Art glass is something we have seen among the possessions of our great grandparents, grandparents and even parents. What is even more interesting is that even we fancy art glass in one form or the other—door/window panels, vases, trays, lamps, art pieces and whatnot. The thing is that we all invest in art glass with a lot of excitement, but most of us have no idea how to take proper care of it. 

If you are a collector, or if you are a glass artist, you should already be aware. Else a good option is to ask for care instructions from the seller or an art glass supplies provider. And just in case you still need an elaborate manual, here it is. 

About the Cleaning Materials First

Remember one rule of thumb—the softer and milder anything that touches the glass, the better it is. Keeping that in mind, here are the cleaning supplies that you will need. 

• Soft cotton cloth
• Microfibre wipe (synthetic) which contains no chemicals
• One-way gloves. Make sure they are not just any gloves but soft gloves used for cleaning purposes and are powder free.
• A pH-neutral (pH7) cleaning agent, the one that has no acid in it

Let’s Get Cleaning

No.1 rule, never be tough on the glass, whether it’s good ol’ plain glass, etched glass, dichroic fused glass, or any glass for that matter. 

• Always start cleaning the glass from the top so that the dust and only moves downwards as you clean. Also, it will make sure that the cleaning agents don’t dry on the glass. 
• Never spray the cleaning agent on the glass surface. Simply spray it on the cleaning wipe only to the extent of moistening it. 
• Begin the cleaning the glass with strokes that begin from the center, going out towards the edges of the glass. 
• If you notice any marks like fingerprints, wet dust, saliva spots, etc on the glass surface, rub it with the damp wipe and remove them immediately. 
• When done wiping with the moist wipe, you will see that some streaks remain from the moist wipe cleaning. Use either the dry section of the wipe or a soft cotton cloth to wipe off the remaining stains and streaks. Make sure that you do so in a rotating motion. 
• If you see lint or dirt accumulated on the edges, use a cotton swab to clean the edges. 

Take this Special Care

• Never wash the cleaning wipe, that you use for cleaning, with any sort of chemical softener.
• Never scratch the glass with any sharp object like steel wool, knife, cutter, etc.
• Never use abrasive cleaning materials like ceramic glass cleaner to polish the glass. 

• Dust the glass regularly because natural agents like dust and moisture, if left on to accumulate on glass long enough, become almost permanent. 
• Regular kitchen paper towels to wipe any sort of glass are a big NO. It can possibly leave behind fine scratches. 
• There are a lot of silicon spray solutions on the market that promise to “add shine to your art glass”. DO NOT use them.
• Never use dish soap or car wash soap to clean art glass. It can end up destroying glass enamels.
• In case of frosted glass, make sure you do not use hard water for cleaning. It might leave permanent stains of the glass. 

Whenever you buy art glass or art glass supplies, it is probably the right time to find out about the best way to clean and maintain it. A seasoned provider is likely to give you the best information from their practical experience.