The beauty of glass lasts only as long as its sparkle. Treated glass has found its way into almost every aspect of Singaporean living and work spaces, due to its high aesthetic quality and adaptability. Large sliding and panel windows and doors adorn swanky condos, landed houses and modern offices all over our island city. This makes it even more important to keep your glass doors and windows in the finest condition towards maintaining the look of your neighbourhood along with the immediate environment.
The best thing about glass maintenance is that it can be handled locally, without engaging the services of professionals. But if glass remains uncared for over a period of time, you may be required to make a call to a professional cleaning company to clear accumulated grit, grime and stains.
Here’s an input – Every glass cleaning job doesn’t utilize the same techniques and tools. Hence, these few easy tips may assist you in maintaining the glass on your doors and windows depending on frequency and condition:
Routine Glass Cleaning
When to clean
Regular cleaning is recommended and can be scheduled once or twice a week, depending on your glass’s exposure to dirt, pollution or even the weather. Speaking of which, overcast days are ideal to get your routine cleaning done as sometimes the bright sun tends to rapidly dry off solutions or water, leaving behind frustrating streaks. In case of automated doors ensure that the slide or swing mechanism is switched off during the cleaning activity
What to use
In case you prefer natural ingredients, attempt this miracle concoction of isopropyl alcohol, distilled water and vinegar. Spray it on and wipe off with a clean microfiber cloth, squeegee or some good quality newspaper. If you prefer ready-made cleaning solutions try Windex or Sparkle. Just spray on, wipe clean and buff.
How to clean
Begin at the top and work your way down. In this way, you can avoid dripping onto a cleaned surface, increasing the efficiency levels. After all, you wouldn’t want to spend an entire day scrubbing doors and windows!
In corners, use cotton swabs for a neat finish. Also, go easy on the liquid cleaner. The lesser the suds, the better the effect.
Here’s a simple rundown of steps if you are cleaning your windows.
Heavy Duty Glass Cleaning
When to clean
Occasionally, glass windows and doors need a deeper cleaning job especially those in flats closer to the sea in order to get rid of all kinds of build-up such as salt, oil, paint, glue and what not! Neglected glass windows and doors also tend to get caked with hard to remove dirt patches and this can damage and scratch the glass surface beyond repair. The problem gets worse for cleaning glass panels located in difficult to reach areas such as external facades. These situations clearly call for a heavy duty and carefully planned job.
What to use
Never, and we repeat Never, use harsh tools such as scrapers, knives, steel wool or blades to shift stubborn debris or material. This can result in glass wreckage and the need to replace it. Instead, utilize a stronger detergent or cleaning solution such as an acid or alcohol based one.
How to clean
Apply the cleaning solution to a wet cloth and scour the area till it’s clean. This process may involve some elbow grease but be patient and thorough. Make sure you use good quality rubber gloves as well. Also, never wipe glass with a dry cloth or spray a strong cleaning solution directly onto the glass surface. Lastly, be cautious not to harm the skirting material such as vinyl, wood or plastic.
Hence a routine cleaning will make life simpler for you but if a heavy duty session is required, get the job done pronto! Refrain from postponing the task any longer and henceforth, ensure you pay regular attention to your glass windows and doors and they will reward you by shining merrily throughout the year, for a long time to come.