glass cleaner alternative?

Lighthouse

Grumbler in Training
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Mar 20, 2006
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Victoria, BC
I am just wondering what everyone is using for glass cleaner? is there an actual reason to use "glass cleaner" or does hot water and vinegar work? i have a work history in professional house cleaning and in that profession we do not use specific glass cleaner, as long as the glass is dried properly there hasnt been issues. Please advise if i can make the switch away from chemical cleaners in my framing profession as well?
 
There are a number of homemade glass cleaner recipes.
Dilute vinegar-water is one.
Water, a couple drops of dish soap, a little isopropyl (?) alcohol, and some rottenstone polishing compound works as well.
Artisans doing gilding on glass use a combo of water and the original Bon Ami 1886 cleansing powder (I think the agent in that is feldspar). The glass literally sings (in a squeaky kind of way) when it is clean. This one may have alcohol in it as well, but it has to be pure, unlike rubbing alcohol.
I'm not certain, but I think these all suggest distilled water.
I use ammonia-free commercial glass cleaner because most of the glazing we do is with acrylic, and for that we use Brillianize.
 
Consumers Reports just released test results, and two brands scored the highest, Sprayway and Invisible Glass. In Canada, Larson’s selling Sprayway for about $8, and Costco sells Invisible Glass for $16 for 4 cans. Larson discontinued their house brand, but these two are as good. I use Costco’s around the house, and love it.
 
Keep in mind that the cleaning cloth is important.
Clean hands and new white microfiber. When they need cleaning, hand wash with water only and air dry.
Keep them in a special place with a stern, "frame glass only", warning. ☠️
Paper towels are OK.
Try to handle glass carefully and you may be able to clean without liquid.
 
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I use a generic glass cleaner which works well.

For more stubborn stains, particularly cleaning old glass, I find Mineral Spirit dipped in very fine steel wool
shifts the gunk.

Bohle.webp
 
We use 2-3 drops of Shaklee Basic-H cleaner, in about a pint of distilled water. Switched to this, at
the recommendation of Baer Charlton, after I developed a sensitivity to glass sprays. It's so safe you
can wash veggies in it, and works well. I don't know how it would clean windows, or if something
with vinegar, etc... is more effective, but it works great, for us.

When customers buy Museum glass, we send Ultra Lite cleaner kits home. They love it, and we've figured
the wholesale price into our glass pricing, so we break even on it. At least, in theory. For small frames,
maybe not. lol... But, once they've switched, they stick with it, and they usually only want the one kit.
Before those came out, we explained that conservation glass shouldn't have ammonia-based cleaners,
and put a printed recipe on the back. It was a 4/6 part ratio of isopropyl alcohol to water.
 
Most glass cleaners are not suitable for cleaning acrylic, and vice-versa. This concentrated cleaner, made by the same company that makes Kool Tack dry mounting boards and Maxim glues, is suitable for all types of glazing and it works. You can buy it from any framing supplier that sells Kool Tack boards or Maxim glue:

1728752185122.webp
 
When customers buy Museum glass, we send Ultra Lite cleaner kits home. They love it, and we've figured
the wholesale price into our glass pricing, so we break even on it. At least, in theory. For small frames,
maybe not. lol... But, once they've switched, they stick with it, and they usually only want the one kit.
Before those came out, we explained that conservation glass shouldn't have ammonia-based cleaners,
and put a printed recipe on the back. It was a 4/6 part ratio of isopropyl alcohol to water.
I have considered giving out/selling Glass Cleaner.
Where do you get the Kits?

I have given out some Premium Clean to customers in cleaned used spray bottles.
 
I have considered giving out/selling Glass Cleaner.
Where do you get the Kits?

I have given out some Premium Clean to customers in cleaned used spray bottles.
We get them from a regional framing distributor.
It comes in a cardboard box that contains 24 - 2 oz. plastic bottles, filled with
the cleaner. Also has 24 each of a blue mesh bag and a microfiber cloth.
There are also 8 oz. refill bottles available.

Feel free to send me a pm, if you'd like to know prices.
 
99% of our glass is Ultra Vue UV70 And we use no glass cleaner at all. Just dry paper towels. I find that the recycled paper that's a little rougher (you know the stuff you don't want to buy as toiletpaper) works best as it is 'rough' enough to gently buff any spots of grease and also leaves very little in the way of 'lint' as the softer ones do Important thing is that we use nitril gloves when handeling the glass just so we get no greasy fingers on it, that way you don't have to do a lot of cleaning. It's cheap, fast, simple and eliminates the possibility of the glass cleaner drying in streaks.
 
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