Epoxy resin is an amazing material for creating various types of art and craft essentials like tumblers, coasters, tabletop, or even coating your countertop. It’s a very versatile compound that adheres to most surfaces.
Consequently, it can even stick to your hands and skin.
That’s why I advise users to always wear gloves when handling resin.
However, regardless of how careful you’re, accidents may happen. And as you know, epoxy is very difficult to remove, especially after curing. Also, it can lead to skin inflammation or dermatitis.
To avoid these issues, you need to remove this compound from your hands or skin right away. But do you do that?
Well, don’t panic, I will tell you how!
What Happens If Resin Gets On Your Hands?
Epoxy contains some compounds that can cause problems when it comes in contact with your skin. For instance, it can cause skin irritation, making your hands feel itchy. In severe cases, the irritation can produce toxic eczema, causing dermatitis.
So getting in contact with resin can have some negative impacts. Hence, the need for removing it is really essential if you touch it accidentally.
Now, that you understand what this substance can do to your skin; let’s see what materials you need to remove it!
Materials You Need For Removing Epoxy
Removing uncured epoxy is much simpler as compared to removing fully dried materials. The same case applies when you want to remove uncured resin from your hands. Nonetheless, you’ll need the following items;
- Soft cotton towel
- Running water
- Liquid soap
- Vinegar/ acetone
- Citrus-based cleaner
- Baby wipes
Different Ways to Get Resin off Skin
There are various ways you can use to clean epoxy off your hands. Some of these methods include;
- Soap and Water
- Vinegar
- Citrus-based Cleaner
Get Resin off your Hands Using Soap and Water
The use of soap and water is the easiest way of removing resin from your hands. Best of all, it works instantly in most cases. With this method, follow these steps;
- Pour some liquid soap right into your hands.
- Without adding water, scrub the hands together.
- Rinse your skin over running water.
- If necessary, wet a cloth with warm soapy water.
- Then use it to rub your skin to get it removed.
Getting Resin off Hands Using Vinegar
Sometimes, the use of soapy water may not work, especially if the resin has cured. In that case, the best approach would be to use a vinegar solution. Even better, vinegar can help to remove at the uncured stage as well. This technique involves the following steps;
Step 1: Soak a Cloth/ Cotton Ball/ Paper Towel in Vinegar
To do this, pour any type of vinegar available onto the paper towel/ cloth until it is soaked. Alternatively, you can pour the solution into a container and put it in a paper towel to soak it. You can also use isopropyl alcohol in place of vinegar. However, vinegar is the best choice since it’s natural and free from harsh chemicals.
Step 2: Cover Your Hands
Use the soaked paper towel to cover your hand for a few minutes This will help to soften the hardened epoxy. If the paper towel dries as you wait, add a little vinegar to it.
Step 3: Gently Rub Your Hands with the Paper Towel
Now that vinegar has softened the hardened epoxy, removing it will be very easy. Simply rub your hands with the damp towel in a circular motion. Repeat this process until you remove all the residues from your hands or skin.
Step 4: Rinse Your Hands with Soapy Water
Put some liquid soap on your palms and rub them together for 30 seconds. Afterward, rinse off the soap with warm water. This helps to get rid of vinegar as well as resin residues.
Get Epoxy off Hands Using Citrus-based Hand Cleaner
Step 1: Look For an Industrial Citrus-Based Cleaner
Citrus-based cleaners are like regular hand cleaners, yet more effective and abrasive. This enables them to cut through cured epoxy quickly. On top of that, they’re much softer on the hands as compared to other cleaning solutions. Luckily, there are many quality citrus-based waterless cleaners in the market. Remember, hand sanitizers and regular soap aren’t as effective as waterless cleaners.
Step 2: Pour Some Cleaner onto a Soft Cloth
Lightly dampen the soft cloth/ paper towel with the waterless cleaner. Then squeeze it to shake off the excess moisture. If you’re using a paper towel, don’t apply excess too much of the solution.
Step 3: Scrub the Affected Spot
Place the damp towel/ cloth on your hand. Then gently move it across the affected area in a circular motion. It will eventually break off or soften, making it easy to peel off your skin.
Step 4: Rinse off the Residues & Clean
Wash your hands with warm water to remove the residues and waterless hand cleaner. If your hands aren’t completely clean yet, repeat step 3.
Step 5: Apply Skin Cream or Lotion to Your Skin
As I’ve stated earlier, waterless cleaners tend to be a little abrasive. For that reason, it’s good to apply some lotion to your skin to restore it. So, put some lotion onto your hands and rub them together for about 30 seconds.
Conclusion
So that’s how you can remove resin from your skin or hands. When working with epoxy, I suggest that you always wear disposable gloves. This will significantly reduce the chances of getting the compound on your hands in the first place.
Unfortunately, accidents are somehow unavoidable. So, if your skin comes into contact with resin, follow the steps highlighted above to get it off.
