No drops no spots! This is even true if your water reads 444 TDS. Now I know many of you think that hydrophobic windows are the best for WFP work. But the truth is if there are any water drops left behind that have most any level of total dissolved solids (minerals), when they dry they will leave behind mineral spots. But as I have said no drops no spots. Whether your TDS is 5 or 444. But how do you accomplish this?
Well as I have explained in previous posts there are three basic ways. The very first is by mechanically or chemically or both you deep clean the glass surface. This will remove all water repellant substances. Which will reveal the silanol and silica molecular elements of glass which are water loving or hydrophylic. Here is a video I made that shows how to do this by mechanically polishing glass with a cerium embedded disc. I show off my Mini Wobble Wheel too.
This technique can be improved by employing a mechano-chemical technique. This involves using a sodium hydroxide solution.
The next method requires sealing a deep cleaned window glass surface with a functionalized ceramic nanoparticle with silanol groups which are hydrophylic. Such a treatment works really great the first time but will wear off over time. So it is good if you can couple this with the first technique.
The third technique involves adding a surfactant to your cleaning water that will help clean the glass and sheet the glass. This because the surfactant will break down the natural surface tension of water and cause it to spread out so that it will not be prone to leave drops. The surfactant chosen must be very effective at doing this but it must also create the least amount of foam or suds. The Draves Test for Wetting Agents is an interesting test for surfactants. There are many examples on YouTube.
But what exactly is the process here when we go from phobic to phylic in WFP window cleaning? The method is very much the same. In that you clean and rinse with the same water. Unless you use the first technique which is much more involved. The main difference is how the water/cleaner/treatment leaves the window. Instead of "running off" which will leave water behind to evaporate;...it will "sheet off very slowly" leaving a completely dry clean window. If you are using a surfactant/wetting agent you will notice a line form at the top of the window separating the upper dry part from the lower wet part. The wet area will move down slowly. Until the entire window is dry and clean without a single drop or spot. This always works best on humid 40 to 50 degree days. An interesting effect to look for as this happens is what looks like a tree line of pines. The very top of the pine trees can form multiple colors. When I first did this I had no idea what this was going to look like until I did it!
I told you in the last post I did that I was going to introduce you to the geniuses among us that I will be working with in product development. Well here is Jack. He has had a YouTube channel for some time now. I am sure you will find his work with WFPs VERY interesting!
https://www.youtube.com/@Jack-Surreal_Panes/videos
Written by Henry Grover
