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Bettesworth Construction
aerosol safety

How to Unclog an Aerosol Spray Can: Safe, Product-Specific Steps

A clogged aerosol can needs product-specific care. Follow its label, avoid pins unless the manufacturer directs otherwise, and never puncture or dismantle the pressurized container.

By Bettesworth Construction Team 3 min read
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If an aerosol can sprays weakly, unevenly, or not at all, first check the directions on that exact product. Use only its supported nozzle-clearing method: aerosol valves and contents differ, so a step that works for one product may damage another. Never puncture or take apart the pressurized container.

Start with these checks

  • Read the can label and confirm the product is intended to spray in its current position. Follow any shaking or nozzle-cleaning directions.
  • Check whether the actuator or nozzle is visibly blocked, loose, or damaged. Do not push a pin or other object into the opening unless the manufacturer specifically directs a safe method; Krylon says not to use a pin to clear its spray-paint nozzle (Krylon FAQ).
  • If the can is rusted, leaking, damaged, or still will not spray after its approved clearing steps, stop using it and contact the manufacturer.

Use the method for your product

These instructions are not interchangeable. Follow the label for your specific can, and do not apply a cleaner or remove a nozzle based on another product’s instructions.

Product Manufacturer-supported approach Important limit
Krylon spray paint Wear eye protection. Turn the can upside down and press the nozzle for five seconds or until clear gas discharges. For cleaning, Krylon says to wipe the nozzle with a regionally compliant cleaner while wearing eye protection. Do not use a pin. Follow the exact can label for cleaner guidance; this is not a universal solvent recommendation. Krylon FAQ
Dulux Duramax Rotate the nozzle a quarter-turn and try again. If it remains clogged, Dulux says to remove and clean the nozzle stem with a toothpick and/or soak it in acetone or a comparable solvent. This guidance is for Duramax only. Dulux says other spray paints use a different valve/nozzle arrangement. Dulux Duramax FAQ
B’laster Surface Shield Shake before use. Wipe the opening with a warm-water-dampened rag; if needed, try paint thinner. Once the nozzle is clear and reattached, the company advises an inverted propellant flush. Spray away from your body and project. These steps apply to Surface Shield, not other aerosol products. Contact B’laster if they do not work. B’laster support

How to clear a Krylon spray-paint can

  1. Put on eye protection and move the can away from people, pets, and anything you do not want sprayed.
  2. Turn the can upside down.
  3. Press the nozzle for five seconds or until clear gas discharges, following Krylon’s instructions.
  4. If you need to clean the nozzle, use only the cleaner guidance on the specific can. Krylon advises wiping the nozzle with a regionally compliant cleaner while wearing eye protection; it does not recommend probing the opening with a pin.

How to clear a Dulux Duramax nozzle

  1. Confirm the can is from the Duramax range.
  2. Rotate the nozzle a quarter-turn and try spraying again, as Dulux directs.
  3. If it is still clogged, follow Dulux’s Duramax guidance for removing and cleaning the nozzle stem with a toothpick and/or soaking it in acetone or a comparable solvent. Do not remove a nozzle from another Dulux product based on these directions.
  4. If considering a replacement nozzle, confirm compatibility with the exact Duramax product. Dulux says nozzles may be interchangeable within the range, not that one nozzle fits all aerosol cans.

Why you should not force or dismantle the can

Aerosol containers are pressurized. BISSELL’s safety guidance for its aerosol products says not to puncture, crush, heat, burn, refill, or take the bottle apart. If the can is damaged, rusted, leaking, or remains unusable after the product’s approved steps, stop and contact its manufacturer rather than attempting a valve repair (BISSELL support).

Do not blow through a nozzle by mouth. A WHO manual for indoor residual spraying equipment warns against cleaning a nozzle with a hard pin or wire and against putting it to the mouth to blow through it. That manual is not consumer aerosol-can guidance, but its warnings reinforce why forcing or mouth-clearing a blocked opening is a poor approach (WHO manual).

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Prevent the nozzle from clogging after use

For Krylon spray paint, Krylon recommends wearing eye protection, turning the can upside down, and pressing the nozzle until clear gas discharges after use; it also says to ensure the nozzle is clear before storage. Other products may prescribe different cleanup or valve-clearing steps, so use their own labels.

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