Resin cups shouldn’t be tossed to the trash after the first use. In fact, you can easily clear out the cup using household supplies and get it ready for a new use. Here is a guide for how to clean resin cups to spotless condition.
How to remove wet resin
1. Wipe the cup out
If the resin is still wet, use a paper tissue to remove it. Wear protective gloves before proceeding. Wipe thoroughly to make sure you remove all accumulations of resin from the cup walls and bottom.
2. Apply a solvent
Use a solvent, like acetone, to eliminate the remaining traces of resin. Dip a paper towel in acetone and wipe the cup out. Wipe insistently in places where resin refuses to get out. Acetone and rubbing job make a great team in breaking down the stubborn resin.
3. Rinse
Before rinsing, make sure you removed big pieces of solid resin to prevent clogging the sink. Now you can give the cup a thorough rinse using hot water and soap. Let the cup air dry before pouring the next batch of resin into it.
How to remove solid resin
1. Wait for the resin to cure
You may also ask how to clean resin cups with solid resin. In fact, this task is easier than discarding wet resin. To convince yourself of this, leave the resin to cure overnight. It’s better to flip the cup over to allow bottom leftovers to come closer to the top of the cup. It will save you efforts on wiping out residue settled at the bottom which is the most difficult to tackle. You can also leave the cup in original position and place a stir stick inside it. The stick will act as a handle for removing the hardened resin shell. This trick works better with silicone cups as they are easier to squeeze.
2. Remove the resin
If you left the stick inside, grab and pull it. It should help you to remove the whole resin shell along with the stick. Big blocks of resin are harder to remove. You have to pull with vigor for the resin to release. Squeeze the cup a few times to make the resin more collaborative. If you flipped the cup over with no stick inside, just squeeze the cup to release the resin from the walls. It may take a while until the resin finally breaks down. Once you get the resin loose, pour it on a wax paper and save it for a new use. If you don’t need it, just throw it to the trash.
3. Remove leftovers
After discarding the resin shell, some resin residue may still remain on the cup walls. Use a baby wipe to remove it. If you don’t have baby wipes at hand, soak a paper towel in acetone or rubbing alcohol and wipe the resin traces off. The residue settled at the cup bottom is difficult to remove. You have to scrub more intensively to get rid of it. However, don’t apply too much force as it can deshape and damage the cup. Be careful.
4. Use adhesive tape
You can use adhesive tape to remove the tiny pieces of resin lingering on the cup walls. Stick a piece of tape to the resin bit and pull away. Just a few pieces of tape can help you to make the cup spotless in seconds.
Tips for cleaning resin cup
1. Do not use more resin than you need
To prevent much trouble when cleaning measuring cups, always use just as much resin as you need for your project. Do your calculations before starting the project to determine the exact quantity of resin you need to use. If you choose guesswork, you may end up with a lot of extra resin left in the cup after finishing the project. This means more cleaning efforts and more time spent of removing the resin. Remember, the thicker and bigger the block of resin, the more stubborn it is and the harder to remove it is. Thin layers of resin are much easier to deal with.
2. Use protective equipment
Be careful when working with acetone. If it gets on skin, it makes it red, itchy and cracked. That’s why, your best bet is wearing protective gloves to keep your skin safe from any negative effect of acetone. Also, don’t wipe your eyes with your hands when working with acetone. It can cause severe irritation.
3. Turn the cup inside out
This trick works if you have silicone cups which are more flexible than plastic ones. Turn the cup inside out to find it easier to clean its walls and bottom. No need to push your hand inside the small cup and experience discomfort while wiping it. Not only it feels tight, but also makes the cleaning process less effective.
4. Use tweezers
If you forgot to leave the stir stick inside the cup, use tweezers instead to grab the block of resin. Squeeze the cup first to get a loose edge, then grab that edge with the tweezers and pull. Truth be told, tweezers not always manage to remove the whole resin shell at once. Nonetheless, a large piece of resin at a time is also a good result.
5. Use soap as lubricant
If resin shell refuses to come off, dish washing detergent and a pipette come to the rescue. First of all, squeeze the cup hard until a tiny bubble of air appears at the bottom. Now introduce some soapy water into the bubble using a pipette. The soap will work as a lubricant for the resin and encourage it to release.
To conclude
Learning how to clean resin cups helps to stay environmentally-friendly when working with resin. While it seems an impossible task, you can remove the resin from the cup in a few easy steps. The best part, you can bring the resin cup to impeccable condition using just items that are readily found in a household, like soap, rubbing alcohol, paper towel and tweezers. No need to buy expensive chemicals, and most importantly, no need to buy new resin cups.
