How To Keep Your Caulk From Drying Out

It drives me crazy when I pick up my caulk gun that I know has caulk in it, and nothing will come out because, despite the “Miracle Cap” I purchased and put on it, the caulk has dried out in the nozzle! Here’s my trick for How to Keep your Caulk from Drying out.

A few times, I’ve tried to force it to come out but instead of pushing the dried caulk out of the nozzle, it squishes out the other end making a huge mess of my gun. (Like I need any help in that area.) So I have to go digging around to find a nail long enough or a tiny screwdriver that will fit in the hole without mucking it up so the caulk doesn’t flow out smoothly.

Does this sound familiar or is it just me?

The plug-caps tend not to work properly with the slanted cut nozzle, in my experience.

Doesn’t everyone cut their caulk tube nozzle off at a slant? That’s “Caulking 101”– basic stuff… Oh well, this is easier, less messy and cheeper anyway!

When you’re done caulking your project, squeeze a little more caulk out of your gun and don’t wipe it off.

A little extra usually always comes out anyway, even after you release the pressure…so use that.

Then smoosh it into a ball-ish shape, completely covering the hole in the nozzle.

Now let it dry! When you’re ready to use your caulk gun again, just pull that ball-ishy ball off the end and you’re ready to go!

Simple tips that make work easier are what make my world go ’round!

21 Comments

Bwha! That’s too funny! I see it but didn’t know it was there. I’ve never looked at my caulk guns before. Thanks for the heads up…always learning something.

You do know that there is a long metal “stick” on the caulking gun to do that very job, right? I see it in your photo. Even so, I still do what you do and leave a little spooge hangin’ out to dry.

It is so dry here in Colorado, that everything dries out. I’ll buy glue and if I don’t use it, bang, it’s dead. Even Gorilla Glue and nothing usually gets to that stuff. I’ll try that on everything now. Otherwise, I stuff it in a plastic bag and seal.