Top Tips for Stained Glass Maintenance

The good news is that stained glass is not only considerably more beautiful than normal glass, but it also does not show the dirt as much as a clear window does. However, you do need taking care of, so here are a few tips to ensure your stained glass windows stay looking as immaculate as the day they were installed.

General day to day cleaning

The simplest way to keep your glass clean is to dust the surfaces with a soft brush or dry cloth. When a more thorough clean is required, it is extremely important you use a soft cotton cloth and pH neutral solution mixed with water.

Any sort of acidic solution, such as ammonia or vinegar can attack the metal structures that hold the panes of stained glass together. A scouring pad or washing powder will scratch the glass, however, crumpled-up newspaper, old rags or old toothbrushes will work well. Cotton buds are also very effective at reaching into any corners or small pieces of glass.

When it comes to cleaning the glass, each pane should be cleaned separately and any liquid should be sprayed onto the cloth and not directly onto the glass. All cleaners leave an element of streaks and unfortunately this is unavoidable, but it is easy to fix. Once you have finished with the solution use a dry cloth with a small amount of dry whiting powder. This is a very fine calcium carbonate powder that help eliminate any marks and is completely safe to use.

Occasional restoration

If you require a full stained glass window restoration, it is necessary to clean and check other elements of the windows, such as the metal reinforcers that hold the panes in place. It is absolutely vital that you never remove any of the putty that sets the glass into the frames and if any is loose or missing it should be replaced as soon as possible.

Additionally, as the windows age it is completely normal for the glass to expand and contract. It does, however, mean that over time the metal may no longer fit the glass correctly or the bars may even break. If this does happen, you’ll need to get a professional stained glass window company to re-fit. You can read more about our stained glass restoration process on our website.

Of course caring for your stained glass can be more expensive than cleaning normal windows, but extra time and money spent on maintenance will eventually be money saved as you are prolonging the life of your windows and it will delay the point at which you will need a professional restorer.

If cared for properly stained glass windows have an excellent life expectancy and can provide your home with a beautiful feature that can be enjoyed for centuries.

If you require further information on stain glass maintenance and restoration please get in touch with us via email or call: 01202 882208

Author: Nathan Sherriff