How to Clean and Maintain a Corner Tool

Clean the rubber inside-corner tool while the compound is still wet. The tool only works if its working profile is clean and undamaged.

What you need

Model 09158Inside Corner Wipedown Tool $18.70 each$12.72 each at 100 or more

Read the compound label for its cleanup method before you open it. Set up the wipes and waste container.
Finish the stroke and lift the tool clear. Keep it off the floor, ladder and other tools.
Pull the tool off the pole along the line of the fit. Do not twist, pry or cut the rubber.
Wipe bulk compound off with a clean soft wipe. Work from the broad face out. Change the wipe when it starts to redeposit.
Clean the inside profile and both working edges, following the contour. Rinse only if the compound maker says water cleanup is fine.
Check under raking light for one continuous edge, and check the pole socket for trapped compound.
Dry it on a clean support that does not bend the profile, away from heat.

Do not scrape the rubber with a joint knife, wire or an abrasive pad. One nick shows up in every corner.
Do not use a solvent or soak unless the tool and compound instructions allow it.
Do not wipe skinning compound over and over. It rolls into hard pills that scratch the rubber.

Dispose of wash water and compound as the label and SDS say. A drain or the trash is not automatically right.
Retire the tool if the edge is nicked or torn, or the rubber is swollen, sticky, hard or cracked. Cleaning cannot restore the profile.
Do not use compressed air to clean the tool, and do not dry-brush unknown compound.

Questions about the right tool for your job? Email cs@hydestore.com or call 508-916-6442.