Precautionary measures
Since it is extremely rare to clean glass from sun-protective film in an absolutely safe way, you need to take care of your own protection. To prevent aggressive compounds from causing harm to health, it is recommended to use:
- latex gloves;
- respirator or mask;
- sealed glasses.
Thanks to these simple precautions, you can protect the mucous membranes of your eyes and respiratory organs from exposure to harmful fumes, and the skin of your hands from wounds and ulcers. In addition, you need to be careful with cutting tools, industrial hair dryers and steamers. If handled carelessly, they can cause burns and other injuries.
After removing the film and glue (especially by mechanical or combined methods), it is recommended to polish the glass. After all, even after the most careful work, micro-scratches will remain on its surface. The easiest way to remove them is with felt and GOI paste or diamond paste.
When ordering new windows facing the sunny side, immediately decide for yourself whether you are ready to spend time and effort on covering the windows with film and then removing it. If not, we recommend choosing energy-saving double-glazed windows that will protect from solar heat and light thanks to a special coating.
How to remove foil from a window
You can remove the foil from the glass using a glass ceramic hob scraper. This tool copes with the problem without the use of household chemicals.
If the scraper fails to remove everything, then continue to clean the window with the hard side of the sponge using the following mixture: soda or Comet powder is mixed with alcohol or solvent. It will not be possible to wipe the foil off the glass immediately using this method. When, after painstaking work, the result is achieved, the glass surface must be put in order by polishing it with felt with diamond paste.
Another option is Amway Oven Cleaner Gel. It is distributed over the entire surface to be treated and left for half an hour. Dilute a small amount of vinegar in water. Soak a rag or sponge with this liquid and wash the glass. If the first time it was not possible to wash the sun film from plastic windows, then repeat the procedure.
A drill with a soft attachment for grinding glass together with powder for the same procedure helps to get rid of the problem.
When using household chemicals to clean windows, you should not mix two different solutions, as this may lead to an unexpected reaction of the components included in the substance.
Folk remedies
Toothpaste cleans glass well
If none of the above methods help, you can use the following tips:
- Solvent and soda. After treating the glass with the mixture, it is polished with felt.
- Newspapers and soapy water. This method is identical to the soaking method. Newspapers are soaked in soapy water and pasted over the entire surface of the glass. Leave for several hours. All this time, make sure that the paper remains wet, periodically moistening it. After this time, wipe the film off the windows with a soft cloth, and if necessary, with a hard scraper.
- Toothpaste. Apply a little product to a damp sponge and rub the entire surface. Leave for 20 minutes. Wash off with a sponge soaked in warm water.
- Soda and alcohol. The mixture is applied to the glass and rubbed with a soft cloth. Gradually, the coating will begin to give in and fall away from the window.
- Nail polish remover. It doesn't matter whether it contains acetone or not. And if it contains oils and other additives, they will not allow the product to evaporate quickly and this will enhance its effect. The liquid is applied to the sponge and the remaining film or foil is removed.
- An eraser. In most cases, it efficiently scrubs off islands of uncleaned coating.
In different cases, different compositions and methods help, since window coverings differ in quality. Try the options one by one until one works for a particular chemical compound.
If none of the above gives results, you can contact a company that specializes in window cleaning and will probably know how to solve this problem.
Using household chemicals
The use of detergents effectively helps to remove traces of sun protection film. If you are using this product for the first time, you should first try its effect on a small area of glass.
Be sure to protect the frame so that detergent does not get on it, so that there is no unpredictable reaction with the plastic surface. After applying the product to the problem areas, it must be removed with a rag, and traces of glue should also be removed.
Warming up with a hairdryer
Since the protective film is usually made of polymers, it can be softened and removed using local heating. To do this, you can use a steamer, a hair dryer, or even a regular one.
It is important to ensure that the glass itself heats up as little as possible. Otherwise, there is a risk that it will crack and split. It should be taken into account that a hair dryer is much more powerful than its household counterpart, and it should not be brought closer to the glass, less than 15 cm.
To begin with, heat the surface evenly, and then direct a stream of hot air to the upper corner and hold it there for several seconds. Then remove the hairdryer, pry off the softened coating with a sharp object (plastic spatula, toothpick) and gradually separate it from the glass, heating it if necessary.
This method, like the steam generator, is also only suitable for the warm season, when the temperature difference is minimal.
Using foil on windows
Most often, people use ordinary foil on their windows to protect them from sunlight. The advantage of this material is obvious - its low cost and universal availability. You can purchase baking foil at any grocery or hardware store, and use it in many household areas.
So, the advantages of ordinary foil:
- low price;
- availability;
- efficiency;
- ease of use.
If the first two points do not require clarification, then it is worth dwelling in more detail on the issues of efficiency and methods of using food foil on windows.
Effectiveness of foil on windows
The surface of the foil has excellent reflective properties. That is why it successfully copes with the task of protecting the room from intense sunlight. The foil should be placed on the glass with the shiny side facing outward, this is when light, heat and ultraviolet radiation will be successfully reflected from the window.
Disadvantages of sealing with foil:
✘ Not enough light. This method of sun protection has many disadvantages, the main one of which is the fact that with foil on the windows, sunlight does not enter the room at all. Of course, the cost of artificial lighting is much less than the cost of air conditioning a room in the summer heat, but the complete absence of natural light in the house negatively affects a person’s mood.
✘ Not aesthetically pleasing . The next disadvantage of foil on windows is its unattractive appearance. In the modern world, the aesthetic side is of great importance, and windows have become not only an enclosing and protective structure, but also a full-fledged element of the interior.
✘ Easy to tear during use . Household film is a material that tears easily, so you may have troubles during the gluing process.
✘ You are not modern ...Gluing foil on windows is still a relic of the past, like, for example, gauze instead of a mosquito net. Today there are more attractive and convenient ways to protect a room from the sun.
“Mechanical” options for removing protective film:
Option 1 Scraper + COSMOFEN
Excess film is removed with a scraper for cleaning glass-ceramic and hob surfaces.
Remains of adhesive and small scratches, if any, should be removed with COSMOFEN 10 or FENOSOL cleaner.
If there are no COSMOFEN 10 or FENOSOL cleaners, you can use an acrylic solvent, for example P-12.
Option 2 Hairdryer + COSMOFEN
We heat the film with an industrial hair dryer (or use a powerful “home” hair dryer). After which, quickly (until the protective film has cooled) and carefully, pry up the edge of the film with a scalpel (or a sharp stationery knife) and tear it off the window surface without stopping. We remove traces of glue, again, with COSMOFEN or acrylic solvent.
Option 3 Steam generator + COSMOFEN
Similar to method No. 2, but instead of an industrial hair dryer, you can use a steam generator. According to reviews, this method is more effective.
Option 4 Rubber band + white spirit
Quite an unusual way. The film is removed using an ordinary school eraser. Remaining glue - with white spirit. Although, I think it is safer to use the method described above with glue residues.
Steam generator application
If the foil is very stuck, you can remove it faster with a steam generator than with soaking. To do this, you need to direct a stream of hot steam to its upper corner for 5 minutes. Then pry the softened film over the edge, pull it back and carefully roll it down, preventing it from sticking to the glass again.
The adhesive on which the protective film is held becomes plastic under the steam flow - and therefore it is easily separated from the glass. It is better to remove the adhesive itself when it has cooled. You can clean it with a solvent, which also effectively removes traces of adhesive tape on glass.
It is important to maintain a balance of heat. The hotter the steam, the easier it is to separate the film, but overheating can damage the glass itself.
After all the work, all that remains is to wash the window. To do this, you can use a soap mixture of water and dishwashing detergent or a solution with ammonia (5 drops per 200 ml of water).
It is best to remove tint film by heating in summer or early autumn. In the warm season, the risk of possible temperature changes and damage to the surface being cleaned is reduced.
Precautions when removing film stains from glass
When carrying out work to clean windows from traces of solar control film, you should follow the recommended precautions. Some of the chemical cleaners can be harmful to the skin and respiratory tract, and sharp objects can cause injury. Therefore, when removing film stains, you must adhere to the following rules:
- carry out all work related to chemical cleaning substances only with strong, impermeable gloves;
- when wiping off marks, do not press hard on the glass, as this may damage its integrity;
- when working with sharp objects (knife, scissors, scraper), you should act as carefully as possible so as not to get hurt or damage the window;
- Avoid contact of chemicals with unprotected skin, eyes or respiratory tract;
- Keep materials and tools intended for removing marks from glass surfaces out of the reach of children.
Purpose and types of sun protection coatings
The film performs not only a reflective function. Thanks to it, the glass becomes more durable, even more difficult to break with a stone. There are special perforated, especially durable coatings that belong to the protective class. They are glued to the outside of the window, it protects against shots and break-ins. Other types are used for the inside of glass.
All types of solar control film contain aluminum, so it is difficult to remove it from glass with ordinary water. In order to prevent windows from being damaged, you need to take into account some features and know the most effective methods.
Let’s try to figure out how to remove tinting from the glass of plastic windows quickly and safely.
