Mineral Deposit Edu for Customers

Hard water stains or mineral deposits can occur all the way up sixty six stories, or just on the first floor.  They can come from brickwork, concrete facades, sprinkler systems, or the garden hose.  They can also result on the inside of windows surrounding indoor pools.  When they form they can be extremely difficult to remove.  Most times very special polishing procedures are required to accomplish this.  Acids which etch glass should never be used to remove mineral deposits since these can very quickly and easily destroy windows.  It is because of these reasons that the correct procedure for "clearing" windows of mineral deposits can be extremely expensive.

Our customer might tell us to just use a little steel wool.  Or extra soap?  Or what about a store bought product people use on their bathroom fixtures?  Obviously they are not familiar with the nature of the problem.  Mineral deposits can start developing on an invisible level.  Then they become more and more noticeable until they are very unsightly and absolutely impossible to remove with a simple inexpensive procedure.  The greatest reason for this is that such spots are very similar to glass itself.  They are based on a combination of silicates and silica.  This is what the matrix of glass is.  It is like trying to remove paint from paint.  Another reason why they are so difficult to remove lies in the fact that exterior glass surfaces on a microscopic level look like the lunar landscape.  Check out the picture here on this blog showing what the etched surface of window glass looks like.  Over time the exterior/weather side of window glass is attacked mostly by acid rain and is badly etched.  Water vapor will react with the elements that make up soda lime/window glass literally leaching away certain atomic components.  You can actually feel this by lightly running a dry fingertip  across the dry inside surface of a storm window and compare this to the outside surface of the same plate of glass. The outside surface will be much more rough.  Mineral deposits which are essentially silicon based salts, will fill in and strongly attach themselves to the windows by means of these microscopic leached pores. 

Water spots or mineral deposits can actually be seen before they become obvious by simply fogging a "clean" window surface with your breath.  As the fog forms it will show up every spot.  Then as the fog vanishes so do the spots.  Try running a dry fingertip across that surface and you will soon notice how much friction this generates.  If you polish a clear spot using an ultra pure polishing compound you will notice how smooth it becomes.  Try doing this with steel wool, extra soap, or bathroom stain remover based on hydrochloric acid. It just won't happen.

Further.  If the effort is made to remove all spotting/minerals early on before they become tenaciously attached and quite unsightly; then a special sealer should be applied immediately after the restoration work is performed.  Make sure the sealer is one that has been tested and is not attacked by alkali chemistry or UVC. Your window cleaner will know exactly which one to use. The application of such a chemical will help to keep the windows looking absolutely pristine.

So if your window cleaner tells you that it would be a good thing to "restore" your windows, it would be a good thing to listen.  Listen now, pay a little now, or pay a LOT later down the line.  The choice is up to you!

Written by Henry Grover Jr.
henrygroverjr@gmail.com

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Also if you have any interest in any of the products mentioned or alluded to in any of these posts please just send me an email.

Busting Fingerprints with Baking Soda & SKRUB

This is good old Baking Soda.  Pure sodium bicarbonate.  The chemical formula is NaHCO3.  The CAS# is 144-55-8.  It is an irritant to the skin and eyes as it is a mild alkali.  And reacts with various acids to release little bubbles of carbon dioxide along with detergent salts.  Which form directly between the surface in need of being cleaned and the grease.  This facilitates easy removal by rinse water.  Another way of explaining this is that the sodium bicarbonate actually creates detergents directly between the surface in need of being cleaned and the acidic greasy deposits like greasy fingerprints.  The CO2 bubbles help to work the detergents in removing the grease.  It therefore is a rather effective cleaning agent.  When adding another detergent such as Dawn along with a micro-crystalline silica such as SKRUB you end up with a very powerful window cleaning solution.  One of the best print busters yet. 

I tried mixing just Baking Soda with water at one teaspoon to a gallon of water.  It gave me just enough glide with a brand new rubber to eliminate chatter.  But when I doubled this ratio I ended up with a concentration that I could move with.  The only immediate problem that I could see was a slight bleeding effect.  Also when a water line ran out from the window edge and dried, it left a white mark from the chemical.  So I needed to be perfect.  Although this could be seen as an advantage.  It makes being perfect easier.  Since any mistakes would be very easy to spot and correct.

Written by Henry Grover Jr

henrygroverjr@gmail.com

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Products and Knowledge

I am absolutely NOT going to sell all of the products mentioned in these posts.  It would be way beyond my abilities.  Especially now just starting out.  My number one focus here is to develop a community of Professional Window Cleaners who are highly interested in advanced "transformational products".  Along with learning more about Glass Surface Maintenance And Restoration Technology. Or G-S.M.A.R.T.  These products, whether they be those I am selling or someones else's, will form the base from which we will be able to execute this technology. But it is still that body of knowledge that will transport us to where we want to go.  We all know that a squeegee is a fantastic tool.  If you leave the house without any in your work vehicle, you had better turn around.  BUT.  If you don't have the knowledge and skill it takes to use one correctly, then just give it up.  The same is true for the products I am promoting through this blog.  Knowledge, experience, talent, and skill are all critically important for the correct and best use of these products.

Written by Henry Grover Jr.

henrygroverjr@gmail.com

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SKRUB

Skrub is a synthetic microcrystalline silica compound based on a pure glycerin carrier.  The formula is 50/50 silica and glycerin by volume.  The cost is 13.75 for an eight ounce container.  Plus 3.75 for shipping.  I am taking checks by mail or Pay Pal.  Please call with any questions Mon through Fri from 9 to 5 eastern time.  603-498-9474.  Or email anytime.

It is used as an additive for any cleaning solution.  Just a half ounce per gallon.  It can also be used as a hard water spot remover for light mineral deposits.

Check out my other two posts "Skrub;...Steel Wool for Your Bucket" and "Removing Glass Stains With Skrub". 

Henry Grover Jr.

email henrygroverjr@gmail.com

Creating The Correct Contact Angle for a WFP

The two terms hydrophylic and hydrophobic are purely arbitrary.  They are only generalizations. NOT accurate definitions.  The true scientific measure of how much a glass surface deflects or "beads" water is Contact Angle (CA).  This varies greatly depending on the chemical sealant used and the coefficient of friction (CF) of the surface.  If the surface has not been chemically treated so that it is chemically identical to any other glass surface that has not been chemically treated, then the greater the CF (the more rough it is) the less the CA will be. And hence the more it will hold onto and tend to "sheet" the rinse water from your pole.  Put crudely;.. if you really rough up a window it will hold onto more water and not bead.  It will "sheet" better.  This is the reason why guys have been able to "make" hydrophylic glass with bronze wool.  
It would be nice if we had a way to accurately measure the CA without buying a five hundred dollar piece of scientific equipment.  However I think what is more important is to find a way to create the best surface for the WFP.  Best for you. One that can be custom tailored to your personal liking.  And then to simply and quickly test such a surface for uniformity and perfection.  We do know that applying Rain-X or Aquapel is NOT the answer!
First we need to create a five micron surface with a five micron cerium oxide compound using the Wobble Wheel and a hard felt rad (ring/pad).  Then test the uniformity and perfection with a cold fogger/mister.  You can get one for as little as 25 bux.  When you fog the surface it will create zillions of microscopic droplets of water.  If the surface has not been perfectly microlapped you will see this in the pattern of micro-droplets.  Which pattern should be totally smooth without any imperfections.  Then you will want to hit the window with your WFP to see if you get the best sheeting action.  The window will probably hold onto your rinse water too much.  Five micron pure glass (no residue) surfaces will hold onto water with an iron grip.  One micron surfaces are less water loving.  They have a lower CF.  You might try creating a perfect one micron surface.  If you can create this superfinish test it for sheeting with your WFP.  If this is a CA that is good for you then you're there!  Such a pure glass surface would be the best way to go since there aren't any chemicals to wear off.  You might even experiment on the same plate of glass by creating a one micron surface on one side and a five micron surface on the other side. Then put your WFP to it and see what the results are.  If you still need a surface with a higher CA then you will need to go to a chemical.
Now we all know that Rain-X creates a CA which is way too high for WFP work.  But did you know it is possible to reduce the CA created by Rain-X by cutting this product with isopropyl alcohol? Try it out on a surface that has been microlapped.  Keep track of your percent of alcohol to product (Rain-X).  Set up side by side tests using different percentages and see which one works out best with your pole.  Next you will need to do an entire window and time yourself.  Then you will have to sell it to yourself and your customer.  Can you convert certain windows from windows that cannot be cleaned with a WFP to ones that now can be?  Will it save you enough time and or will it save your customer enough money?  There must be a monetary reason for doing this other than the satisfaction we get from a scientific experiment gone absolutely wonderful!

Written by Henry Grover Jr.

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For product sales henrygroverjr@gmail.com