You’re going to re-tape the nozzle when you use it in the future. This cut won’t cause any future leaks or damage the silicone or anything like that. Do not cut all the way through to the other side. What you’re doing here is making it easier to remove silicone from the nozzle once it dries out. If you cut all the way through, this won’t work. This is likely the most efficient method, but it does require a bit more time than the other options. It’s also likely unnecessary if you plan on reusing your silicone tube within the next couple of days.
When you cut the nozzle, you released the pressure inside. Air may have crept inside, so don’t tape the tip off just yet.
This will fill in the nozzle with silicone entirely and keep any air pockets from getting trapped inside.
You can just fold a piece of tape vertically over the tip. Alternatively, you can wrap the tip by pulling the tape around the opening in a circle and squeezing the adhesive sides together at the top. Either option will work just fine.
You may get a little resistance at first, but the pressure from the screwdriver should be more than enough to knock the dry silicone out.
This is your best bet if your silicone tube came with a cap. Your silicone should stay usable all the way up to the expiration date. However, if you lost the cap or your tube didn’t come with one, you can’t really use this method. If you simply put the cap on top of the nozzle and leave it, the silicone is going to cure to the cap. These caps aren’t airtight, so your tube won’t be reusable.
You could try to use masking tape here, but it may not stick to the tip very well if there’s any residue from the petroleum jelly on the plastic.
If the silicone won’t come out, grab a nail or thumbtack that’s thinner than the opening on the nozzle and repeatedly push it into the opening to break the dry silicone up.
This option tends to work well, although your nozzle may dry quickly if you don’t get enough air out of the bag before you seal it. You can also use a sheet of plastic wrap if you don’t have a plastic bag laying around. It’s the same process either way.
Silicone will keep pushing out of the nozzle if you maintain any pressure, so unlock the hook at the end of the caulk gun to completely relieve the pressure once you’ve got enough silicone in the bag. So long as the gap between the nozzle and the plastic bag is totally filled with silicone, you’re good to go.
Unhook the caulk gun or take the tube out of the gun when you’re done. Be sure to store your caulk tube sideways once the bag is tied off. If you store it at an angle, more silicone may leak out of the tip, or some silicone from the bag may drip inside of the tube and speed up the drying process.
If it’s still a little soft and malleable, it’s a good sign that your silicone is ready to go. If the silicone at the tip is totally dried out, you may need to recut the nozzle with a utility knife to make a bigger opening.
This doesn’t always work if you cut the tip of your tube off at a sharp angle since some air can get into the tube through a gap. You can cut the tip straight off before using the tube to make this work better, although you’ll sacrifice some accuracy if you’re sealing any corners if you do this. This is probably the most popular method among folks in construction, but they tend to go through tubes of caulk fairly quickly. The nail or screw can get stuck to the silicone and it can be a big of a pain to get it out if you store the caulk for more than a few days. [18] X Research source
If the nail goes in all the way without any resistance whatsoever, it means that your nail is too small. Grab a bigger nail and repeat this process.
If you just can’t force the nail in and you’ve used your tube more than once already, it’s a sign that it has already started to dry out. You can try a different method here, but your silicone may not be long for this world.
If you get the screw or nail out but you can’t squeeze any new silicone out, some of it has dried inside of the nozzle and it’s blocking fresh silicone from coming out. Grab a nail that’s thinner than your nozzle and poke it inside of the tube repeatedly to break the blockage up. Use your caulk before its expiration date. If it sits on the shelf for too long, you won’t be able to get the nail or screw out. If the screw or nail won’t budge, it’s time for a new tube of silicone.
