Easy Hack for Tubeless Tyre Sealant Removal

Removing dried tubeless tyre sealant can be quite a time-consuming process, especially if you have dried sealant layered over old sealant! You are in luck though, as Alex shows you two efficient methods to get your tubeless tyre looking good as new for an easy application of new sealant without compromising the inside of your tyre.

00:00 How do you remove dried tubeless tyre sealant?
00:16 Using a natural rubber eraser
01:40 Why do you need to remove dried sealant?
03:12 Putting in the elbow grease
04:09 Using a drill bit with an eraser wheel
05:11 Pros and cons of both methods

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How would you remove dried tubeless tyre sealant? Let us know in the comments below 💬

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[gcntech]

We want to hear your tubeless tyre cleaning hacks! 🙌🛞

[sandswan]

I love tubeless, and will likely never go back to tubes, but this is probably the best video I've seen to convince people still running tubed ... to never make the switch. 😂

[chuckfrizzell]

I watched this video and it gave me a faster, easier idea. I put on a pair of latex rubber gloves I use when I work on my bikes. I took my Maxxis Ardent with lots of dried sealant and just started rubbing the old sealant with my latex gloved hands. The old mess just peeled right off, even on the seal surfaces of the tire. I couldn’t believe it. I did two tires in less than 1/2 hour. I think even better will be heavy rubber gloves like you would use to protect yourself from chemicals instead of the lightweight latex gloves. Worth a try. Thanks GNC.

[DN]

Just cycle enough for the tyre to wear out before the sealant dries op :p

[ysarn]

Recently I have used Muc-off sealant, and this seems to do well with washing the inside of the tyre with warm water with a little soap in it. Do this immediately after you remove the tyre, not dried out, and it comes off nicely just with a cloth. I think this is because it is a synthetic water-soluble latex used in the mix. Natural latex was always a PITA to remove, great tip about the natural rubber eraser, Alex. I have always found that reseating a used tubeless tyre the condition of the beads is crucial to keeping air in the tyres.

[aflipz]

I am loving TPU tubes more and more with every tubeless tip video I watch. 🤣

[ESHANABROOK]

Personal experience, Stans peels off like a charm. Others like Continental Revo turn really hard and very heard to get off.
I am sticking with Stans sealant.

[mikethreadgould]

Alex: "I don't recommend using the power tool for this process, but since this is one of Ollie's tires, I am going to demonstrate for you." :)

[savagepro]

Wow! Thanks for letting us see what a tubeless cadaver looks like!

[luukrutten]

Just leave the gunk be. Inside the tire its completely harmless. Its only a problem if you identify it as one. Its just a bit of OCD.
The weight difference when sealant is dry is just a few grams. 30ml of sealant is like 3-4 grams of dry weight. Over time you might add 12 grams to your tire. As you wear your tires out they get lighter anyway. so they weight difference compared to a new tire is just about zero. On top of this you might reopen some of the sealed holes by removing it. The best tip is to just leave the tubeless tires on the rim untill worn out... Less mess, less hassle, more riding time.
Same thing with tubular glue removal. If the glue layer is even and good. leave it be, add some glue and put the fresh tire on. Becaue removing that stuff is a pain in the butt too.

[daveanolik]

A common woodworking product is a large rubber cement eraser that is used to restore used belts on belt sanders. Great for sealant removal because it’s large. Basically an 8” x 2” tool that fits nicely in the hand. I’ve used that with a hair dryer on gunked tires with great results.

[phil_d]

Things to note:

Synthetic latex sealants generally do not dry and leave a mess inside the tyre and can last a lot longer; an example is milKit sealant.

Make sure you patch the inside of the tyre if you've had a hole as removing the dried sealant may open up the hole again!!

[adrianmoss]

Normally just top up, but changing brand of sealant. Bought big rubber off amazon and noticed can use to clean sanding belts and discs, great tip and works. Just washed out with washing up liquid and green pan scourer, left to dry prior using rubber.

[williamroberts]

Agree with an eraser being the best way but is very slow, especially on Silca products (which is a good thing for sealing but not so much for removal. However I had no idea there was such a thing as an eraser wheel! I needed that back in the day for exams!

[jefffixesit]

Good tips, thanks for sharing. Try switching the drill into the low-rpm setting, and clamping the tire to the table with a rubber-jawed carpenter's clamp. This reduces the tool speed and allows you to keep both hands on the drill, reducing heat buildup and improving control.

I ran my first set of tubeless tires in 1998, even before you could buy tubeless tires. We made rim strips by cutting the innermost portion from a tube for a smaller wheel, preserving the valve stem. Homemade sealant could be concocted from latex concrete bonding agent, with ground black pepper as an additive to aid with "clogging" punctures to help stop leaks faster and stay sealed longer. There were no tubeless rated tires available, so we had to inspect tires available at local bike shops, looking for sufficient rubber inside to prevent sealant from wicking into the cords of the casing. It was a tedious, hit-or-miss proposition, but worth the effort for MTB racing.

Now that I'm 69, I value puncture-free outings over raw speed and faster acceleration, so I ride a fat touring tire with tubes. My "fast" road bike is a 2012 carbon fiber Cannondale Synapse, rocking 28mm Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires with matching Schwalbe tubes. My "gravel" bike is a chromed steel 2013 Motobecane Strada LTD that can fit 45mm tires, but is currently sporting 32mm Schwalbe's. If I was going to race a senior event, I'd go tubeless on the Cannondale, but train on tubes.

Thanks again, excellent content as always 😁

[AdventureswithIan]

Thanks for the tip, I successfully tried this and it definitely works!

[mikes]

I see a lot of comments from riders who, like me, wear out the tread before the first fill of sealant dries up. What we need is tips on removing dried sealant from the RIM.

[freddynj]

Thank you so much!!!! This works great.

[BrianShoemaker]

Natural rubber eraser is the way to go. After watching this video I bought a pack and it was by far the easiest method to remove dried-up sealant I've tried. Best part: inexpensive.

[RichardLayfield]

Watched this with interest. Concluded that I can’t be arsed with the rubber. Perfect opportunity to just buy some lovely new tyres 😂