Glass railings are perhaps one of the most luxurious and sophisticated installations anyone can include in a room or any business setup. Thin, see-through, without an iota of anything obnoxious, it has gained ground rapidly over recent times regarding stair railings, balconies, as well as house decks.
While beautiful as it can be, though, this material does not sit still at being beautiful alone for cleaning is part of its life cycle. The smudges, dust, water stains, and fingerprints will bring out the old look with a dull effect to them, so do not worry because some simple steps will keep your glass railings shining and spotless just like when it was put in.
Here in this article, we have some helpful tips and tricks about cleaning the glass railing with a flawless, long-lasting finish.
1. Gathering the right tools
Clean up appropriate tools for cleaning glass railings. The use of aggressive chemicals or scrubbing material would be too tempting but the use of soft non-abrasive supplies that will not scratch or scratch the glass is appropriate in this case. Some of the tools that could be necessary include:
- Microfiber Cloths: These cloths are super soft, and they do not leave any threads. They give glass a completely streak-free polish. It lifts all the hidden dust and debris without leaving even a single mark.
- Glass Cleaner or Homemade Formula: Glass items are best wiped clean with some commercial glass cleaners or homemade dilution of white vinegar and water.
- Squeegee: Through the squeegee, excessive water or solution is drained very uniformly so that streaks won’t be present.
- Bucket of warm water: Cleaning always requires the use of warm water since it is used to help dissolve the dirt and grime first.
- Rubber Gloves: Rubber gloves are not necessary but can be used to protect your hands from cleaners and prevent fingerprints from forming on the glass.
2. Dust and Wipe Down the Surface
The glass must have no loose soil, dust, or debris prior to the spraying. This can be achieved by cleaning with dry microfiber through light strokes on all directions. By removing the dirt, it would not allow to mix with chemical, hence creating sticky material or mud-like texture which might streak and scratch into your glass.
For outdoor glass railing, suck up loose debris that may have deposited itself at the corners or along the edge using a handheld vacuum or a soft-bristled brush.
Step 3. Spray with Glass Cleaner or Homemade Solution
Once the loose dirt is gone from the surface, you are ready to apply a glass cleaner. There are commercial glass cleaners out there; alternatively, you can make your own using simple common household ingredients. A simple solution to cutting through grime, streaks, and water spots would be a one-part white vinegar to one part of water.
Spray the cleaner plentifully onto the glass from top to bottom. Drips and streaks won’t find their way to the lower portions of the glass. Allow the liquid to dwell on the surface for a few seconds so it softens grime or dirt stuck to the glass.
4. Wipe with Microfiber Cloth
Then begin rubbing this glass with a microfiber cloth without any dust caught on it; only with gentle pressure since if one is rough, they would smear or engrave the marks on the glass. Don’t forget to include the area around the edges of the glass as well as its corner since these areas tend to pile up a lot of dust and grime.
Wipe in one direction only, horizontally or vertically, without streaking. Or, this could be a much easier finish if you use a squeegee to remove excess cleaner and water so that the finish comes out nice, smooth, and streak-free.
5. Squeegee for Streak-Free Finish
Squeeze out excess water from the glass using a squeegee for a perfect, professional finish. Pull down the squeegee from the top of the glass in one smooth motion. Clean the blade of the squeegee after every stroke with a microfiber cloth to avoid spreading dirt or streaks. The technique will be useful in eliminating water and cleaning solution uniformly, leaving the surface streak-free.
It’s really effective for using a squeegee on outdoor glass railings since it will show water spots and streaks when there is rain or humidity.
6. Clean the Edges and Hardware
Clean the edges and hardware of your glass railings! Though it is the glass that attracts attention, the frame of the metal or wood around the glass and screws, brackets, or posts can get dusty, dirty or develop water stains.
For metal hardware, a soft cloth with a gentle cleaner will do wonders to clean the surface. For wooden posts, clean and maintain the wood so it doesn’t fade, Mold, or mildew. A quick swipe with a damp microfiber cloth will keep everything looking neat and polished.
7. Prevent Future Streaks and Smudges
A protective glass coating can also prevent frequent cleaning. It produces a hydrophobic water-repellent layer that makes water spots, fingerprints, and dirt not adhere to glass. As such, cleaning the glass next time will not be a hassle because there is minimal grime.
Other good hint is maintaining the cleanliness of the glass quite frequently, that is after a few weeks especially when it is more frequented with people so that the dust and dirt may not collect so much in order to be hard to clean on them. It is a routine light cleaning that will make your glass railings stay shining for much longer.
8. Outdoor Glass Railings Tips
Outdoor glass railings will have to endure more challenging environmental conditions that may include rain, dust, and pollen. As a result, they are likely to get dirty much earlier than that and more frequently, hence requiring more frequent cleaning. Here are some tips on how outdoor glass railings can be cleaned:
- Pressure Washer: Any large outdoor railings are always difficult to reach and would naturally get dirty often. A pressure washer would clean any kind of dirt or mildew that had stuck on in that corner. Avoid it at all costs, however, beyond a certain limit that might crack the glass.
- Apply a weather-sealant coating as a method of making the outdoor glass railing weather-resistant against every element of nature-be it UV rays, dirt, or moisture.
- Clean after Storms: If you are staying in a place that always rains or storms, then you should clean your glass railings when the weather clears. Rain will leave some water spots or streaks that are hard to clean, if attended to immediately.
Glass railings make any house very beautiful, but to maintain these perfectly, proper care needs to be provided continuously. After that, some tips and tricks to keep the glass railings sparkling and clean as they would have been for decades. Dust regularly, proper cleaning products, and a squeegee for no streaks preserve the glass railing perfectly, to be displayed clearly transparent.
A little maintenance effort will be just the right measure to keep up the elegance and functionality of their beauty irrespective of whether they are an indoor railing or outdoor railing. And glass railings would be an awesome feature of any house.
