Beta Testing Plastee Gritt

Plastee Gritt abrasive is a urea powder of approximately 100 microns particle size.  Since it is made of plastic it is softer than glass and shouldn't scratch.  Even at this large particle size.  I suggest mixing it with various solvents such as Oil Flo from Titan Lab, or Goo Gone, or a DLimonene product which the WCR has samples of right now.  It can be applied to a small flat applicator and rubbed.  I have used it for removing water based paint that was very old.  I just mixed it with soapy water and it ate the paint right off.  I mixed it with the WCRs DLimonene product and put it on a paper towel on the tip of a pole and it ate off some old thick runs of tree sap in seconds.  I have glued it to a cloth, so as to make a type of plastic abrasive "sandpaper". Then put this "compopaper" on a flat applicator and knocked off shotgun fungi with a pole and soapy water.  The abrasive particles are just large enough, hard enough, and sharp enough to cut through most soft stuff.  Even silicone residue.  But they are softer than glass.  

If you do any testing please post your results on my SURFACES subforum in the garage section of the WCR Forum.

Also, if anyone would like any small samples of this Plastee Gritt just send your name, business name, and shipping address to my email henrygroverjr@gmail.com

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Written by Henry Grover Jr.

For product sales henrygroverjr@gmail.com

Using Diamond Particles

Diamonds are not just for beautiful women.  In fact I don’t think we would win favors if we were to give a lady a handful of the kind of diamonds I am thinking about.  She might think you were giving her a handful of grey ash from the wood stove. Further, if she sneezed she would cost you at least fifty bux.  Not good!
Of course I am talking about micro and even nanoscopic polycrystalline diamond particles which in pure form resemble a very dry grey powder.  This powder is used by various industries for cutting, grinding, polishing, and even superpolishing.  We are interested in the very last application.
There are several ways these little particles are used.  First they are put into different thick carriers to create custom compounds which are color coded to indicate average micron size and rated light, medium, or heavy.  These different weights have different prices.  Heavy being the most expensive.  Another way to use diamond powder is to create what is called a colloidal suspension.  This is like an extremely light compound made up mostly of water or some type of oil or hydrocarbon fluid with a detergent added to improve the suspension. Another use is to load different materials such as soft rubber-like polymers, or even different metals.  Another little trick involves binding particles with a glue to the surface of metals and plastic films.  One such application involves coating a 3 mil thick sheet of polyester film with different sized diamond particles making it possible to polish surfaces with just water.
The Diamond Clear Restoration System includes the use of all these applications.  It will grow over time as the technology for implementing the different applications becomes more varied and refined.

I have several reasons for attempting to go “all diamond”.  First I have had great success using diamond. Second it simply makes sense to me.  This is a particle that is so much harder than glass. It is also known to cut glass with ease.  Which is what polishing is all about.  Even superpolishing. Also the technology for creating nanoscopic diamonds is now quite common.  Brand new glass straight off the tin bath will have surface micropores about five microns across.  You could string fifty diamond particles (each being one hundred nanometers in size) from one side of a micropore to the other.
You will have difficulty eliminating abrasion haze if you use a three micron diamond particle.  Also a half micron diamond colloid will not effectively remove such a haze once formed. Further even though a half micron nano diamond will not leave a haze it is rather ineffective at removing stains.  From these simple facts it appears obvious that very specific techniques are required in using diamond to remove stains from glass.  This will be the subject of future research and product development. Which you will discover here first.  But only if you put your email address in the box to the right "Follow By Email".   

Written by Henry Grover Jr.

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Abrasion Haze

It is very important when removing hard water deposits from window glass to watch for abrasion haze.  This is the result of either the wrong polishing technique or the use of the wrong polishing medium, or both.  I have seen it so bad it was easily seen even on a cloudy day.  Although it is usually only visible in the direct sun.  Sometimes only at the right angle in the direct sun.  Second story windows are more likely to show it up.  It appears as many waves of zillions of microscopic scratches.  In any case however it is grounds for a lawsuit if the customer sees it.

The best way to avoid it is to always use any pad or polishing surface completely flat on the glass.  My new Gyro Wheel makes this very easy.  Next make sure your superabrasives are indeed opticaly safe.  One way to do this is to experiment with your "complete system" on a new mirror blank.  Then hit one half of the area polished with a solution of battery acid.  This is around a 37% solution of sulfuric acid.  You could also use a 1 to 2 percent solution of hydrofluoric acid.  These acids will greatly accent any scratches left behind by your polishing process.  The side of the polished area of the glass which has not been touched will serve as your control.  If you see any abrasion haze I personally would not use that system but rather look for another.

Another way to make absolutely sure you are safe after performing the mirror test is to do an on site test.  Do it on a bright sunny day.  If you are intending on doing second story windows wait until around two to three in the afternoon.  Then clear the stains off a two by two foot section of the window. Stand back about fifty to a hundred feet and look real close.  You shouldn't see any waves.

The greatest haze is usually caused by using circular pads turned on edge (ripping the surface).  Companies will do this using cerium oxide straight out of open containers.  By first wetting the window, touching the edge of the wet felt pad to the dry powder, then running the edge of the pad across the window.  This technique even if the cerium oxide is optical grade, will create severe abrasion haze.  Which can easily be completely invisible except in the direct sun.

I have many reasons why I would never suggest using acids that etch glass like hydrofluoric, sulfuric, or ammonium bifluoride. One of which is the fact that once someone has left an abrasion haze by ripping the glass, such damage can be greatly accented by the acid.  As I have shown by the first test sited.  Further, you will never know if such damage is present because it has been hid/covered over by new hard water deposits.  The customer might never have even noticed it when the stains were removed the first time with the cerium.  But now this damage is very visible.  The customer will then be able to easily see it. And you will be held accountable for "scratching" the windows.

Written by Henry Grover Jr.
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Functionalizing Glass Surfaces

Cleaning windows is just the beginning.  Chemistry and nanotechnology now allow us to completely change the physical and electrical properties of window glass.  This is known as functionalizing.  What are the benefits?

             First we can give glass a “rain guard”.  The surface is made hydrophobic.  Such a treatment is desirable for vehicles as it greatly improves visibility in rain storms.  It is also great for greenhouses.  Choosing the right chemical and knowing how to best apply it is critical to longevity and performance.

Gaurding glass from stains can be done using specialized hydrophobic treatments.  Hard water spots from concrete efflorescence, and sprinkler systems (ground water) can be a real problem as they take away from the aesthetics of the building.

Invisible scratch/mar guards work well on high traffic doors, entryways, high profile exterior glass, and mirrors.  These also are hydrophobic and help with routine cleaning.

Hydrophylic (water loving) reactive coatings are great for antifog properties on bathroom mirrors and certain windows.  These treatments also make it easier to clean the outside of high windows using a water fed pole.

Another  very interesting application for hydrophobic treatments of mirror glass is what I call peekaboo stenciling.  It is possible to create images and lettering on bathroom mirrors that are completely invisible until the mirror is fogged.  But when the fog goes away so does the image.  This process will repeat forever.  It is permanent over the life of the mirror if cleaned correctly.  It is a great advertising idea that works especially well for motels and hotels.  These could even sell small mirrors with their logo, name,  phone number, and website to their customers for advertising purposes. 

For this matter even hair salons might be interested in doing this on small four by four inch mirrors that they could pass out to their best customers.  Young girls especially find this fascinating.  They would keep the mirror in their hand bag.  Then they would show their friend by taking it out and breathing on it. 

The idea  even works on ice box glass doors.  Every time they are opened they fog up.    Anything can be advertised such as ice cream or anything else that must be kept frozen.  There are likely many other ideas for functionalized glass that can be explored.

Written By Henry Grover jr.

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Properties of Micro & Nanoscopic Particles

The abrasives industry is a many faceted animal.  The technology of creating particles used in polishing hard surfaces has advanced tremendously over the last several decades.  Currently we can manufacture particles measured not just in microns but in nanometers.  A single nanometer is a thousand times smaller than a micron.  The average sized micro-pore of a glass surface is five microns across.  So a ten nanometer particle would be five hundred times smaller than this.  More than size we must consider hardness.  There is also morphology (shape) which is typically controlled by the crystal structure.  Which in turn is controlled by the chemistry.  The property of agglomeration is something to consider as well.  This simply means that the individual particles tend to ‘ball up’.  Such larger agglomerates can create scratches.  Then there is the purity rating.  Powders rated  99.9 percent pure are not at all uncommon.  Next to be considered is the friability of the particle.  In other words, will the particle break up when put to work?  If it does at what pressure and to what size?  This is a very useful property since it allows the user to remove much surface initially then finish with a much smoother surface.  It is also true that friable particles will have new edges for better cutting and refinishing.  There is also the property of chemical reactivity which requires a knowledge of what type of surface the powders will be used on.  Even if the particles will not react directly with the surface forming covalent or even trivalent bonds; they still could be adsorbed onto the surface ionically.  In other words they could be affected by what is otherwise called hydrogen bonding.  One more question to be answered is have these particles been functionalized?  That is has some chemical or chemicals been reacted with the outer surface of the particles so that they are now much more water miscible or oleophilic?  As you can see there is much to consider when looking for a particular particle for a certain formulation or product.  This is a new kind of “particle zoo”!  Lets first consider polycrystalline synthetic diamond particles.  Soda lime flat glass surfaces are rather soft compared to diamond.  Everyone knows that diamond cuts glass.  Just look at how sharp those particles in the above picture are!  Since diamond has a mohs hardness of nine compared to that of glass (which is only seven), you can see how effective these particles  are in resurfacing windows.                                       

There are other abrasives out there too.  Such as cerium oxide, silica, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, cubic boron nitride, and many more.  All of these posses many different properties.  So there are literally thousands of different abrasives that someone can choose from.  Product development can be rather time consuming because of all the experiments that must be run.  Which includes field testing.  Let me give you an example.

Early on I began experimenting with removing hard water spots from windows using many different abrasives.  I learned real fast that particles  must be at least as hard as glass.  They have to be under five microns in size with a purity rating of 99.9 percent.  No agglomerates.  Also certain diamond abrasives didn’t work any better than other abrasives when used in a paste or slurry.  At least on mineral deposits from concrete and hard water.  Yet there were other stains such as those formed from solutions of sodium metasilicate and sodium carbonate that would only yield to diamond compound and paper towels by hand.  

Written By Henry Grover Jr.

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Window Glass Inspections

From almost invisible seriously failed insulating glass units to missing low e coatings, thumbprints and dessicant outgassing in between low e units, negative deflection from leaked argon gas, uncleanable tempered surfaces, reflective distortions of tempered glass, etched surfaces from previous power washing, mineral deposits, scratch damage, weld splatter, chemically crazed and or hazed plexiglass or lexan surfaces;...the list just goes on.  The inspection of window glass is a highly specialized expertise.  But certainly not one that is not needed.  Anyone selling, buying, or building a home or business property could potentially lose many thousands or tens of thousands of dollars due to the cost of replacing such defective units.  Most times it is necessary to have every window in a home professionally cleaned and then professionally inspected on a bright sunny day before any of these defects can be identified.  The Real Estate Agent will always defer to the Home Inspector for all inspection services.  Then the Home Inspector ‘might’ call in other more specialized inspection service professionals if a need is determined.  Owing to the potential cost of replacing damaged or defective windows it only makes sense for the seller, buyer, or builder to make this request to the Home Inspector.  You will need to ask them to have the windows professionally cleaned and then inspected.  The reason is very simple.  That this is almost never done.
When I clean windows I always perform this service free of charge.  I see it as an absolutely essential service on brand new buildings.  Owing to the fact that there is always a full one year warranty on the entire building.  So if you have any defective or damaged windows you can have them replaced free of charge.  If you wait longer than a year you might own them.  It is a very common practice for owners to have a home or commercial building constructed only to clean the windows years later.  This is especially the case for franchise owners.  Over the last three decades plus of cleaning windows I have taken on many new building/commercial accounts, and cleaned many new homes.  In every single case I have uncovered both damaged and defective windows and glass.Most times I can work with the contractor from start to finish to prevent any damage and identify any defects.  This always saves the contractor both time and money.  Defective windows that are discovered early can be replaced at no cost to the contractor and replaced before the time of installation for a timely completion of the project.  If damage is done inadvertently during construction, at times this can be repaired.  Which again will save the contractor.  The contractor will also want to store the glass in such a way that damage does not result. Once the building is complete the windows and mirrors should be maintained to ensure protection.  For example scratches can be removed and prevented.  I call this scratch and abrasion maintenance.  Not every window cleaner offers this service.  I have noticed that franchise restaurants are routinely hit by errant scratches.  Which is certainly not a structural defect but it does take away from the overall beauty of the room.  Simply because little patches of scratches end up looking like food stuff stuck to the glass.  These scratches can be removed and prevented with the right tools and technique.

Written by Henry Grover Jr. 

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Shotgun Fungi On The Run

If you are cleaning an outside window, and you happen to notice those annoying dark brown/black raised nubs scattered all over the glass look around.  You will likely find some mulch nearby.  There is a fungus that grows happily in this stuff that shoots its spores at anything within reach.  When they stick they are very difficult to remove.  As a window cleaner I have always had to use my razor to get them off.  But I would prefer not to if they are on some very expensive tempered glass.  Such as sliding doors that cost 1200 bux each to replace.  So I found a solution.

I took a flat swivel doodle applicator.  Cut it to a 4 by 4 inch square.  Applied a repositional tack to it.  Then applied a soft glue to a soft cotton towel.  And applied a special plastic compositional abrasive.  Softer than glass but much tougher than the fungi.  The towels can be put on and off the plastic doodle a hundred times.  Further I can wet the window then scrub them off.  No need for razor blades.  While this is not a totally foolproof system (to avoid scratches from tempered glass with a problematic surface) it does work pretty well.

If you want in on this technology just call the Window Cleaning Resource.  I have a link on this blog.  

Written by Henry Grover Jr.

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Plastee Grit

This is a new product.  Around 200 microns particle size.  A fine plastic particle for scouring glass surfaces.  Without scratching because it is softer than glass but harder than what we are removing.  As I continue to work for the Window Cleaning Resource in product development it never ceases to amaze me the discoveries I make.  Already tested this product is twice as effective as 0000 steel wool in cutting through deposits with a little soapy water.  I have been experimenting with it loose.  So now I must find ways to bind it to various surfaces with different adhesives.  It will likely aid in what my friend Johnny cals a staight wash.  When you come back to a house after two or three years it isn't possible to just soap, squeegee, and walk.  Usually we must scrub too.  This allows us to wet and scrub at the same time.  Hence jusr a straight wash.  Soap, squeegee, and walk.  Real cool.  The crystals are different colors too.  It looks pretty.  The real kicker is it doesn't soften with water like a walnut shell compositional.  And doesn't rust out leaving a red stain behind after four windows like steel wool.  You will need to contact the WCR for samples.  Call them, not me.

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Written by Henry Grover Jr

For product sales henrygroverjr@gmail.com

Diamond Clear Restoration Systems

Diamond is certainly not the hardest substance on earth. Although for a long time it was thought to be.  Nonetheless it does posses some rather interesting properties. One of these is its use as a superabrasive.  Particles of diamond can be manufactured down into the nanometer range.  With the same hardness rating and ability to cut right through materials such as glass surfaces with extreme ease.

Therefore diamond has been used for many years to superfinish many different hard surfaces such as different metals, silicon wafers, glass, and more.  The superabrasives industry is a very healthy one.  But for some reason it has never been completely adopted into the window cleaning industry for hard water stain removal.  This is something that I personally find fascinating.  The reason being my own experience with diamond.  There have been times when it has far surpassed other particles such as cerium oxide, silica, or even aluminum oxide.  There have also been times when it made very little difference at all.  So my point is diamond has certain magical properties that can be exploited if one knows exactly how.  Also that diamond can actually be used to kick off a brand new stain removal technology that will totally blow away anything that has been developed to date.  The technology will consist of a series of different products.  So it will be a system of products and techniques.  But all based on diamond.

I am currently working with three different companies in developing different tools, compounds, and products.  I am also redesigning the rotary polishing wheel.  As I have mentioned there is already a great deal of technology out there which has been applied to other industries.  Even to the glass industry such as the technology used in grinding and superfinishing beveled edges.  This is the technology that I will be bringing to our industry for the purpose of removing hard water deposits from glass.

Written By Henry Grover Jr.

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Testing IGs For Negative Pressure Deflection

I finished a job today that exhibited very pronounced negative pressure deflection.  Especially the very skinny (about 14 inches wide) insulating glass units were very low on argon.  And yes, these were Anderson windows.  All of them.  Some were worse than others.  But all of the IGs demonstrated NPD.  If you want to know more about this problem check out my post on defective argon units.  Then go to the article referenced and read it.

The method for testing is very simple.  Just take your trusty six inch razor, soap up the window with some good sudz, then run the razor vertically straight up.  If there is even a slight problem with NPD the razor will miss some of the middle.  The more soap left in the middle of the swath the greater the effect and the more problematic the window.  Today I observed a virtual 'no contact' in the middle.  Just the two tips of the razor made contact!  Of course when I turned the razor and ran it across the window horizontally from left to right, it left no soap at all.

So there you have it.  It really doesn't need to get any more high tech than this.  If you show your customer this and relate the stories of those people who experienced the implosions, you will get attention.  Cuz you see.  We don't just clean windows.  We inspect them too.

Written by Henry Grover Jr

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Hydrophobic/Hydrophylic Balance

If you were to wet a brand new clean window glass surface with pure water you will notice that the surface is not equally funtionalized.  The water will sheet in places of the same plate and bead up in others.  This is not necessarily because there are contaminants unevenly covering different areas of the window.  It is likely because the physical integrity of the near surface is different.  The more 'rough' a surface is the more it will soak up and hold onto water.  Water will form larger beads when it condenses as fog on the surface too.  So the more rough a surface is the more hydrophylic it is.  The opposite is also true.  The more smooth the surface the more hydrophobic it is.  Condensed water or fog will also form smaller beads when looked at through a thirty power handheld lighted microscope.  You can prove this by polishing one side of a mirror plate with a cerium powder of five microns particle size, and then the other side with an aluminum oxide of 100 to 400 nanometers.  You will be able to feel the difference with your fingertip.  In both cases the chemistry of the surface is exactly the same.  The only difference is how smooth each side is.  The side polished with the submicron/nanometer scale aluminum oxide will be much more smooth than the opposite side polished with the cerium oxide of five microns.

Now.  What does this mean to a window cleaner using a water fed pole?  Simply that the results will be different from one window to the next.  Also.  When we choose an inline chemical to functionalize the surface as we clean, it would be best to choose one that will effect the correct balance between hydrophylic and hydrophobic.  This is because of two reasons.  First we do want to functionalize the surface equally across every square inch.  Second water will sheet best from a balanced surface.  If the surface were super hydrophylic it likely wouldn't sheet at all, but would rather cling to the window leaving a light film.  Also the very best hydrophobic surface is not superhydrophobic so little beads of water will form.  It is therefore more time consuming when cleaning an ordinary hydrophobic surface with a water fed pole.  The very best functionalized surface for the WFP user will be both hydrophobic and hydrophylic.  This balance can actually be measured by measuring the contact angle of a drop of pure water.  Also.  The eveness of the 'new' surface can be analyzed by fogging the entire window.  You will be able to easily see at a glance the pattern. And to reiterate the more hydrophylic surface will have the smaller water drop when the window is fogged.  By looking at the size of the water drop on the new surface under a microscope it is possible to quantify different chemical treatments to find the one that works the best.  Or at least to be able to label them from most hydrophylic to the least.  Then to choose the one that we prefer.  Almost like someone chooses a soap/cleaner depending on the level of suds action, and glide.

Written by Henry Grover Jr

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Creating Alkaline Water Via Resin Exchange Chemistry

Once you have reduced the TDS down to 0, and you now have totally pure water;...where do you go from there?  Why not use a resin exchange medium to alter the hydronium/hydroxide ion balance to raise the pH to a figure higher than neutral? Window Cleaners have already experienced fascinating results cleaning glass with ultrapure water with a very high pH.  Why? Because most of what we are removing from window surfaces are acidic.  Alkaline solutions will neutralize such contaminants.  This is how surfaces are cleaned.  Mineral deposits (hard water spots) are composed mostly of silicates. Which are alkaline.  That is why manufacturers have created products based on acids to remove them.  So.  Why not use another exchange tank to remove the hydronium ions from your ultrapure water making it a naturally powerful cleaner? What do you think of this?

Written by Henry Grover Jr

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Removing Mineral Deposits With Diamond

Diamond is the hardest substance on earth.  Well almost.  The water molecule might be even harder.  But for practical purposes it's hard enough.  And despite the extreme value of natural diamond gemstones, it has a greater value as a synthetic material used by machinists.  It might even have an unsuspected value to us.  For quickly and efficiently removing hard water deposits from window glass.

I will never forget my 'house on the hill' down in Amherst.  The windows had been damaged by a solution of sodium carbonate and sodium metasilicate.  A white haze which couldn't be removed with anything.  Except diamond.  I used a 5 micron compound in a syringe with Bounty paper towels.  No other compound worked.  Not even the acid based 'wonder products'.  What I personally find fascinating is the fact that diamond compounds don't shine like this in all cases.  Most of the time they perform equally as well as a compound based on a cerium or even a plain optical silica around five microns average particle size.

Another time I was working on sprinkler stains which covered dark glass.  No compound worked.  Even diamond compound with or without machines would touch these stains.  But a 'water wheel' based on a system of hardplastic nubs which were loaded with 5 micron diamond particles knocked it off in very little time.  All I used was water.  The only problem was the wheel left millions of very fine barely noticeable scratches.  Such were unacceptable.  I never continued working on this technology until now.

The technology of superpolishing glass with diamond loaded plastic is quite common.  There are many products out there.  The trick is finding the exact one that will do the job and not leave any scratches.  Then creating the wheel that will work best with this material.  This is one of the projects that I am currently working on.


Written by Henry Grover Jr

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Cleaning Glass with Sodium Hydroxide Revisited

This post was originally written many years ago.  Since that time it has received a great deal of attention.  For that reason I have decided to go back again and update it.  You will find pictures and a very enlightening video here.  Keep coming back to this post because there will be a great deal of additional information added over time.  Especially in the way of scientific/chemical knowledge and the results of some landmark experiments with a focus on visible etching of glass, deep cleaning techniques, and phobic/phylic conversion technology.

Over the years I have been personally fascinated by certain chemicals and the application of these to the practice of routine cleaning and restoration of window glass surfaces.  Sodium hydroxide is not the least of these.  But is one of the most interesting!

Has anyone ever worked with oven cleaner to remove staining from aluminum screens?  It works really well!  Sodium hydroxide has a voracious hunger for certain metals.  Such as aluminum that has leached from screens.  It will even eat up soda lime glass in minutes.  At the right temperature and concentration.  

Did you also know that restaurants use a product based on this chem to clean the grease off their grills?  Did you also know that it is used at farms to completely liquify dead animals?  Also it is used at 100% concentration in the form of crystals to eat up hair in household drains.  Furthermore it is used in food products. It has even been used as an ingredient in certain food products.  So why not clean with it?

OK.  So I went out and picked up the 100% dry crystals at the hardware store.  It cost me about eight bux for sixteen ounces (one pound). Here is a picture of it.

I had a pizza/sub shop to clean that I was called back into after at least four years.  Use your imagination.  It was bad.  My cleaner was worse.  It ate right through everything.  There were  a few windows that hadn't been touched at all for several years. They looked like they had a dark solar tint on them.  So I needed to scrub a little with 0000 steel wool.  But when I was done that glass was crystal clear.  Of course my skin was black and dried out.  Next time I will use gloves.  In fact let me say this.  Sodium hydroxide will really burn your skin bad.  And you should never get even the smallest amount in your eyes.  So gloves and goggles probably would be best.  It will make pure water really hot if you put enough in a cup.  When mixing it is best to use plastic cups and containers.

In practice I discovered that rather than a teaspoon per gallon I could get away with ONLY 1/8th of a teaspoon per gallon;...or less!  I didn't say a tablespoon.  I said a teaspoon!  I use this concentration for routine cleaning at a pizza/sub shop.  Not restorative deep cleaning as the one I just described.  Restoration grease stripping requires higher concentrations.  Remember to always used rubber gloves too.  Keep your hands dry.  As an interesting additional thought I was wondering about the use of super-abrasive plastic abrasives along with sodium hydroxide cleaning solutions.  Also other super-abrasives.

So here are the questions.  Since the technical literature that I have read indicate quite plainly that very strong alkali solutions will etch glass, will a much lighter solution of sodium hydroxide also cause etching?  This video also referenced above shows how sodium hydroxide will totally eat soda lime glass under the right conditions.  Much milder solutions have been used to "deep clean" glass surfaces to remove all organic molecules so that window glass becomes completely hydrophylic.  I will be doing some rather interesting experiments with my "white crystals" over the next week.  And will be progressively updating this post.

We also really need to know if very mild cleaning solutions will cause the same etching effects that 1 percent solutions of hydrofluoric acid cause.  To discover the answer to this question I will be performing the two different tests I have developed here for acids.  It is indeed true that even water itself is quite capable of etching glass.  But very slow and under conditions other than routine cleaning.  So when testing cleaning/restoration solutions of sodium hydroxide we should test the concentrations used in each.  Again it is obvious from the video referenced in this post if we use much higher concentrations at much higher temperatures, (such as a hot summer day) than we absolutely will etch glass. 

When I tested the different acids used in so called commercial restoration products, I tested them at the concentration that was suggested they be used at.  Straight out of the bottle.  The MSDS gave me the name of the acid each was based on and the percent of concentration.  I also tested them at the temperature they would be routinely used at.  Time is also a condition.  Certain acids such as hydrofluoric and sulfuric acid will show etching in as little as thirty seconds.  It is even possible to create visible distortions of glass surfaces in only thirty minutes.  What about when the solution puddles at the bottom of the window and remains there.  This can easily happen on overcast cool days.  It is also true that the glass might be dark and very hot from the sun.  Both the composition of the glass and the temperature could easily contribute to the visual effects of such acids (etchants).

There are other questions that should be answered.  Such as the problem of the yellowing of white vinyl window frames and vinyl siding.  Oven cleaner will yellow out white vinyl in seconds. Especially on a hot day.  It is based on a 4% solution of sodium hydroxide.  At what concentration is a sodium hydroxide routine cleaning solution safe to use around white vinyl?  To answer this I might heat up some water to about 180 degrees F.  Put in a certain amount of crystals.  Mix it up.  Then do the dip.  Dunk a strip of white vinyl used on window frames.  Leave it in there for at least five minutes.  Remove and inspect in bright sunlight.

White vinyl isn't the only other surface to look at here.  There are in practice many other surfaces out there.  The only way to know in advance which chemicals are safe to use around any surface  would be to test your cleaning solution on that surface.



Written by Henry Grover Jr.

Please email me directly with any questions you might have about this article and future products I am working on or you would like to see developed.

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#2 Etch Test for Glass

This is a test for what I call Total Glass Dissolution.  Which is very simply put, the ability of the liquid in question to eat up and dissolve all molecular components of the glass.  That would be both the silicas and silicates.  In other words the calcium, sodium, oxygen, and silicon atoms.

To do this you will first need a small plastic cup.  About four inches.  Fill it half way with the liquid/product in question.  Then take a small/business card size piece of window glass.  I use the 3/16 inch glass from a glass shop.  You can ask them to cut you some two by three and a half inch (business card size) pieces.  They will even smooth the edges so you won't get cut.  Next just drop one gently into your plastic cup half filled with liquid.  The liquid should rise about half way up the glass plate. So that half is immersed and half is dry.  Let it set at room temperature for about a half hour.  Next remove and run it under the tap.  Then dry completely.  Inspect in bright light.

If total dissolution has occurred you will notice a rippled/orange peal like line where the liquid and air met.  You might see some clouding above this that won't go away.  The surface of the glass that was immersed should be very clear.  You might even be able to feel the rippled line with your fingernail.  Probably more on one side of the glass than the other.  And if you hold the glass closer to your face and look through it at the distant landscape, then move it a little, you should see the objects viewed through it move a little funny.  This line is the site of total dissolution.  Of course the surface that was totally immersed was also totally dissolved.  But the effect is much more noticeable at this line.  Again, if you want to do this test with something that is sure to cause this effect, pick up some sulfuric acid (battery acid) from the auto parts store.  But use caution.  Gloves and goggles are always best when working with acids.  It is a very strong acid.  About 37% clear sulfuric.

Written by Henry Grover Jr

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