the subject.

You can also but, or create, your own silicone mat. Since resin doesn’t stick to silicone, it’s a great reusable surface to work with epoxy resin on. These mats can be purchased in a variety of places online, or you can create your own if you’re comfortable using silicone. Simply pour excess silicone­–such as in the Amazing Mold Maker by our friends at Alumilite–onto a surface, let it cure, and then peel it off. From that point on, you’ll have your own silicone mat that you can clean off with soap and water.

With cleaning up, you have a few different options, both chemical and non-chemical.

For tidying up without the use of chemicals, you will need the following:

• Wax paper
• Dish soap
• Paper towels

To start out, lay down a base of wax paper to use as your cleaning surface.

While the resin remains uncured, try to scrape as much off as possible. You can use a paper towel to do this for all of the affected tools, including cups.

Rinse your tools and cups with warm water and soap. Then, dry everything off with paper towel and they should be ready for reuse.

If this process doesn’t remove all of the resin, you can always step up your cleaning method by using something like isopropyl alcohol, as we describe below.

Many people find isopropyl alcohol to be useful when cleaning off leftover uncured resin. To start out, dab some paper towel in alcohol. After wiping down your tools with the alcohol, you then want to wash them with soap and water, as well. If this doesn’t seem to remove the resin to your satisfaction, you can use more industrial applications like acetone. But, be sure to be even more cautious when using such solvents.

Again, regardless of what you use, always wear proper PPE, follow all safety warnings on chemical labels, and work in a space with adequate ventilation.

If you have any questions about the process of cleaning up after your epoxy resin projects, feel free to reach out to us on our Contact Us page. Additionally, you can view the answers to frequently asked questions by artisans just like you on our FAQs page.

For inspiration and the chance to interact with our wonderful resin community, visit us on social media!

Happy crafting (and cleaning), everyone!