I've had mixed results with those silicone caps. They seem to work okay if you clean the nozzle thoroughly before putting them on, but even then, they only buy you a few extra weeks at best. One trick that's worked better for me is squeezing out a small blob of silicone to form a plug at the tip, letting it dry, and then just pulling it out next time. Messy, but effective. Anyone tried refrigerating opened tubes? Heard it helps but haven't tested it myself yet...
"Anyone tried refrigerating opened tubes? Heard it helps but haven't tested it myself yet..."
I've actually tried refrigerating silicone tubes before, and honestly, it didn't make much difference for me. Maybe bought me an extra week or two at most, but nothing groundbreaking. Your trick with the dried silicone plug is pretty much what I've settled on too—messy, sure, but it works reliably.
One thing I've noticed is that the quality of the silicone itself matters a lot. Cheaper brands seem to harden up faster no matter what you do. I switched to a slightly pricier brand last year, and it's been noticeably easier to reuse after opening. Still dries out eventually, but at least I'm not tossing half-full tubes as often.
By the way, congrats on getting the new sink in! I remember installing mine—thought it'd be a quick afternoon job, ended up taking the whole weekend and multiple trips to the hardware store. You're definitely not alone in struggling with that one...
I've tried refrigerating silicone tubes too, and honestly, it felt like more hassle than it was worth. Didn't notice much difference at all. Agree with you on the quality though—once I switched to a better brand, the tubes lasted way longer without drying out. And yeah, kitchen sinks are deceptively tricky... thought mine would be a quick swap, ended up wrestling with plumbing fittings for hours and making multiple hardware store runs. Glad that's behind me now.
"Didn't notice much difference at all."
Interesting you say that—I actually found refrigerating silicone tubes pretty helpful, especially when working in warmer weather. Maybe it's climate-related? Totally agree on the sink though; plumbing fittings always seem straightforward until you're knee-deep in washers and adapters. Did you run into any issues with older plumbing setups? Those always seem to throw me curveballs...
I've definitely noticed older plumbing can complicate things. When I replaced my kitchen sink recently, I assumed it'd be straightforward—until I realized the previous owner had done some creative DIY fittings. Spent hours tracking down adapters and connectors that matched those odd sizes. Climate-wise, silicone tubes never gave me trouble, but maybe that's just luck or cooler weather here. Either way, plumbing projects always seem simple until you're halfway through them...
