We’ve all found that perfect piece that was just a bit cloudy and wanted to find a way to make it crystal clear again. Sometimes it’s just close to impossible to bring it back to the way that it was, but at other times, using some tried and true techniques offered by glass collectors from al over the world, we can bring it back to its original clarity, or at least, close enough to make it useable and a decent display.
Here are a few tips from those in the know about how to get your cloudy glass back to normal:
Vaseline:
When straight ammonia doesn’t cut it, quite often vaseline will take away that cloudy look.. Let it sit for 4 -5 days, and wipe it clean .Cloudy or white mineral building can very often be removed using the afore mentioned petroleum jelly, spread a thick layer of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) on the
deposit and let it sitat least overnight. Wipe the
petroleum jelly off, wash and the deposit will be gone forever.
Polident:
Using quite warm water ( BUT not hot or it will crack ) drop a couple of polidents in the water.
One other type of toothpaste materials that have worked for me is Pearl Drops Toothpolish!! Using a sponge or the tip of your finger rub it into the deposit, and see if it doesn’t take it away.. This is also a bit abrasive though to take care using it!!
Kraxy Kloth’. It’s an oil based cleaner. According to one expert from Antiques Roadshow, "On the package it says, among other things, ‘removes hard water stains from glass’. One wipe and they were gone. Brought out the iridescence, too."
Citric Acid... Lemon Juice or vinegar, organic materials very often work for you. Reduce lemon juice on the stove to 1/2 the volume in a STAINLESS pan only and use this on the spots. I do NOT use CLR. It is a highly acidic compound and aside from being quite dangerous, it also eats the glass..
Avoid Hydrofluoric Acid…
Oddly enough, a petroleum based hand cleaner called GUNK will quite often work, the closeness to vaseline perhaps being the key here??
Dow Bathroom Cleaner will work if its used in sparing amounts. There doesn’t seem to be any real film or residue left and we cant’ find any damage to the glass either.
Took me time to read all the comments, but I really enjoyed the article. It proved to be Very helpful to me and I am sure to all the commenters here! It’s always nice when you can not only be informed, but also entertained! I’m sure you had fun writing this article. Nonetheless, there at the back of your mind sits your parents’ and teachers’ recommendations of practicing abstinence from sex, at least until you’ve dated a number and variety of personalities and have achieved adulthood.
Tried everything…..then it “dawned” on me. Cooking oil/grease becomes ‘airborne’…thus, clinging to glass. Use DAWN dishwash liquid to remove the oil/grease totally.
Use:
Paper towels with small dab of DAWN on it over glass area
Rinse with warm (rung out) papertowel
Buff with dry paper towel
May have to do this procedure twice to ensure clarity of glass.
Took me time to read all the comments, but I really enjoyed the article. It proved to be Very helpful to me and I am sure to all the commenters here! It’s always nice when you can not only be informed, but also entertained! I’m sure you had fun writing this article. Nonetheless, there at the back of your mind sits your parents’ and teachers’ recommendations of practicing abstinence from sex, at least until you’ve dated a number and variety of personalities and have achieved adulthood.
Comment by Eleni Massare — August 5, 2010 @ 10:16 pm
Tried everything…..then it “dawned” on me. Cooking oil/grease becomes ‘airborne’…thus, clinging to glass. Use DAWN dishwash liquid to remove the oil/grease totally.
Use:
Paper towels with small dab of DAWN on it over glass area
Rinse with warm (rung out) papertowel
Buff with dry paper towel
May have to do this procedure twice to ensure clarity of glass.
Comment by Judy — December 18, 2010 @ 1:38 pm