Cleaning white glass

[Bibliobeck]

Greetings all - help needed about any tips on cleaning glass from a re-cycled greenhouse. The glass has been painted with whatever the white stuff is people put on (sorry for ignorance!) and we are trying to clean the glass to put into a frame. There is rather a lot of it and I don't know how long the white stuff has been on - but it's definitely years rather than months. The power washer isn't touching it! Any advice most gratefully received

[HeyWayne]

Greetings all - help needed about any tips on cleaning glass from a re-cycled greenhouse. The glass has been painted with whatever the white stuff is people put on (sorry for ignorance!) and we are trying to clean the glass to put into a frame. There is rather a lot of it and I don't know how long the white stuff has been on - but it's definitely years rather than months. The power washer isn't touching it! Any advice most gratefully received

You can buy paint scrapers which are essentially stanley knife blades turned on their side and housed in a little handle to stop you removing your fingers. I've used one of these before



to get rid of gunk around windows on the house.

[Cutecumber]

If it is the standard "whitewash", then a damp (not sopping wet) cloth is usually needed to budge it. You obviously have to be careful because of the fragility of the glass, but you need to rub and apply some pressure.

[crichmond]

I use a bucket of soapy water and one of those sponges with the scourer on one side.

[bobleponge]

If its really refusing to come off, I can recommend a stripper!!!!
Nitromors is not overly ecologically sound I shouldnt imagine, but it works a treat, and if there's a lot to do, makes the job very easy indeed

[Bibliobeck]

Thank you all very much for your extremely quick replies - you are all right... elbow grease and a home made scraper (mole grips and a stanley knife blade ) are doing a slow but excellent job. So no cheating with the power washer then...

For the really stubbon bits my hubbie has some secret noxious substance that takes it right off - not sure what it is or how eco friendly but hopefully we won't need to use too much.

24 panes down, about 100 to go....

[Snadger]

Someone had given my inherited greenhouse a coat of something white to stop it overheating in the summer. I've tried all sorts to get it off and on a whim decided to have a go with paint stripper!

The paint stripper does the job but it is still hard work. I think it's been painted with white oil based undercoat!

[Bibliobeck]

Poor Snadger - your job sounds much tougher than mine! Do you think it will ever come off?? I'm off out for another day off scraping, washing, polishing, positioning and clipping together...

[Snadger]

Poor Snadger - your job sounds much tougher than mine! Do you think it will ever come off?? I'm off out for another day off scraping, washing, polishing, positioning and clipping together...

Thanks for the concern Bibliobeck, I'll get it off eventually once I get time!

If I ever do get it off I'll only use the proper stuff (coolglass?) or failing that Windowlene, for shading!

[roitelet]

Stick with Windolene Snadger, even Coolglass can be difficult to budge