I worked as a tile setter for over 20 years, so you can imagine that i have removed a ton of caulking over the years. The bottom line is that there is no miracle caulk remover, and no magic tools to do the job.
But the number one tool I prefer over all is a razor scraper. The common, 4 inch replaceable blade scraper. I have personally destroyed like 18 of these things over the years as I use them for floor preparation and all kinds of nasty tasks. The best kind I found so far is the richards scraper as they last the longest, you can find these in any home depot in the paint section. Be leary of buying one that has only 1 screw, as they easily become filled with gunk, bent and broken.
There is a trick to using this tool, and i dont expect you to pick one up and use it perfectly. This tool is very sharp and can damage the surface near your caulking joint if you arent careful. The way I normally remove caulking is to loosen it up with a utility knife first then use the scraper. I hold the scraper so only the corner of the blade actually touches the surface near the caulking, you dont want the entire width of the blade running along the counter or bathtub. Simply pass down one surface to loosen that side then run down the other to completely remove the bead. If you don't feel comfortable using this tool the above way then you can also take advantage of the sharp blade and cut the silacone in 4 inch sections with a stabbing motion where it wont be possible to harm any uncaulked areas.
When you have the bulk removed there will still be a very thin layer in some areas, run your hand along the joint and the silicone will turn darker and be easier to spot (provided you have dirty hands like mine usually are). Keep running your hand across until its smooth and dont turn dirty anymore, now you have a nice clean dry joint ready for some new caulking.
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