Glass or mirrored splashbacks make for wonderful features in your home, adding an accent to any interior and playing a crucial role in protecting your walls. The same goes for glass shower screens, mirrors, glass balustrades and glass doors.
Maintaining their spick and span look requires proper care and consideration. In this blog, we’ll share some expert tips to ensure they remain looking their best.
Why glass surfaces become cloudy over time
Glass surfaces look most eye-catching when they are spick and span as they best reflect light like this. They can become cloudy for several reasons, which we’ll explain below.
Hard-water deposits
Minerals like calcium and magnesium dry on the surface of glass, leaving a hazy film behind. Over time, these minerals can harden, making the cloudiness harder to remove, sometimes even leading to permanent cloudy patches.
Luckily, in Scotland, we generally tend to have softer water, so this is less of an issue.
Soap scum & residue from cleaning products
Shower screens or bathroom mirrors can find themselves having a build-up of soap residue, forming a cloudy, filmy layer. If left too long, this cloudy film can become etched into the glass surface, which no amount of cleaning can reverse.
Even cleaning products can leave behind a residue – often one that looks streaky, particularly if you are using the wrong type of cleaning product, or you aren’t properly buffing it away, so that’s something to watch.
How poor maintenance affects long-term glass clarity
Poor maintenance has a significant, cumulative effect on long-term glass clarity, mainly because residue and damage build up gradually until the surface no longer looks clean, bright or transparent.
Essential tools & products for cleaning glass
Next up, let’s take a deep dive into the essential tools and products for cleaning glass, so you can ensure you are properly maintaining your splashbacks and shower screens.
Best glass cleaners for a streak-free shine
There are a number of good glass cleaners on the market that you can pick up in supermarkets or hardware stores. Opt for ammonia-free formulas as these are safer for coated or tinted glass.
Believe it or not, at-home solutions are some of the best for cleaning glass. Simply mix equal parts white wine vinegar and water in a spray bottle. For tougher grime, add a splash of dish soap to the mixture.
Must-have tools for effective glass cleaning
Going hand in hand with the glass cleaner above are the following tools to ensure glass is cleaned effectively.
First up is the trusty microfibre cloth, which traps dust and dirt without scratching, thanks to its fluffy texture. It absorbs water effectively and reduces streaks. They’re good for both cleaning and drying glass surfaces.
Next up is a squeegee, which is especially useful for windows, shower screens and large glass panels to stop any cloudiness from forming because they provide quick, streak-free drying, prevent water spots and are efficient for covering large surface areas.
Finally, non-abrasive sponges and pads are designed for use on delicate surfaces such as glass or mirrors to avoid scratching.
Maintenance tips to keep glass features looking like new
Okay, now you know what tools and products you need to keep your glass spick and span, let’s take a look at some handy maintenance tips.
Daily & weekly care routines
Little and often is the best way to go. This way, no minerals, residue or grime can settle and become more stubborn to remove.
Simply wipe down quickly with a microfibre cloth and spray, and ensure you remove any water spots on a daily basis. Once a week, have a slightly more thorough clean of your glass and mirrored surfaces.
Long-term protection for glass fixtures
Often, when you are installing a new glass feature in your home, such as a glass door, for example, it will be treated with a protective ritec coating, ensuring your door always looks good!
Ensure your kitchen and bathroom are well ventilated to reduce cloudiness and condensation from becoming trapped. And ensure you are avoiding using overly harsh chemicals on your glass, as that can actually be abrasive.
Common glass-cleaning mistakes to avoid
It’s probably a good opportunity to highlight some common glass-cleaning mistakes that you should be sure to avoid if you want to keep your glass and mirrored surfaces sparkling.
Products that cause streaks or film build-up
Avoid using cleaners labelled ‘multi-surface’ on glass as they often contain waxes, polishes, or oil/soap-based ingredients which leave streaks behind on glass surfaces.
You should also be wary of glass cleaners which offer ‘shine agents’ as they can actually leave a fine film behind. They may look good to begin with, but over time, the residue builds up, causing a layer of film and making the glass look cloudy.
Above, we mentioned opting for an ammonia-free cleaner. This is because, although ammonia-based products are marketed as being a good solution for streak-free results, when used in direct sunlight or if you don’t thoroughly wipe the surface, you will leave streaks behind, which can be frustrating.
Ammonia-free solutions are also safer for coated or tinted glass because of the corrosive nature of ammonia.
Why abrasive tools can damage your glass
Remember, glass isn’t fully scratch-proof, so abrasive tools like rough sponges, scouring pads or gritty cleaning powders will leave scratch marks.
Even tiny micro-scratches will affect the look of your glass, because as they accumulate, they disrupt how light passes through or reflects off the glass or mirror, resulting in a cloudy appearance, reducing transparency and resulting in more visible streaks and smears when cleaning.
Scratches are indents and so soap scum, dust and hard-water deposits build up in them, accelerating cloudiness, making the glass harder to clean and reducing its clarity.
We spoke about the protective coatings that glass is treated with; using abrasive pads or gritty cleaners can remove or weaken these coatings.
Conclusion
Glass and mirrored surfaces, doors, screens and splashbacks are a great choice for your home. If you look after them properly, they will remain twinkly and bright for years to come!
We hope this blog has proved useful in providing you with tips and tricks to keep your mirrored and glass surfaces in tip-top condition.
If you have any questions or queries about getting a bespoke glass splashback for your kitchen or bathroom, or a custom shower screen, please don’t hesitate to contact our team, who will be more than happy to assist you with your request.
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