Tried a different cleaner on some old leaded glass and it went weird

Had to clean a 1920s leaded glass panel in a Denver house last week. Used a standard glass cleaner first, but it left a weird white film in the grooves. Switched to a mild vinegar and water mix, just a capful of vinegar in a spray bottle, and wiped it with a soft toothbrush. The film came right off and the lead looked darker and cleaner. Anyone know why the regular cleaner did that? Is it something in the old glass cement?

3 comments

3 Comments

robin65828d ago

Probably the ammonia in the regular cleaner reacting with the old putty. That stuff gets brittle and weird over a century. Vinegar is acidic enough to cut the gunk without damaging the lead.

sethp2627d ago

Totally makes sense with the ammonia reaction... I had the same thing happen cleaning some old windows at my grandma's place. The vinegar trick worked way better and didn't leave any haze behind.

dylan_park427d ago

Oh wow, that actually explains a lot. I always just grabbed the blue glass cleaner for my old windows and wondered why it sometimes left a weird film. Never even thought about the ammonia messing with the old putty. Sethp26's story about his grandma's place and the vinegar trick makes total sense now. I'm definitely trying that next time instead of making it worse.