How to Remove Epoxy from Skin and Off your Hands?

Nick Shushan
By Nick Shusan , Epoxy Expert and the CEO of NYC Epoxy Flooring.

June 14, 2022

Using epoxy for some DIY projects can be fun and challenging. But, what happens when you have some epoxy on your hands or parts of your skin? You can’t just leave it like that. 

Although pulling it off can be painful, slow, and ineffective on many occasions, some easy ways can help you clean off the epoxy without stress. In this article, you will learn about some methods you can use to remove epoxy from your skin and off your hands. Let’s dive in!

How does Epoxy End on the Hands?

Anyone that works with epoxy for a long period should understand they ought to wear their gloves before handling the substance. However, circumstances don’t allow us to observe these cautious measures which eventually lead to mistakes. 

People can get tired, the gloves can get missing or torn, or you may run out of new gloves. When a situation like this occurs, one could expose his hands to the substance. 

That being said, you are advised to seek medical attention if epoxy comes in contact with your eye or is consumed into the human body. Now that you understand what causes the presence of epoxy on the hands and other parts of the skin, let’s take a look at how you can remove it.

How to Remove Epoxy from Your Skin?

  1. Liquid Soap

This is the most common method utilized in removing epoxy from your skin and off your hands. Since epoxy and water don’t mix well, water can easily displace the epoxy and eventually soften the bond between the epoxy and your skin. With some liquid soap, you can wash it off with ease. In fact, you don’t have to do much scrubbing as epoxy falls off easily when you are using warm water to wash the affected part. 

  1. Vinegar

Although this sounds strange, vinegar works wonders in removing epoxy from your skin and off your hands. In time past, when concrete medical research was yet to be carried out, vinegar was discovered to be effective in fighting fungal infections. The same applies to epoxy. Just like water and soap, vinegar dissolves the epoxy as well as the bond between the substance and your skin. All you have to do during the removal process is to get a rag, soak it in some vinegar, and use it to scrub the epoxy away from your skin. 

  1. Citrus Cleaners

If you wonder how citrus can remove epoxy from your skin, then you should understand that it is not the real citrus such as orange. However, citrus-based liquids or citrus-infused soaps sold on the market are effective in removing epoxy. Thanks to its acidic quality, you can apply it to your skin or your hands to remove any epoxy sticking to it. But we recommend that you use water to calm the effect of the citrus solution on the skin. Since it can cause mild reactions or irritation on the skin, you will need to use water when you are applying the solution directly to your skin.

  1. Baking Soda

Baking soda is also an effective substance that can remove epoxy from your skin and off your hands. Together with some dish soap, the combination will dissolve the epoxy and remove it completely. The process is simple. All you have to do is to pour some dry baking soda into the affected part, add some dishwashing liquid, and scrub away with water. 

Conclusion

If you are struggling to remove some epoxy from your skin and off your hands, try some of the above-mentioned processes to get the result you desire.