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cleaning & restoring glass
| N.B. While we believe all the information provided on these pages to be correct, we cannot be held responsible for any damage arising out of the use of any of the cleaning, repair and restoration techniques described, which are used entirely at the reader's own risk |
page 1: cleaning
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foreword
There can be little more satisfying for a glass enthusiast than, having bought a disgustingly dirty piece of glass (preferably at a knockdown price!), to see it emerge from the soapsuds gleaming and sparkling, restored to its former glory. To look at its best, glass needs to be clean as much as it needs good lighting.
Most collectors are (quite sensibly) happy to pay a bit more and buy a piece already cleaned. Then they can be sure of exactly what they are getting for their money, with no risk of buying a "pup". That's why every piece of glass that we buy is thoroughly cleaned (by me!) before being offered for sale (with the exception of antiquities, which should never be touched).
But for those on more limited budgets, or who don't mind taking a chance, there are bargains to be had in return for a little work.
So don't be put off from considering a piece of glass by the fact that it is very dirty, but do be aware that you are taking a risk by buying a dirty piece, and the price you are being asked by the seller should, therefore, reflect that.
If a piece is very dirty, but the seller still expects you to pay something near its full market value, I would walk away from it.
dirt
Dirt can cover up a multitude of sins, so dirty objects must be scrutinised for damage even more carefully than you would check clean ones. Chips can be obscured, small holes be filled in, worn enamelling and gilding covered, stains be disguised, and even cracks hidden under a thick enough layer of crud.
Wet pieces should also be avoided unless you have the wherewithal to dry them on the spot, as water will effectively cover water-damage and even quite severe scratching, and make small chips hard to spot. On our rounds, we often see wet decanters on offer, and I bet that most of them would prove to be badly water-stained when dried.
Some (unscrupulous) sellers will even resort to wiping the inside of vases etc. with vaseline, grease or oil in order to cover up water damage, so be prepared to stick your fingers in as far as you can to check for any oiliness.
tools & equipment
Unfortunately, you can't just go out and buy a "glass-cleaning kit", so you'll have to make up your own. Some items can be found in your local hardware store or supermarket, some you may even end up making for yourself. Here's a selection of tools that I find indispensable:
Here are some basic MUST-HAVES, which can all be readily obtained:
your basic washing-up brush standard washing-up sponge with scourer-pad (the sort recommended for non-stick pans is safer) NEVER USE SCOURER SIDE ON 'Brillo' or other soap-impregnated wire-wool pad. NEVER USE ON GILDING dish-mop for reaching down into places your hand can't get into. Also for manipulating scourers and pads in confined spaces don't bin your old toothbrush, you will find it especially useful for getting the dirt out of cuts and fancy mouldings bottle-brushes are especially useful for narrow vases, decanters and, of course, bottles! The top should bend to shape easily teapot-spout brush. A miniature version of the bottle-brush for even smaller spaces Also very useful are these:
some grit for swilling around inside decanters etc. (take out any big or awkwardly-shaped pieces, or they may get stuck in crevices) even better than grit, if you can find it, is lead-shot. Special abrasive-coated shot are sold under the name "Magic Balls" but the coating wears off quite quickly if you do use grit or shot, you will find it easier to use a sieve to tip it out into, and then rinse it off in before re-use. I suggest you don't use your normal one, as your grit or shot will get pretty yucky! I've seen some seriously weird stuff come out of the depths of old vases old paintbrushes are very useful - particularly narrow ones like this. Ideal for pieces with applied decoration, or the bristles can be cut shorter to provide a stiffer brush this is a really stiff brush that I found in an Ironmongers. I don't know what it was intended for originally, but it's great for shifting stubborn dirt an angled-head brush (I found this one in the dental-care section of my local supermarket), very useful for awkward nooks & crannies old artist's brushes can often reach into places other brushes can't yes, it's my magic bit of wire! With the help of a pair of pliers, this length of reasonably pliable wire (from an old coat-hanger) has been:
Every home should have one!
For when more desperate measures are required:
an old hypodermic syringe - the ONLY way to get dirt out of the crevices amongst the fancy applied decoration on some old Stourbridge glass is often to flush it away under pressure. NOT recommended for the butter-fingered Also worth having at hand are:
cleaning
frosted glass
Frosted glass items have been exposed to the fumes of hydrofluoric acid, which destroys the normal glossy finish of glass, leaving microscopic pitting on the surface
The main disadvantage of this is that the surface tends to become very grubby with ingrained dirt. The great advantage, however, is that you can go at it 'hammer and tongs' with the harshest of abrasives and things like wire-wool without the slightest fear of scratching it. Vigorous effort with 'Cif' paste and a toothbrush will get the worst off
One problem, though, is that the rough surface (being effectively like sandpaper itself), if knocked against a metal object, can pick up metallic smears which may not be shifted by normal washing methods. See page 2, repairs & restoration for how to improve these
silvered glass
Glass which has had silver electro-deposited on the surface looks particularly unappealing when dirty, as the silver tarnishes black. Like all silver, however, this tarnish can be removed by applying any normal (preferably "long-term") liquid or cream silver-polish on a soft cloth and rubbing vigorously. Cotton buds are good for getting into tight areas
If the tarnish is very stubborn, using the silver-polish with a toothbrush may get the worst off, before finishing with a soft cloth. Or, if you have one, use silver-polish on a felt pad in a power-drill at a lowish speed
Once it has been thoroughly cleaned, your silvered glass will probably only need a light polish once or twice a year to keep it sparkling
N.B. Sometimes the silver will not have been evenly electro-deposited over the whole pattern, resulting in thin parts which will become even more obvious once the article has been polished. Silver-polish is an abrasive, so thin patches are (unavoidably) made worse by using it. Be careful when buying to ensure the silvered pattern is a good, dense black all over.
drying
The only drying problems you are likely to encounter are when the object is, say, a narrow-necked vase, a decanter or something as fiddly as a toddy-lifter.
For narrow-necked vases, either find someone with slimmer hands than you, or simply wrap your tea-towel around a piece of wood.
For bottles, decanters and similarly-shaped objects,
Some people recommend using a hair-dryer on a low setting for drying decanters, but I cannot imagine being desperate enough to risk it!
limescale
Limescale can usually be shifted by using a scourer or soapy wire-wool pad. If it is severe, use any product described as a limescale-remover (follow the safety instructions on the bottle) with a stiff brush or wad of wire-wool, repeating the process if required. However, once the piece is dried, you may well find that the glass is water-stained beneath it (see page 2: restoration)
rust stains
Rust stains are caused when an iron or steel object is left in water in a vessel (often by ladies who used a ball of chicken-wire, or a patent metal stem-holder, at the bottom of a vase to arrange their flowers - sometimes when a nail, pin or paper-clip has fallen in by mistake and remained undiscovered).
The stains tend to be small and localised around the immediate point of contact with the wet metal. Although they are superficial, and do not affect the actual glass, they can be quite hard to shift using normal washing methods.
I find the best method is to get the worst of the rust off by scraping it gently with a sharp knife or scalpel, then remove the rest with a wire-wool pad and an abrasive such as "Jif" liquid. For deep, narrow vessels, you will need to sharpen the end of your piece of magic wire to a rounded "chisel" edge for scraping, then use a stick to manipulate a piece of wire-wool for finishing-off.
.... carry on to page 2: restoration
GILDING OR ENAMELLING
OR ENAMELLING
(a) bent into hooks to pull out bits of crud or lost scourers
(b) wrapped around (or taped to) brush handles to lengthen them
(c) sharpened into a chisel with a file to scrape off rust stains
(d) sharpened to a point for poking into tight holes
(e) used to loosen wedged grit and shot, and a ZILLION other things
(you could try an old water-pistol instead)