Ways to clean paint/dirt off rubber?

I am trying to find the best way to remove the paint off some power window rubber boots that lazy painters in a previous repaint did not bother to tape off. I have them soaking in anti-freeze now. The anitfreeze always lifts the paint from an intake manifold when it leaks so maybe this will work and it does not attack the rubber hoses.......... Also trying to get the dirt off of the gray rubber parking light gaskets. The dirt is caked on at the outer edge only from years of road dirt jamming into the cracks between lens and housing. I have them soaking in water and simple green but not much happens. A finger nail does work with alot of effort but not much fun and jams lots of dirt under nails and my wife yells at me. Any other ideas?

 

Dishwasher.

Bert

 

Better try that when the wife is out.:spank:

 

Soak them in Simple Green . That will get the paint and grease off and not hurt the rubber .

 

I once used brake fluid on some vinyl trim pieces with good results.
Oven cleaner might work too.
Both are used on plastic models to remove paint, so they MIGHT be safe on rubber.

 

I tried the oven cleaner.. It worked great getting the paint off the parking light lenses and housings. Maybe did not leave on long enough on rubber gaskets. Afraid to try the oven cleaner on the rubber boots. The stuff is very acidic or basiic. Not sure which but it burns my skin and maybe wood eat the rubber boots. W-40 is a good thought but not to kean on an oily product on something that comes in contact with fresh paint.

 

Brake fluid may be tough to clean off of the inside of rubber boots. Maybe paint remover as it works good on wires but maybe tough to completely clean.

 

Oven cleaner is Lye....it is basic and will burn/irritate your skin.
It will be safe on rubber.

I would not use paint stripper on rubber......think it will eat into the rubber.

When I want to clean the pw boots from a salvage car....I put them in my bead blaster and they come out looking like new. I usually wipe them down with a vinyl/rubber moisturizer like Formula 2001.

 

Never even thought of a bead blaster. I will have to try that. That may work on the gaskets as well.

 

Dam.. I used Simple Green on my bridge and it got it really clean!!!!! Told that to the dentist and he just looked at me uzzled: Seriously though...oven cleaner works great for getting paint off of anything, but as far as rubber goes, it should work fine. Just don't get it on your skin. Use gloves. That stuff will shred your skin for sure.

 

George is right about the bead blaster! They turn out great.