Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Cleaning Glass

This is topic Cleaning Glass in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=005316

Posted by Edward Jurich (Member # 1787) on 09-13-2003, 01:38 PM:

I've tried different glass cleaners and lense cleaner. But nothing seems to get the glass in the port hole clean, there is always a haze on the glass that the projector shoots through. Anyone got any ideas what to use to clean glass clear.

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 09-13-2003, 01:57 PM:

Edward, join the crowd. [Big Grin]

I came across with some glass cleaner that has been the best I have ever seen or used. I tried it on Brad's screening room windows, and when I finished, the window was spotless with no streaks whatsoever. Brad seemed to be very impressed with it so I gave him what I had left.

According to the can it comes in, it has the following chemicals in it. I don't know the mix, but it sure works good.

2-Butoxyethanol (111-76-2)
Ethyl Alcohol (64-17-5)
Methyl Alcohol (67-56-1)
Deionized Water (7732-18-15)
Liquefied Petrolium Gas (68476-85-7)

Who actually made it - I don't know. It is distributed by an auto glass company out of Bellingham, Washington. The stuff only costs retail about $2.50 for a 19 ounce can.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 09-13-2003, 01:58 PM:

I often get the ZEP concentrated window cleaner (normal dillution is 32:1) and I dillute it 16:1 in hot water and use a squeegy to clean it
That removes most scum
It is possible you have old glass that is not totally clear
Most port should be at least White water float glass

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 09-13-2003, 02:23 PM:

It seems like the best thing is to clean with whatever you prefer to remove the actual dirt but then go back and polish away the streaking using a soft cloth like a well worn cotton undershirt or handkerchief.

I nearly made a horrible mistake about a month back when I had some sticky dirt on a port and decided the quickest way to remove it would be with a solvent (I think 1-1-1 trichorloethylene but I could misremembering). It easily removed the contaminent but left a huge "altered" area and I thought omigod...I've removed the coating...what was I thinking (this particular port has a coating like a lens). But then a proper conventional cleaning and polishing revealed no difference where the solvent had been so I guess it doesn't take off lens coating after all. Whew! That's the last time I use anything harsher than ordinary glass cleaner or maybe alcohol.

Posted by Edward Jurich (Member # 1787) on 09-14-2003, 08:43 AM:

This glass is less than a year old. There always seems to be some sort of smear film on it. I can make patterns with my fingers, almost like grease. I've tried buffing with a clean cotton cloth but it never comes completely clean. I'll keep trying.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 09-14-2003, 10:02 AM:

If there is a greasy film on the glass then you're not going to get anywhere until that is washed off thoroughly. Use a solution of water and a detergent of some kind like dishwashing liquid, clothes washer detergent, Mr. Clean, etc; anything that cuts grease well. Soak a cloth with the water/detergent solution and give it a good scrubbing until you feel it squeaky clean. Then rinse with a cloth soaked in clear water and dry it. NOW go back and clean it again with your favorite glass cleaner and finally polishing it with the well-worn old T-shirt until it's streak free.

You're wasting your time until the grease is removed so give it a good washing first.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 09-14-2003, 01:58 PM:

The projectionists can use XeKleen with Webril wipes to clean accidental smudges off the glass. Otherwise they leave the ports alone.

I use Glass Wax about once a month on the ports. Glass Wax dries after a few minutes and then you polish it away. I use Webril wipes and then newspaper. Those port glasses just seem to disappear when I clean them like that.

The reason the projectionists don't use Glass Wax is they never seem to polish it long enough and too much haze stays behind.

Brad would have us all go out and raid McDonald's of their napkins. [Wink]

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 09-14-2003, 09:57 PM:

Just a thought....It makes me scratch my head a little when I see people trying to clean the porthole glass with oily rags used to wipe up projector oil from the floor.

I have seen some portholes (and you probably have too) that looks like someone used a milkshake to clean the glass with. [Mad]

Posted by Jannette McQueen (Member # 1885) on 09-15-2003, 12:27 AM:

Like Gordon McLeod, we have the Zep products at our cinema. For the port glass, we usually use Zep-40 Heavy Duty Glass and All Surface Cleaner [Wink]

and then use the Zep wipes to clean it off. As far as I can see it works really well.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 09-15-2003, 08:30 AM:

I always have an image being projected through the port as I clean the glass. Much easier to tell when it is really clean. If you see the image on the port glass, it is still scattering too much light, reducing screen contrast:

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/newsletters/pytlak/dec99.shtml

Posted by Edward Jurich (Member # 1787) on 09-15-2003, 10:40 AM:

I used lighter fluid to clean the glass and then buffed it out with a cloth baby diaper. It got all the grease junk off and left the class almost completely clear. There is still a slight image on the glass but it's a ton better than it was. I'll try to find some Zep.

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 09-15-2003, 02:10 PM:

quote:
Who actually made it - I don't know. It is distributed by an auto glass company out of Bellingham, Washington. The stuff only costs retail about $2.50 for a 19 ounce can.

Do you remember what the stuff is called Paul?

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 09-15-2003, 02:17 PM:

Be sure to keep a camel hair brush around too. There will be times when you just need to remove dust or lint from the glass and the camel hair brush does it without wetting the glass or creating static electricity. Get it a you photo supply store.

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 09-15-2003, 02:28 PM:

I use a Glass Cleaner called Sprayway Glass Cleaner from Sprayway, Inc. of Addison , Illinois. It using the same chemicals like Paul's stuff in his first post. It's ammonia free and contains no ozone depleting chemicals. The can size is 19oz .

This stuff works great [thumbsup]

, better than any blue juice stuff.

Posted by Jackson Gilman (Member # 2142) on 02-29-2004, 02:51 AM:

Our port glass is utterly filthy. In our booth, they don't provide for us proper cleaning solvents, unless you consider Windex(tm) a good cleaner...Nay, I have found too many streaks from Windex, but have noticed significant improvement by using the lens cleaner we have upstairs - god forbid when we run out, and are unable to clean not only our glass, but the lenses! (because management definatly won't order any more.) \

Anyhoo, is it the ammonia that creates those streaks on the glass? And if so, then why the hell does Windex claim to be streak free???

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 02-29-2004, 07:49 AM:

The first chief I worked for showed me his way of cleaning porthole glass: take a piece of newspaper, fold it to four thicknesses, put a few drops of projector oil on it and wipe the glass. Leave it for five minutes, then clean off the oil with an second, dry folded sheet of newspaper.

It's always worked like a charm for me, leaving the port glasses absolutely spotless.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 02-29-2004, 10:24 AM:

quote:

...why the hell does Windex claim to be streak free???

Windex is an "okay" cleaner if you use it right. Don't use too much of the stuff. Just one or two squirts on an average sized port window is enough. Then you wipe it with a paper napkin to distribute the liquid and dissolve the dirt. Next, you wipe the glass again with a clean napkin to remove the dirt and liquid. Wipe a third time with another napkin to polish the window clean. Your arm will be tired as hell and you'll have a pile of used napkins at your feet but the window will be clean.

Like I said, Windex is an "Okay" cleaner. Sometimes you have to go back and do the whole process over again with clear alcohol to get it really clean. It depends on how dirty your windows get between cleanings.

I have tried all different kinds of cleaners on port windows. To be honest, the only thing I have found that reliably does a good job is good old-fashioned ELBOW GREASE!

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 02-29-2004, 10:52 AM:

Greasy windows = Film done right !?

Actually, I have to agree with Randy. No matter what I use to clean booth windows -- I like Glass Wax (now discontinued) and AMC gave us this chalky liquid stuff -- it still requires a great deal of effort to get them really clean.

Brad's next FT product should be a booth window cleaner called "Elbow Grease."

I always use a little Elbow Grease... [Wink]

Posted by Jackson Gilman (Member # 2142) on 02-29-2004, 12:33 PM:

As Mr. Stankey said, "It depends on how dirty the window is," our port glass is omega-dirty. So before I start using a light amt. of Windex, would a "sponge" method (such as squeegie-ing a windsheild) be good to get the mayflies and bubblegum off the surface of our port glass before we start putting in all that elbow grease? I'm only saying this as I'm afraid I'll be smearing, and possibly scratching the window further. Either way, thanks for the help, I know it's a "newbie-ish" post.

Also, to maintain the continuity of product titling...Elbow-Grease should be hyphonated, and in that "Diablo"-esque font. [Big Grin]

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 02-29-2004, 04:57 PM:

The absolute glass cleaner I have ever found or used is marketed by Louis Auto Glass, Inc. of 1512 N. State Streeet in Bellingham, WA. It costs about $2.50 per 19 Oz can. It is a chemical composition of 2-Butoxyethanol (111-76-2), Ethyl Alcohol (64-17-5), Methol Alcohol (67-56-1), Deionized Water (7732-18-5) and has a LP propellent gas.

This stuff is good!!!!! Brad can attest to that. [Smile]

I used it to clean his grungy portholes in his screening room and when I got done, they were spotless and streakless. They were so clear that you really hardly any light was reflected back from his optical glass.

I used the same stuff in Anacortes. I had to use a ladder to clean the auditorium side of the glass. Erecting the latter and removing the ladder took longer than actually climbing up on the latter to clean the glass. It took about 15 seconds to clean the booth side of the glass. When I got done, there was a substancial increase of picture quality on the screen. I could not believe it.

I was going to send a couple of cans to Brad (I left him with a "demo" can [Smile]

but I better make good on my promise.) I'll ask Brad to give a review on it, and I am positive it'll be an A+++++. I'll never use anything else to clean porthole windows.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 02-29-2004, 06:10 PM:

The name Elbow Grease is already taken!

I'm surprised Phil didn't know about this already! [Big Grin]

Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 03-01-2004, 08:51 PM:

_____

Anyhoo, is it the ammonia that creates those streaks on the glass? And if so, then why the hell does Windex claim to be streak free???
_____

The last time this topic came up, I mentioned something that a professional auto detailer told me: that a lot of glass streaking comes not from the cleaner but whatever you are using to wipe with. Turns out that you should never use a cleaning cloth that has any traces of fabric softener on it, it seems that the alcohol in the cleaner emulsifies the softener in the rag and causes streaking. Also, most store bought paper towels contain a type of softener in them from manufacture. His suggestion: blank newsprint, which can usually be found at shipping and packaging stores. In a pinch, wadded up newspaper will do. This, by the way, is his favorite glass cleaner, I tried it myself and found that it took off the schmootz that Windex wouldn't touch, now I don't use anything else, it's that awesome. It's available at most Pep Boys and other auto stores.

Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 03-02-2004, 02:11 AM:

no doubt this is a quality product, and i'm eager to try it, but i can't help noticing the company's name: stoner. way to go, marketers!

carl