Can I Clean The Stained Glass On My San Antonio Home Myself?

By Martin Faith Stained Glass Repair And Restoration Comments Off

Does Your Stained Glass Need Cleaning?

The dawn of the DIY era is here. That’s right, in this day and age, almost anything can be done at home these days if you have a bit of time, a small budget and, of course, Google. Stained glass cleaning is no different and there are a lot of articles out there about how to clean your stained glass yourself. But, it is hard to know which one to trust. As stained glass professionals, we suggest you take all of them with a grain of salt. Whether or not you should clean your own stained glass really comes down to two things:
a. Exactly what needs to be done
b. Whether or not doing it yourself is good for your health and the health of your stained glass.

To find out when to clean your stained glass yourself and when to hire a professional, like Stained Glass San Antonio, read on!

When And How To Clean Stained Glass Yourself

Stained glass is a very strong material, but, you really need to be careful when touching it or cleaning it. If your goal is just to get rid of some dust on your stained glass, then using a chemical-free duster and lightly sweeping away dust is fine. If your stained glass needs a bit more cleaning, you can use a simple dish soap and water to get rid of light grime. Be sure you are in a strong position, not on a ladder or windowsill, so you don’t fall into the glass and break it or hurt yourself. You clean stained glass by gently rubbing each pane of glass from the inside out with an upward, gentle, scoop-like motion. BE CAREFUL though and never scrub the glass. You likely want to go back through each piece with a wet soapless cloth to “rinse” any residue left on the glass from cleaning too.

When Not To Clean Your Stained Glass Yourself

Like we mentioned before, stained glass can hold up fairly well but, caution is integral if you want your stained glass to have a long life. We feel, the best idea for stained glass cleaning is really, to just call a professional like Stained Glass San Antonio. Below are some reasons you absolutely need to call a professional.
-Your stained glass is more than 50 years old
-Your stained glass shows any signs of sagging, cracks, gaps or other disrepair
-Your stained glass does not come clean with soap and water. *Remember, the chemicals it takes to get rid of extremely tarnished stained glass can be very harmful to you or your family
-Your stained glass is up high or in a hard to reach area
-Your stained glass is visibly very tarnished–soap and water simply won’t work on layers of caked on grime

If you are ready to get your stained glass looking bright and new again but don’t want to deal with the hassle and inherent danger of cleaning it yourself, remember, there are experts to do it for you. Keep in mind also that a simple cleaning is much less expensive than an extensive repair should you damage your stained glass doing it yourself. Contact Stained Glass San Antonio today for a free stained glass cleaning estimate!

Martin Faith

Martin Faith is a stained glass artisan from Glasgow and a collector of rare and antique stained glass windows. Martin has spent over 30 years perfecting his skills as a glassmaker and is well-versed in both traditional and modern techniques, as well as a range of stained glass styles, including Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Mackintosh, Prairie, Mission, and beveled glass. Shortly after moving to the United States, Martin started his own business selling stained glass windows. Stained Glass San Antonio has produced over 50,000 stained and leaded glass windows and successfully completed hundreds of religious glass restoration projects for churches.