Cleaning Tips For Your Glass Windows

After spending a substantial amount of money on new or replacement windows or doors you are probably then wondering how best to look after them to keep them looking shiny and new. To get off those young children’s sticky hand marks or the dogs snuffly wet nose marks we have some top cleaning and maintenance tips for you that will keep your glass sparkling and looking like its just been fitted for years to come.

Firstly, Glass should be regularly cleaned (we suggest once a month more often if needed or if you have time)? but we’re guessing time is probably precious now days so once a month is just fine. Using soapy water in a bucket (washing up liquid is great) with a rubber squeegee or soft sponge is particularly suitable for large glass areas and heavily soiled surfaces such as the external face of glass. If you use soapy water with a sponge, once you have applied the soapy water make sure you dry it off using a microfibre cloth to avoid those unsightly smears and the cloth fibres getting stuck on the glass. Less soiled glass can be cleaned using a recognised glass cleaner, our N&C Glass Cleaner is of course perfect for the job and can be purchased from our Glass Showroom in Ely.

Secondly, always use a soft cloth with your glass cleaner never a harsh one due to scratching. Abrasive cleaners, as well as dry cleaning with a duster should be avoided as they can damage the glass. Cleaning solutions and polishes that contain solvents or thinners should also not be used. They have aggressive chemicals in them that will attack the window frame and seals. The glass units in double glazed units can be easily scratched especially by jewellery and metallic scrapers. It is recommended hand jewellery is removed prior to cleaning and the use of such scrapers is avoided.

Once you’ve had new glass fitted do not clean it for at least 28 days as the security film on the glass needs time to settle. Only use a soft cloth, chamois leather or rubber squeegee on your glass. If you have had glass fitted into your business premises and want to stick on point of sale literature you can do so 28 days after they’ve been fitted but not before. Never use sellotape though as the adhesive is too aggressive we recommend a low tack adhesive such as white tape.

uPVC Frames should be washed externally using mild detergent in warm water. This may be carried out less frequently than the cleaning of your glass but we would recommend a couple of times a year as the frames do get dirty on the outside at least. Only use non abrasive cleaners suitable for uPVC. The sealant between a frame and the building can be cleaned in a similar manner to the frame just take care not to break the seal.

If you have Aluminium frames they should be washed with warm water containing a mild detergent such as washing up liquid once a year. If you live in an area where there are more airborne contaminants i.e. near the sea, around swimming pools, where there is industrial air pollution the frames will benefit from more regular cleaning once every three months.

The maintenance of Timber Frames is very easy. Advances within the painting and coating systems of timber frames has led to many timber window products having guarantees against having to be re-coated for up to 5 years (some carry a 8 year guarantee). We would recommend that as part of your routine maintenance of your windows timber frames are wiped with a damp cloth without any detergent.

With these top cleaning tips your glass and frames will retain their sparkle.