Silicone remover

1. A method of removing silicone-containing residues from a surface comprising contacting a surfactant cleaning solution with a surface to be cleaned, the cleaning solution comprising a hydrophilic component, the hydrophilic component comprising:

a) at least one non-ionic surfactant having a general formula (I)

R 1 —(OC 2 H 4 ) n —OH  (I)

in which R 1 is a straight-chain or branched alkyl or alkenyl radical having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms and a mean degree of ethoxylation n is from 14 to 40;

b) at least one non-ionic surfactant having a general formula (III)

R 3 —(OC 2 H 4 ) r —OH  (III)

in which R 3 is a straight-chain or branched alkyl or alkenyl radical having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms and a mean degree of ethoxylation r is from 1 to 7;

and c) at least one nonionic surfactant having a general formula (II)

in which R 2 is a straight-chain or branched alkyl or alkenyl radical having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms, Z x and Z y are hydroxyl groups, and a mean degree of ethoxylation (x+y) is from 5 to 25, wherein, when x or y is 0, the corresponding Z x or Z y is H.

2. The method claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in the hydrophilic component, based on the hydrophilic component as a whole, the sum of components a) and c) accounts for a total of from 0.1 to 33 wt. % and component b) accounts for a total of from 0.1 to 67 wt %.

3. The method claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cleaning solution further comprises water and/or auxiliary substances and/or active substances.

4. The method claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-ionic surfactant according to formula (I) has a mean degree of ethoxylation n of from 25 to 35 and the at least one non-ionic surfactant according to formula (II) has a mean degree of ethoxylation (x+y) of from 8 to 14 and/or the radicals R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , where present, are independently of one another straight-chain or branched alkyl or alkenyl radicals having from 12 to 18 carbon atoms.

5. The method claimed in claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of (a+c):(b) in the cleaning solution is from 4:1 to 1:8.

6. The method claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cleaning solution further comprises additional components having complex-forming properties and/or solubilizing agents and/or surface-active components.

7. The method claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cleaning solution is in the form of a gel, emulsion, paste, dispersion, solid shaped body, or powder.

8. The method claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of removing silicone-containing residues from a surface comprises contacting the cleaning solution with the surface to be cleaned in concentrated or dilute form by an immersion process or by filling an article to be cleaned and/or by means of application aids.

9. The method claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cleaning solution further comprises water in a dilution factor of from 1:5 to 1:10,000.

10. The method claimed in claim 9 , wherein the cleaning solution comprises auxiliary substances and/or active substances.

11. The method claimed in claim 9 , wherein the cleaning solution, based on the cleaning solution as a whole, contains

a) 0.00001 to 6.5 wt. % of components a) plus c), and 0.00001 to 13 wt. % of component b), and

b) from 0.05 to 10 wt. % of alkali hydroxide, and

c) from 0.03 to 5 wt. % of agents having complex-forming properties.

12. The method claimed in claim 11 , wherein the cleaning solution further comprises from 0.03 to 5 wt. % of solubilizing agents.

13. The method claimed in claim 11 , wherein the cleaning solution further comprises further low-foam surfactants.

14. The method claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of removing silicone-containing residues from a surface comprises circulating and/or spraying the cleaning solution manually or in an automatic system, at a use temperature of 0 to 80° C. and circulating and/or spraying times being from 5 to 60 minutes.

15. The method claimed in claim 14 , wherein the step of removing silicone-containing residues from a surface comprises disinfecting the surface and rinsing the surface with water of drinking quality.

16. The method claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cleaning solution further comprises hydrogen peroxide.