Any antique glass piece or glass sculpture acts like an attractive focal point for the dining table or designer shelves in your home.
However, by practicing wrong cleaning methods, we often end up damaging one of our favorite art pieces.
Don’t worry!
Check out these 5 common art glass cleaning mistakes and the ways to avoid them:
1. Using soaps and detergents
People often use dish soap or detergents to clean art glass or sculptures.
However, this may damage glass enamels or paints of your glass artwork.
Instead of using any harsh chemical, you can use the following glass cleaning supplies:
- Soft cotton cloth,
- Microfibre wipe,
- One-way gloves,
- A pH-neutral (pH7) cleaning liquid having no acid.
After cleaning, make sure to dry your artwork as the minerals found in tap water can leave water stains on it.
2. Cleaning glass artworks with newspapers
Many people consider newspapers a great way to wipe glass artworks.
But is it really effective?
Newspapers are not a foolproof way to get your artworks shining like they are new. These are printed with petroleum-based ink which can leave black stains and smears of ink on any glass piece.
This ink can be hard to remove and may even require repainting.
Opt for a microfiber cloth for effectively cleaning art glass.
3. Wearing jewelry while cleaning
People often forget to take off their rings, watches, or bracelets while washing hands or cleaning glass artwork.
This is one of the biggest causes of art glass jewelry damage. Especially diamonds can easily scratch or cut the glass.
Therefore, before you start any cleaning task, take off any kind of jewelry from your fingers and hands.
4. Using harsh cleansers
While you may consider your glass artwork extremely durable, some glass pieces are quite delicate to even be scratched by your fingernail.
Due to this reason, avoid using any harsh cleaning cleaners like acidic wipes and steel wool cleaning pads as these can cause damage or may scratch your glass art.
Instead, use soft cloths, microfiber cloths, or paper towels to clean your artwork.
5. Polishing out a scratch
It may seem like a DIY task to polish or buff out a scratch on a piece of glass art at home. However, there are good chances that you will do more harm to your glass work.
If you notice even the smallest scratch on your art glass, consider taking it to professionals who have enough experience to deal with any glass issues.
Conclusion
Prevent damaging your glass artwork with careful cleaning practices, ideally recommended by the manufacturers or professional art glass experts. However, cleaning glass artwork at home is not a complicated task. By following the above tips, you can keep your favorite glass pieces damage-free, shiner, and beautiful for years to come.