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How to Clean Plexiglass Perfectly?

stacy johnna
Plexiglass is a type of acrylic plastic that is considered relatively durable and lightweight than any regular, clear or tempered glass. It’s a flexible material that has been used in lieu of glass in plenty of modern household furniture and even for windows.
If you’ve bought plexiglass recently, you can rest assured that you have gotten the best quality material that will stay with you for a long time. However, cleaning plexiglass sheets might be the hardest part of possessing it.
These glass sheets can acquire scratches easily and are prone to be harmed by certain cleaning products. Therefore, we believe it would be wise to learn how to clean plexiglass before you start cleaning it like you clean a regular glass. Let’s look at the ways you can perfectly clean your plexiglass and make it last longer.

1. Remove the Dirt from the Plexiglass

At first, you want to get rid of the dirt stains. You can use a hairdryer for this purpose. Set it on the lowest setting and tilt the dryer at a 45 degree from the cheap plexiglass. Don’t bring too close to the glass sheets.
Keep a minimum distance and then run the drier from top to bottom and back again continuously. Keep on doing so until you can visibly see that any large debris has been taken care of. We know you think it would be better to use microfiber clothing, but that isn’t the case.
The material might be non-abrasive but running on the glass leaves chances of scratches forming on the glass due to the pressure. When you are removing dust with a hairdryer, a lot of it will come your way and scatter all over the house.
We will recommend taking the plexiglass sheet outside or keeping it on a big table surface, so the dust is contained in a place. For your safety, we suggest getting safety masks for mouth and nose. If you have kids at home, make them wear one too. Also, don’t let them come near while you clean.

2. Mildly Spray Water on the Surface

At first, keep the plexiglass standing at an upright 45-degree angle. In 0.95 liters of water, pour a teaspoon of soap powder and mix. Keep the solution in a bottle and spray it on top of the glass.
Don’t forget to keep the glass at a place where running water won’t ruin the carpet or other items. Let the water run gently over the plexiglass. It will eventually wash out any left out dust particles. If you don’t have soap, there are specific products in the market for cleaning plexiglass.
However, whatever you do, do not use products that contain alcohol. Ammonia or aromatic product isn’t right for plexiglass. Alcohol has been known to damage the surface of plexiglass. Cleanser or polish or any dry cleaning fluid should be kept away. A lot of these products are harmful to plexiglass sheets.
We will recommend checking in with your manufacturer on what product you can or can’t use before you wash the glass.

3. Wipe the Glass

You can use microfiber cloth now. Paper towels or table cloths are a terrible idea for wiping the surface for they leave scratches. On the other hand, microfiber cloths do not scratch the plexiglass, thus avoiding any chance of damaging the plexiglass.

 

Use the microfiber cloth to wipe the surface of the plexiglass. However, focus on areas that have water poured over them and are still wet. Do not let plexiglass touch the dry surface. Keep your focus on the dirty spots, but do not apply extra pressure while cleaning.
After you’re done, take a good look at the glass sheet. Is the surface still dirty? If so, pour the solution again by using the method in step 3. After the glass has been sufficiently soaked, wipe it dry all over again. Keep doing this until you are satisfied with the result.

4. Wipe It Dry

Unlike other materials, plexiglass should not be air-dried. The water should not be left on the surface for too long. If it is done so, you will find water spots visible on it later. If you find that even after using microfiber, the glass has water spots, repeat the cleaning method until it is dry.

5. Scraping Grime

Some dirt spots are stubborn. Only running over the hairdryer on it is not enough. You will need something more practical, such as a scraping tool or a razor blade. Grab a sharp tool and run the blade from left to right on the sheet surfaces.
Do it with extreme care, precision and evenly. Keep the blade at ten degrees or any other angle that you deem useful. The main objective is to not let the blade press too deep in the plexiglass sheet and leave behind visible marks.
If there are scratches already on the glass surface, using a razor blade should take care of a major part of the problem. Razor blades are best to remove scratches. It helps shape the jagged or uneven areas in plexiglass. Slide the razor blade over the glass where you feel it is uneven until some pieces fall off, and you will be satisfied.

6. Sanding the Glass Surface

The method for sanding acrylic sheets is the same as it is for wood. You can do it by hand or with sanding paper. Start with rough sandpaper and work your way across the surface methodically. If you got from left to right, continue to do so, and if you plan on going top to bottom, stick to that.
After you have sanded with coarse sandpaper, move on to finer one. Don’t press the paper with force on the plexiglass. Take care to be gentle. Most of all, keep the sander moving at all times. Do not let it sit on the plexiglass. If you make it sit for some time, the heat buildup will reduce which deals with damage to the plexiglass.
If the scratch is too deep, we recommend starting with a 220 or 320 grit paper. In the later part, use a 600 or 800 one. If you have sanded before, you know that one should always wear a mask. Other than a mask on face, you should wear gloves on hands as well.

7. Buffing the Plexiglass

You need to finish the process by buffing it. For this, you can either buy a stationery polishing tool or a drilling tool that has a buffing pad. You want the plexiglass sheet to get a nice, proper finish.
A 20 to 35 centimeter of bleached muslin that has bias strips should prevent the wheel of the polishing tool from getting too hot. You never want to take plexiglass close to increased heat. It can leave deep stains that can’t be removed. Before starting the buffing process, clamp the plexiglass.
You don’t want the glass to get out of your hand while buffing. If you want a glossy finish, you want to go for a medium cutting compound. If your goal is a lush finish, a fast cutting compound would be the best bet. The process is a bit too long, but you will end up with the best quality finish so you probably won’t be complaining later.
The difficulty with cleaning aside, plexiglass sheets are the perfect investment for household furniture such as a tabletop or even for the greenhouse. If you haven’t already bought a product made out of plexiglass, it’s time your order one from Fab Glass and Mirror.
The glass and mirror company provides all kinds of services, including custom cutting plexiglass sheets for you and delivering the accurate product based on the shape, dimension, glass type, thickness, and edging information you provide them.
The company will ship the products to your home free of cost, regardless of where you live in the state. As of payment options, they accept credit cards and all kinds of online wallet payments such as PayPal and Amazon Pay. The customer service is top-notch, and the representatives are available for a chat online on the site.
The incredible part of the company’s services might be the 10 percent price beat facility. The option allows customers a discount of 10 percent on any product they have brought, provided they can point out a place that sells the product at a cheaper rate within 30 days of purchase. Don’t wait and get started on your acrylic project!