GE All Purpose Silicone Caulk, Clear, 10 fl oz Cartridge, 1 Pack - 100% Waterproof Silicone Sealant, Stronger Adhesion, Freeze & Sun Proof

Why I reached for this caulk

I had a punch list that spanned both house and shop: sealing a leaky window perimeter, redoing a shower corner that kept cracking, touching up a few exterior trim joints, and adding a discreet seal around a glass-and-metal fixture. I wanted a clear, true silicone that would stay flexible, handle sun and freeze cycles, and disappear visually once cured. GE’s clear silicone caulk checked those boxes on paper, so I ran it through a series of real-world tasks to see how it behaved.

Cartridge, cut, and first impressions

This is a standard 10 fl oz cartridge that drops into any basic caulk gun. The nozzle trims cleanly and the inner foil punctures without fuss. I prefer a 45° tip cut sized just slightly smaller than the joint; that gives me better pressure control and less cleanup.

Out of the tube, the bead is smooth and predictable. It’s neither runny nor stiff—firm enough to bridge small gaps, but with a consistent flow so I’m not white-knuckling the gun. It skins slowly enough to allow tooling, yet it doesn’t slump off vertical joints. I could work a typical 4–6 foot span at a time, tool it, and move on without racing the clock.

One thing to note up front: it’s a classic acetic-cure silicone, so there’s a noticeable vinegar-like odor during application. In a bathroom with the fan running, it’s manageable. In tighter spaces, crack a window or set up a fan. The smell dissipates as it cures.

Adhesion and compatibility

Across glass, aluminum, glazed tile, granite edge, painted wood, and cement board, adhesion was excellent once the surfaces were clean and dry. Silicone does its best work when the substrate is dust-free and degreased—I wiped with isopropyl alcohol after a normal clean and let everything fully dry. On a drafty window frame (glass to painted wood) and a metal-to-stone transition on an exterior ledge, the bead gripped with no tugging or edge lift after cure.

Silicone has a reputation for sticking to almost everything, but there are exceptions. As with most silicones, don’t expect it to bond to polyethylene, polypropylene, or PTFE, and I avoid unprimed, chalky paint. It’s also not paintable—an important limitation—so if you need a paint-ready joint, choose a paintable sealant instead. For natural stone, this formula played nicely and didn’t leave an oily shadow along the joint; that’s not true of every silicone, so it’s good to see.

Tooling and finish

With a light mist of denatured alcohol on the tool (or a dedicated caulk finishing tool), I could feather the bead to a crisp, concave profile. Masking with painter’s tape gives a near-pro finish if you’re new to silicone. The clear cure is genuinely clear—more water-clear than milky—so it visually recedes on glass and glossy tile. Around fixtures and window perimeters, the joint blends in rather than drawing the eye.

A few practical tips that worked well:
- Cut the smallest tip that still fills the joint; you can always widen it on the next run.
- Push the bead when possible (instead of pulling) to force material into the joint for better adhesion.
- Keep a rag and mineral spirits handy for smudges while uncured; once it sets, removal becomes a mechanical exercise with a sharp blade.

Curing and weather performance

The manufacturer’s “rain-ready in about 12 hours” claim lined up with my experience. On a cool, damp day, I left an exterior window seam and a deck-adjacent trim joint to cure overnight; a morning rain didn’t affect it. Full cure, as with most silicones, depends on bead size and ambient conditions. Thin beads in warm, low-humidity conditions were firm and functional the next day. Larger or more sheltered joints continued to firm up over 24–48 hours.

Once cured, the seal remains elastic and resilient. I flexed a glass-to-aluminum joint that sees daily thermal movement, and the bead stayed intact without tearing or cohesive failure. That’s the kind of flexibility that keeps hairline cracks from reappearing in problem areas.

Durability in the real world

Sun exposure and freeze-thaw cycles are where some sealants fade or become brittle. After a few weeks outside on south-facing trim and a metal cap, there was no chalking or clouding, and the bead retained its gloss and clarity. Silicone’s UV resistance is one of the reasons I choose it for exterior glazing and metal transitions, and this formula is in that lane: it stays rubbery and doesn’t shrink out of the joint.

Indoors, the moisture resistance is what you’d expect from a 100% silicone. In a shower corner that previously cracked with a hard-setting acrylic caulk, the flexible joint is still tight, and water beads away. If you’re fighting mold growth in a chronically damp area, a dedicated kitchen/bath silicone with mildew-resistant additives may be a better choice, but for general wet-area sealing this one holds up.

Cleanup, rework, and maintenance

Uncured residue wipes off with mineral spirits or scraping with a plastic tool. After cure, removal relies on a sharp utility blade and patience—normal for silicone. One advantage of the clear formula is aesthetic forgiveness: minor unevenness isn’t obvious once cured, particularly against glass and glossy surfaces.

Silicone in any cartridge will start curing in the nozzle once opened. To preserve a partial tube, I push a long screw into the nozzle, wrap the tip tightly with plastic wrap and tape, and store it upright in a cool place. You’ll still trim a bit off next time, but you’ll save most of the tube.

Where it excels

• Exterior window and door perimeters, especially glass-to-frame interfaces
• Metal-to-masonry or metal-to-wood transitions exposed to sun and rain
• Shower and bath perimeters where you want clear, flexible sealing
• Glass, tile, and stone joints where a transparent seal is preferable

Where I’d choose something else

• Joints that must be painted; silicone won’t take paint
• Surfaces contaminated with silicone residue from prior work (remove it first for reliable adhesion)
• Chronic mildew hotspots where a mold-resistant specialty silicone is needed
• Plastics like polyethylene or polypropylene, and any surface you can’t get truly clean and dry
• Constant submersion or food-contact applications that require a specifically rated, specialty silicone

Value and usability

For a general-purpose, true silicone, this cartridge hits a sweet spot: professional reliability without fussy application. Flow is forgiving, tooling is straightforward, and the cured performance—flexibility, UV stability, and water resistance—meets the demands of both interior and exterior work. The clear finish makes it versatile; a single tube covered multiple projects without calling attention to itself.

Bottom line

GE’s clear silicone caulk is a dependable choice when you need a transparent, flexible, weatherproof seal that won’t shrink or crack. It adheres to the common building materials I tested, tools cleanly with a bit of care, and shrugs off sun and freeze once cured. The main caveats are inherent to silicone: a noticeable acetic odor during application, non-paintability, and a need for meticulous surface prep. If those aren’t dealbreakers, the performance speaks for itself.

Recommendation: I recommend this caulk for homeowners and pros who want a clear, durable, all-around silicone for glazing, exterior trim, and wet-area sealing. It’s easy to apply, cures reliably, and holds up to weather and movement, provided you don’t need to paint it afterward and you ventilate during application.