Most people want to ask that question because it crosses your mind at one point or another. I am a bit of a glass fanatic myself. Having been in this industry for 25 years, I like my glass clean and do not feel good about seeing dirty glass.
Here are a few ‘tricks’ to take care of the glass ceiling in a conservatory and keep it looking good.
First trick: not something I thought of. Something the clever Victorians thought of. That lovely cresting that we put on top of the roof? Well it’s not just a decoration. It keeps the birds off the roof, and it does work! The birds do not like to sit on the fleur-de-lis design and if they are not on the roof, you have fewer annoying bird droppings
Second trick: self-cleaning glass! There actually is a readily available glass option surface that is self-cleaning.
Self cleaning glass is a bit like a permanent Rain-ex coating on the glass. You know, Rain-ex? The stuff you clean your windshield so that glass beads up and rolls off. It does this by establishing a surface ‘grain’ to the glass that all sheds one way. In addition to this coating, there is a chemical put into the coating that actually reacts with organic material to dissolve it to dust and it blows or washes away. So, every time it rains, or you squirt the roof with a hose, it cleans the roof.
As you can well imagine, self-cleaning glass is expensive. Not only from the perspective of the manufacturing of the glass, but also the handling of the glass. We can only handle the glass with special gloves on and we cannot touch the glass. When hoisting a 120 pound unit of glass to your roof, that becomes a challenge!
In conclusion, let me just say, it does work.
Third trick: tools. The great tools used by professional glass cleaners are not expensive. Go to www.jracenstein.com. That is where I go to buy poles, squeegees, cleaner, etc. You will find a whole lot of cool stuff to use that you don’t find at the store. I love their products for getting the film off the shower glass.
Fourth trick: see my blog on The Art of Washing Windows The Norwex rag set is the easiest thing you will ever use in the whole house for quickly and thoroughly cleaning glass…everywhere in the house.
I honestly clean the inside ‘ceiling’ of the conservatory once a year. It does not really need more. The exterior, the rain usually takes care of, but when I want it really clean (I love spring) then its time to get out the garden hose and go at it.
Fifth trick: many people hire a service to clean the glass. Our conservatory roofs are stronger than many other companies, and we can put ‘one, two, three men’ on one piece of roof glass. Why not four? Well, if we fit, we could! So if your glass cleaner has a ‘cup’ a sucker cup as the British call them, they can stand on any roof we make.
Make sure not to use abrasive materials to clean glass. Kitchen scrubbers can scratch glass in a jiffy and are not to be used on your glass. Please do your homework before using scrubbers on the glass.
If you have mild lime stains on the glass, try some vinegar and if that does not do it, go to J Racenstein for tools and cleaners that will clean lime stains from any glass you have.
I enjoy cleaning glass, but I understand that most people do not. I hope these few thoughts will give you the courage to take on the roof and keep it as clean as the day we leave the job.
Happy cleaning!