How to Clean Acrylic
Blow dirt or dust off the window., Use clear water to clean lightly soiled acrylic., Use a non-abrasive cleaner on dirtier windows., Blot the surface dry., Remove scratches using car wax., Scrape the surface., Sand the surface.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Blow dirt or dust off the window.
Because acrylic is easily scratched, you don’t want to just wipe away any dirt or dust that is on the surface of the window.
Instead, use air or water to remove dirt before you begin to clean.
You can use canned air to blow dirt off of the windows, or drip water onto the surface that picks up the dirt and allows you to float it off.If you use water, blot the window dry with a microfiber cloth after the dirt has come up. -
Step 2: Use clear water to clean lightly soiled acrylic.
If your acrylic window still needs a bit of cleaning after you've removed the top layer of dust and dirt, use clear water to clean it.
Simply repeat the process of dropping water onto the surface of the acrylic and blot it dry with a microfiber cloth.Don’t rub the window with the microfiber cloth as this can cause scratches in the acrylic. , If you’re washing particularly dirty or outside-facing windows, mix equal parts non-abrasive cleaner and water to make a cleaning solution.
Then dip a microfiber cloth in the solution and gently blot the acrylic surface clean.Good non-abrasive cleaners for this type of cleaning are castile soap, baby shampoo, or Woolite or Dreft. , Once you’re done cleaning the acrylic window, use a dry microfiber cloth to blot the surface of the window dry.
Avoid wiping the cloth across the surface of the window as this can cause scratches., If, once you’ve cleaned the window, you discover scratches in the surface, you can use car wax to remove them.
Apply wax to the areas that are scratched and use the buffer that comes with the wax to buff the surface.If you’ve never buffed a surface before, proceed for gently with this step. , If you have very deep scratches in the acrylic, you scrape the surface of the acrylic.
Hold a sharp scarping tool at a 10 degree angle and move it from side to side, evenly and gently scraping off the excess.This technique should only be used for very, very deep scratches. , Sanding the surface of acrylic gives it a matte finish, which gives it a frosted look.
You can perform this technique with sand paper by hand, or with sanding tools.
Simply sand the acrylic surface the same way you would with a piece of wood – start with a coarser sand paper and once you’ve worked over the entire surface, move to a finer paper and repeat the process.Using a buffer after you sand acrylic can give your acrylic an extra shiny finish.
This technique should only be used on unfinished acrylic or if your acrylic windows have suffered extreme damage from storms. -
Step 3: Use a non-abrasive cleaner on dirtier windows.
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Step 4: Blot the surface dry.
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Step 5: Remove scratches using car wax.
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Step 6: Scrape the surface.
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Step 7: Sand the surface.
Detailed Guide
Because acrylic is easily scratched, you don’t want to just wipe away any dirt or dust that is on the surface of the window.
Instead, use air or water to remove dirt before you begin to clean.
You can use canned air to blow dirt off of the windows, or drip water onto the surface that picks up the dirt and allows you to float it off.If you use water, blot the window dry with a microfiber cloth after the dirt has come up.
If your acrylic window still needs a bit of cleaning after you've removed the top layer of dust and dirt, use clear water to clean it.
Simply repeat the process of dropping water onto the surface of the acrylic and blot it dry with a microfiber cloth.Don’t rub the window with the microfiber cloth as this can cause scratches in the acrylic. , If you’re washing particularly dirty or outside-facing windows, mix equal parts non-abrasive cleaner and water to make a cleaning solution.
Then dip a microfiber cloth in the solution and gently blot the acrylic surface clean.Good non-abrasive cleaners for this type of cleaning are castile soap, baby shampoo, or Woolite or Dreft. , Once you’re done cleaning the acrylic window, use a dry microfiber cloth to blot the surface of the window dry.
Avoid wiping the cloth across the surface of the window as this can cause scratches., If, once you’ve cleaned the window, you discover scratches in the surface, you can use car wax to remove them.
Apply wax to the areas that are scratched and use the buffer that comes with the wax to buff the surface.If you’ve never buffed a surface before, proceed for gently with this step. , If you have very deep scratches in the acrylic, you scrape the surface of the acrylic.
Hold a sharp scarping tool at a 10 degree angle and move it from side to side, evenly and gently scraping off the excess.This technique should only be used for very, very deep scratches. , Sanding the surface of acrylic gives it a matte finish, which gives it a frosted look.
You can perform this technique with sand paper by hand, or with sanding tools.
Simply sand the acrylic surface the same way you would with a piece of wood – start with a coarser sand paper and once you’ve worked over the entire surface, move to a finer paper and repeat the process.Using a buffer after you sand acrylic can give your acrylic an extra shiny finish.
This technique should only be used on unfinished acrylic or if your acrylic windows have suffered extreme damage from storms.
About the Author
Linda Jordan
A passionate writer with expertise in organization topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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