AboutRobert Lamb Expertise I'm happy to answer any questions you have regarding the cleaning and restoration of your windows. I can also view your pictures via email and give you advice on what you can do yourself and what needs to be left to the pros. I can also give advise on scratched glass, how to repair it & what caused it.
Pressure washing and gutter cleaning are other areas of expertise.
Experience Over 20 years in the window cleaning industry, owning and operating two window cleaning companies, Rob's Window Cleaning http://www.robswindowcleaning.com and Window Masters http://www.mywindowmasters.com and http://www.robscleaningservice.com
Organizations IWCA, window cleaning network, chamber of commerce
Publications "Window Cleaner" magazine
Education/Credentials International Window Cleaning (IWCA) training on man lifts, awning cleaning and window cleaning.
Awards and Honors Voted best window cleaner in Western Kentucky.
Past/Present Clients Applebee's, Cracker Barrel, CVS Pharmacy, Dairy Queen, Dollar General, Edward Jones, Enterprise Rent A Car, Ethan Allen, Fashion Bug, Fazoli's, FYE Music, GNC, H&R Block, Hardee's, Hot Topic, Kentucky Dam Village, Kroger, Logan's Roadhouse, Market House Museum, O' Charley's, Radio Shack, Rafferty's, Remax, Sirk & Co., Stanley Steamer, State Farm, Steak N Shake, Talbots, The Buckle, The Gap, The Outback, Toys Are Us, Victoria's Secret, and hundreds of others.
Question So I've heard wood ashes are good for cleaning wood stove doors of glass. Are they good for cleaning windows with UV ratings? should one make a paste by adding water? and will the mixture in any way damage the window frames of vinyl. I always thought lye was caustic. Also could such a paste be used to remove water marks on other surfaces that resulted from heavily mineralized water?
Answer Tina,
I would not use wood ashes to clean your windows or to try and remove hard water marks.
Wood ash can be used to make soap, but that's another story.
You are now in my Window Cleaning 101 class!
First, make sure you have a window cleaning squeegee. You'll need the kind used by window cleaning professionals, not the kind used to clean automobile glass. You can find a professional window cleaning squeegee at a Home Depot or similar store. Unger and Ettore make these squeegees and are the name brand most commonly found. Also, make sure you use a new rubber blade as an old blade is sure to have nicks and cracks in it and will leave streaks on your windows. If you can't change the rubber blade in your squeegee, you don't have the right kind of squeegee.
The next step is simple, assuming you don't have any tree sap, or baked on "goodies" (bird dung, insect remnants, etc. that may cling to your window) all you need is a good window cleaning solution and a lint free cloth. If you do have some hard-to-remove object stuck to your windows, you can use triple fine steel wool to remove the offensive residue.
About steel wool: Steel wool is graded by its abrasive properties. You will be able to tell what kind you have, from grade 1-4, by the zeros on the packaging. Do not use "0" or "00" grade steel wool as they are too coarse. On the other hand, "000" or triple fine and "0000" steel wool will work just fine. Also never use rusty steel wool. The reasoning behind all of this is based on the Mohs scale. Mohs rates the "hardness" of a mineral, in this case silica (the main ingredient in glass) as opposed to iron (steel wool in this case). Look it up if you want to know more about this, or just trust my 20 + years of experience.
Note, most window glass found in homes today is "float glass" and is processed by highly trained individuals in a plant that has high standards. Some glass, though, is tempered glass that comes from temperers that have little regard for the public. Professional window cleaners are constantly finding tempered glass in residential and commercial applications that have fabricating debris baked into the glass. This debris is sometimes microscopic and is only discovered when a window cleaning razor (sometimes used instead of steel wool) is run across the glass. When this happens and fabricating debris is present, the debris will break off, get caught under the glass and then cause micro fine scratches in the glass. Remember, this only happens if the glass has been tempered. Tempered glass is typically used in areas where there is a danger of the glass breaking. For example, it should be in all glass doors, and in large plate glass, like picture windows. If you are unsure if your glass is tempered or not, you can look in one corner of the glass for a small sandblasted logo that is supposed to be applied by the temperer.
Now for the window cleaning solution. Water is a great solvent. If you add a few drops of dish washing detergent in a pail of warm water you have your basic window cleaning solution. If you have a smoker in the house, or if you use gas heat, or if you do a lot of frying when you cook, your windows may have some oil on them that needs to be cut with ammonia. (Save your vinegar for your salad dressing.) The correct proportions of these ingredients? Less is better! Use about 1/2 teaspoon to 5 gallons or hot water. If you use the ammonia, you will only need 1/4 cup to 5 gallons of water. In my humble opinion, this works far better than the "blue stuff"! Add your detergent to your water, not the other way around or you will have far too many bubbles. What kind of dish washing detergent? It doesn't really matter. My personal favorite is Dawn or Joy.
Now all you need is a lint free cloth. You can use the microfiber cloth if you want. There are other kinds that also work well. I personally like huck towels that can be ordered from a window cleaning distributor.
A beginner window cleaner, yourself, would dip a sponge (or brush) into the 5 gallon of window cleaning solution and "scrub the window with it. (By the way, there is a special tool made for this, a T bar, but you don't really have to have it.) For any hard to remove spots, just break out the steel wool.
Finally, holding your professional squeegee vertical, wipe a clean, dry swath across your window, wiping the squeegee dry after each pass. On the following pass and thereafter, overlap your swaths by 1/4 of an inch and finish by detailing with your lint free cloth.
You may find it helpful to pre-detail by using your cloth to wipe around the top and sides of the wet window before you squeegee.
Now do you have more appreciation for a professional window cleaner? Oh my, now you CAN BE a professional window cleaner!
To remove hard water marks from glass, you will no doubt need to use a restoration method professional window cleaners use. The two methods are chemical and mechanical.
Chemical: The most effective method is to use a chemical or chemical formula that is acid based. You may need a harsh acid like hydrofluoric acid. This is extremely corrosive and dangerous to handle though. See the Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrofluoric_acid.
Mechanical: This method is usually done by buffing off the glass using an abrasive like cerim oxide commonly called "jeweller's rouge". The process can be dramatically expedited by using a power buffer or drill.
