Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We just had our windows washed and discovered a problem. The guy doing the washing
says that mineral deposits from sprinkler water on SCREENED windows will not clean up
because the screens allowed the water to stay wet too long.
Anyone have any experience with removing this kind of deposit? He very obviously didn't
want to pursue it but I'd like to find out what we can do.
Are the deposits on the screen or the glass? I don't see why you couldn't clean the glass with vinegar. The screens could be problematic because of al the surface area.
Are the deposits on the screen or the glass? I don't see why you couldn't clean the glass with vinegar. The screens could be problematic because of al the surface area.
The deposits are on the glass. Vinegar was my first thought as well, but I've never actually
used it in this manner so I wanted to get some ideas about alternatives. I'm going to get
some and try it on an inconspicuous area to see how it goes.
The washer guy said the best thing to do going forward was to coat the glass with something
like RainX to help the water sheet as well as to provide a strippable, renewable, protective layer.
I can't imagine why the window washer is saying that unless he really wants to just sell that protective coating. I have cleaned fish tanks that were virtually opaque with scale from Albuquerque water. I would take heavy duty paper towels, fold them in half and soak them in full strength vinegar then slap them up on the affected area for about 10 of 15 minutes. Then I would use said towels to wipe down the surface that they were up against. If there was anything left, I would take a green scrubby (Scotch-brite) and dip it in vinegar and add a little elbow grease. I'm making sound a lot harder than it is.
Vinegar works well but you have to let it soak. My faucet heads get coated with minerals every year...soaking them in vinegar for a few hours makes them shiny like brand new.
Number one rule in Albuq. is don't let your sprinklers wet the house or windows. The water is really hard in some areas.
The only way to battle the lime deposit on the windows is with Lime Out, then don't let city water dry on the windows.
For things like a shower head, you can use vinegar. You can use a plastic bag or baggy filled with vinegar and rubber banded to the head so that it can soak. The use a tooth pick to stab out the lime that's stuck in the spray holes.
It's a good idea to dump a couple cups of vinegar in the a/c water in the spring, to cut down on the lime clogging up the pads.
If you happen to use a steam iron, don't use city water. Use distilled.
Try Lemi Shine. I lived in Vegas for 4 years. They have even harder water than here. After a few months, every dish I owned was white. I didn't do anything about it right away. Clear glasses got so bad they were opaque white and chalky to the touch.
I tried every hard water detergent and even vinegar with no success. Then found Lemi Shine. One wash removed over a year's worth of deposits. The dishes looked brand new. They say you can mix it with water in a spray bottle for other uses like windows and showers.
Also, I'd be careful using anything abrasive like a scotch brite pad. You could end up scratching the glass. I'd try a sponge or cloth.
Thanks for the link. I have one of those large packs of soft shop towels that I use for
washing the bike and that's what I'll use on the glass, as well.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
