I fit kitchens and use silicone/caulk etc every week.
Removal, anything sharp, chisel normally.
Sealing stuff so it still looks good after 6 mths, I use more clear than white/black etc. just seems to be better.
Get a good skeleton gun, I get mine from UPVC suppliers, cost about £8 but they just work better than the 99p ones from b&q.
Apply sealant, then (call them if you want) using a wet 5/6mm 45′ chamfered sealant tool, run it over what you’ve just applied. Job done, no mess.
What I found when revisiting jobs after a few months, before I started using the tools, on a 90′ joint, after smoothing with my finger the edges of the sealant were unsightly and were peeling back slightly, with the tools you get a perfect 45′ fillet and still looked spot on.