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How to Remove Fiberglass Resin

Jay Kurz

Fiberglass has been around for over 30 years and is used in many different applications. Fiberglass consists of layers of a dry fiberglass material saturated with resin in order to bond into a solid piece of fiberglass. Resin is a thick fiberglass liquid that requires a catalyst to harden.

When working with fiberglass there is always the possibility of a resin spill. When resin spills it has to be cleaned and removed properly because when it's in a liquid form resin's considered a hazardous material. Fiberglass has to be in a solid form to legally dispose of it.

  1. Determine how much resin has spilled and add the recommended amount of catalyst to the resin. Put on rubber gloves and mix the catalyst into the resin thoroughly using a floor scraper. When the resin becomes one consistent color it's completely mixed.

  2. Wipe up the catalyzed resin with rags and place the resin filled rags into 5 gallon buckets. Only fill the buckets about 1/2 way full or less so the resin doesn't begin to smoke when it's hardening. Set the buckets outside away from any doors and let the fiberglass completely harden.

  3. Wipe the floor with rags and acetone to remove the left over catalyzed resin before it hardens. Dispose of the rags in the 5 gallon buckets and let them harden as well.

  4. Check the buckets to make sure all of the resin completely hardened and dispose of them in a dumpster.

Warning

The improper disposal of fiberglass resin can result in a fine or more depending on your local laws. Always wear rubber gloves when handling fiberglass materials to avoid chemical burns.