If you just finished your caulking job and have some leftover in the tube, cap off the cartridge with a long nail or screw. Simply insert the nail or screw into the open tip. Once the nail is inserted wrap duct tape around it and the tip of the tube to make sure that air does not get in and harden the caulk.

A used tube of caulk can also be unplugged with a screw. Take the tube and cut off the nozzle end so that the hole is slightly larger than the first cut. Then drive the screw into the nozzle end of the hardened caulk and use the screw to pull out the hardened caulk. A screw with course threads such as deck screw will work the best.

Please Leave a Comment

4 Comments on “Caulk Saving Trick”

You can follow comments to this article by subscribing to the RSS news feed with your favorite feed reader.

1. trimtab21 Says:
   June 28th, 2011 at 7:39 pm

   thanks for the tip Joe – i tried this and it works great!

2. 

   Joe T. Says:
   June 29th, 2011 at 8:04 am

   Hi trimtab21, Glad you liked the caulking-tube tip. Since shooting that Simple Solution video I’ve discovered a product that provides an even better way to seal up a partially used tube of caulk. Called the Twist ‘n Seal Caulk Saver Plug, it’s essentially a cone-shaped piece of plastic that’s threaded. You simply twist the plug into the open nozzle and it seals out air and keeps the caulk fresh for months. And three plugs only cost about $2. Check it out at http://www.twistnseal.com. Thanks for writing.–Joe T.

3. Maxie H. Neely Says:
   March 3rd, 2012 at 7:34 pm

   I have been using electrical tape for years and have very good results with saving caulk.. Just wrap a short piece around the end of the tube like Joe was doing with the duct tape in the video. I have kept caulk for months and reused without any problem. If wrapped correctly no air will get to the caulk.. use electrical tape only. thanks..

4. 

   Joe T. Says:
   March 4th, 2012 at 11:29 am

   Hi Maxie, Thanks for the tip about using electrical tape to seal caulking tubes. I’ll give it a try. Since we shot that video I found a product called, Twist ‘n Seal Caulk Saver Plug, that works great. It’s basically a tapered plastic cone that you thread into the caulk-tube nozzle. It completely seals out air, and can be removed and reused easily. Thanks for writing and good luck!–Joe T.

We want to hear from you! In addition to posting comments on articles and videos, you can also send your comments and questions to us on our contact page or at (800) 946-4420. While we can't answer them all, we may use your question on our Homefront radio show, Today’s Homeowner TV show, or online at dannylipford.com.