 Having original period wooden windows in the home is a very attractive feature but the glass can be prone to scratches, especially if it is the original glass. Replacing this original blown or crown glass with modern float glass can prove to be quite expensive and on top of this, the modern glass will not have the attractive bubbles and waves that are so common on historic glass. If you walk down any old London street, take a glance at the windows as you pass by, you will notice the beautiful glimmer from slight distortions that this old glass has as it twinkles in the sun. Some of this glass is more than a hundred years old and was blown by hand by craftsmen in what would have been pretty harsh, hot and dangerous conditions. If you had an ornament in your home that was hand made over 100 years ago would you throw it out and replace it with something from a shop like Ikea? Don’t get me wrong I am not knocking Ikea they have some great stuff but I am guessing that most people wouldn’t replace an antique vase witha mass produced contemporary peice. So, the question is if you are keen to retain this period glass is their any way of removing unsightly scratches from it? The answer is yes! There are many products on the market which are basically mild abrasives that you apply to the window and buff, usually with a cotton buffer (you can find these in craft shops and also car care shops like Halfords) Some of these products are quite expensive but they all have one thing in common, they are all mild abrasives. Here is a trick for you that will potentially save you some money as well as a trip to the shops. All you need is a product that I am pretty confident most of us already have in our bathrooms right now…. TOOTH PASTE! Sounds bizarre, but take my word for it this stuff actually works better than some of the specialist products available (mentioning no names) I have found that the best type of tooth paste to use is the non gel type paste and if you have tooth whitening soda based toothpaste then all the better.  We have been removing light scratches from glass using toothpaste for over twenty years, the look on our customers faces when they see us squeezing Colgate tooth whitening tooth paste onto their windows always makes me smile, and the smile on the clients face when they see the scratches gone is even better. It is best to use a circular motion and work the tooth paste into the window scratch until the paste turns powdery. Once you have done this, and lost a few pounds in the process too! you will need to rinset he toothpaste off with warm water. Do not add detergent as this will leave a smeary residue on the glass which can be difficult to polish out. I really hope this helps you and if it saves just one old wooden window from a destiny of landfill then I am a very happy chappy! Good luck with your restoration projects and do give me a call if you need any futher help I am always available just ask. Telephone: 020 8568 9220 Kindest regards as always Nathan |
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CategoriesDIY advice and tipsEnvironment Home Improvement Guest Posts London areas and History Press releases Replacing sash windows with double glazed sash windows Sash Window Articles 2011 Sash window draught proofing and insulation sash window draught proofing London sash window repairs sash windows London Trade window information and services Windows General News |
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