There’s a lot to love about frosted glass. It adds style and privacy, and cleaning it is actually a breeze. Your glass may get fingerprint smudges or hard water deposits, but you can easily remove those stains with non-acidic cleaners and non-abrasive scrubbing.
The task gets easier the more often you do it. Get in the habit of occasionally wiping down your frosted glass with a window cleaner and you’ll never have to worry about stubborn stains.
First, What to Avoid
Frosted glass needs gentle scrubbing and non-acidic cleaners. Alkaline cleaning agents (with a pH higher than 7) break up mineral deposits and grime better than acids. And although your frosted glass is hearty and textured, you don’t want to risk scratching it with an abrasive.
Take care to avoid the following cleaning products:
- Steel wool
- Pumice stone
- Scrub sponges with scouring pad
- Vinegar solutions
- Orange, lemon and other citrus cleaners
- Toilet cleaners
- Anything labeled heavy-duty or abrasive
The Best Ways to Clean Frosted Glass
Build-up on frosted glass typically consists of fingerprint or grease spots and white spots from calcium and lime deposits. An ammonia-based cleaner can help with all of that. A chemical interaction between the alkaline cleaner and the stains will do the work so you don’t need to scour.
Start with Windex or other glass cleaner. Usually this will do the job completely. If there are stains remaining, you’ll have removed a significant layer of build-up so it will be easier for a stronger cleaner to break up mineral deposits.
Scrub with newspaper or paper towels. Wear rubber gloves to protect your skin, fold up the paper, that’s all the scrubbing power you need! You can also use a clean rag, but paper actually cleans glass better and does not leave behind specks of lint.
Clean in sections. This helps prevent cleaning solutions from dripping everywhere. And you’ll have an easier time applying gentle pressure if you aren’t reaching to scrub up and down an entire shower door.
Try baking soda for tough stains. Mix a tablespoon of baking soda with a few cups of water. You can add a dash of dish soap as well. Apply it to the spots, let it sit for a minute, then scrub with more newspaper or paper towels.
Finish with another round of glass cleaner. Lightly wipe the frosted glass with Windex or a similar product to ensure streaks are gone. If you are cleaning glass in a bathroom, let it dry before getting it wet again.
From shower doors to office partitions, frosted glass serves a lot of purposes beautifully. If you have questions about how to safely clean frosted glass, contact us! We can also help you replace or install new frosted glass for windows, shower doors, and offices.