Testing Mineral Acids for Glass Surface Safety

If you want to learn about mineral acids go here.  Mineral Acids Wikipedia  You will learn exactly what a mineral acid is and what are some of the strongest ones.  As window cleaners we have used certain ones like hydrochloric, hydrofluoric, nitric, and sulfuric.  These are four of the strongest.  We also have products intended to remove mineral deposits (hard water spots) that are based on some of these very powerful acids.  They are all dangerous.  They can blind you, burn and strip your skin from your hands, and do extreme harm to your lungs.  Just read the MSDS (SDS) for any one of them.  What you can't easily learn is which ones will do little to no harm to glass surfaces.  Which ones will have no effect at removing hard water spots from glass.  Which ones can potentially do very bad damage to glass surfaces under different circumstances.  And which ones have been blended into commercial products for removing hard water spots from window glass.  

Now none of us want to chance doing harm to our own or another persons body.  So we would want to  stay away from powerful acids like these for this reason alone.  Regarding the potential harm that an acid or an alkali (base) can have on glass however, this is something that many window cleaners wonder about.  The reasoning they follow is rather simple.  If I can protect myself from any physical harm of a certain chemical or product, and know in advance that there is no chance that it will destroy the windows I am attempting to restore, then why not use it.  I would say of course the choice would be yours.

On this last note about knowing that the chemical or product absolutely could not and would not do any damage to the glass surface;...this is something that you should always ask yourself.  How do we know?  

When I started down this road many years ago I got out the books and started doing research.  I asked different manufacturers.  And quickly discovered there were no absolute answers.  So I started buying acids, products, and new glass test plates from the local glass shop.  Then I started doing my own experiments.  I let my imagination run.  What I learned from these flights was amazing!  Things that no other window cleaner or book could tell me.  Then I started traveling to buildings that had been chemically wasted.  Went home and was able to duplicate the damage using the same products and chemicals.  It was fascinating.

The bottom line is that I was able to develop many different tests and standards that could plainly tell me in advance exactly which products and chemicals were "safe" and which were not.  With these tests and standards I didn't need any other knowledge from any source.  The tests served as my own personal compass.

With this knowledge you would never have to ask anyone any questions about any new product.  YOU become the authority.  That Is what I am now working on with the IGSA Tests and Standards Publication.  I am working on developing an internal consulting group within the window cleaning industry worldwide.  IGSA stands for International Glass Smart Association.  And Smart stands for Surface Maintenance And Restoration Technology.

If you would like to know more about the IGSA writings just send me a question at henrygrover222@gmail.com

    Tests and Standards

Written by Henry Grover Jr.

Explosive Profits with a Glass Protection Maintenance Service!

From what I have learned from other window cleaners the product NG1010 from Nanovations USA is one of the very best DIY aftermarket glass sealers on the market.  As soon as the spring starts again I am going to personally start presenting this to my current window cleaning customers.  Bottom line there is WAY more money to make applying this product than just cleaning windows, removing scratches, or removing hard water stains.

I have heard of other window cleaners making 150 USD in a single hour.  And sometimes much more.  Priced by the square foot.  One sliding glass door can be done in 15 minutes at 75 USD.  That would be about five dollars per square foot.

Sometimes you might want to remove some very light stains.  Or just do a very quick polish with some cerium oxide.  There are ways to test the surface with a fogger once you have polished with a cerium slurry.  A well polished surface will react better and really hold on to the stain.  Allowing a complete SAM "Self Assembled Mono-Layer" to form. 

Watch this video/test that Marc Tanner performs on an inside fountain at a Mall in Florida.  It runs 24 hours a day nonstop.  Marc is unbelievable!  He has so much experience and is so very innovative.  Another good friend that I treasure having as a part of my little master mind group.  Although the truth is that we have SO many of these people.  I have started some years ago to introduce such ones to our industry through my Glass Smart YouTube Channel and this blog.  As I come into product development, continue to work on my You Tube again, write this blog, and begin publishing a report/white paper on testing and standards for my association IGSA, I hope to continue to help our industry.  It has served me well for 44 years now and given me much joy through the people I have come to know because of it.  Now we are moving into 2025 and it will be 45 years.

The best application opportunities are of course inside because there is no possible degradation to the NG1010 coating from UV radiation.  But it is still a worthy test on a fountain with continuous hard water.  This next test by Nick Evans will leave you in total disbelief.  You will be convinced as I am.

Check out this next video made by Nick Evans of  Glass Genius located in New Zealand.  And pay very close attention to the numbers that he explains!  Nick is a good friend even though he lives on the other side of this planet!  And truly is a glass genius.

Nanovations USA

I have personally proven that the NG1010 product is very effective at helping to protect from scratches.  So it would be very easy to sell to the service for inside partition glass, shower doors, large sliding glass doors, and mirrors.  

It is a perfect product too for creating "invisible images" and lettering for advertising on bathroom mirrors.  The process is simple.  Just high speed polish with a cerium slurry, clean, apply a computer cut vinyl mask, apply NG1010, and remove the mask.  When the mirror fogs, the image and message magically appears.  When the fog disappears the image and message disappear.

Any more questions just ask,

Publishing IGSA Testing and Standards

Written by Henry Grover Jr.

If you would like to join the International Glass Smart Association  (IGSA) just send me an email.

henrygrover222@gmail.com

 

Overcoming Water Fed Pole Limitations

There are many severe limitations of a WFP.  They are very well known by almost everyone.  But are universally ignored because of the extreme advantages of this kind of work.  So I won't list them out in this small article.  Rather I prefer to address a few of the ways we have had success in getting around some of them.

Ordinary heavy dirt can be removed by using a flat scrub pad made of 0000 steel wool, very fine bronze wool,  plastic scrub pads that will not scratch glass, and other super abrasive plastic media.  Organic (woody) scrubbing media have the tendency of absorbing water and can become soft.  Some types of crushed/powderized  nut shells and other similar materials are more prone to this problem than others.

I hesitate in mentioning any of the organic or mineral acids that will not readily etch glass surfaces or titanium dioxide low e coated surfaces.  Although it is true that they do exist.  You can either call, text, or email me for some direct answers to this question.  But I will always suggest that you perform the tests yourself.  These tests also are good for the alkalies such as sodium or potassium hydroxide.  The greatest problem is that because glass has many chemical "reaction sites" on the surface damage can easily result.  If other conditions are present at the time that these chemicals are used.  Nonetheless it is true that there are certain times when certain liquid organic solvents, mineral acids, and alkaline liquids with a pH above 7;...can be safely used.

To substantiate my point here all I have to do is site a very well known scientific fact that pure water with a pH of 7 is known to etch glass under the right conditions.  One of my most interesting statements by Paul Duffer was that, "Glass surfaces are alive.".  Meaning that a glass surface is always chemically active.  It is always changing dependent on time, temperature, and humidity. 

I always advise never using chemicals like sulfuric acid, ammoniumbifluoride, and hydrofluoric acid.  Even in very low concentrations.  With a water fed pole or trad work.

My goal here is to create a group of window cleaning professionals worldwide that can double as consultants to the building and other industries.  Called IGSA.  This is something I have given a great deal of thought to.  Along the way I have met up with many incredible people.  Which I am certain will jump on such an opportunity.  The best way to make it happen I am thinking now is to help them and others do the work that will help them hands on to acquire the knowledge and experience needed to become members of such a group.

I am not going to promise anything.  But will begin by starting a series of papers called the IGSA Tests and Standards.  It will end when I end.  But hopefully it will help to form a small group of professional window cleaning consultants who will lead our industry in a direction where we will be more respected for our expertise.

And so I will change this blog once again to refocus on the IGSA Tests and Standards.  Along with the technology of new product development of course.  Forensic Window Cleaning is actually a precursor to such a change.  Although I didn't know it at the time of writing these articles/posts.

Winter, right before the IWCA Convention is a great time to begin this.  IGSA Tests will be available by email, billed by PayPal to start, and be priced at 25 dollars per issue.  I will send you an email once you subscribe when the next one is available.  The first one is called, "Testing Mineral Acids for Glass Surface Safety".

Hope you enjoy!

Written by  Henry Grover Jr.

Email Me!

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