Q & A
The Problem Solver
Q
Mr. Griffin,
A couple of winter window cleaning questions. How can I get rid of all that holiday paint and fake snow on store windows? And, any ideas on how to keep my water from freezing on those cold days when I still want to try to get a few hours in?
Thanks,
Clive Burklestein
Florissant, CO
A
Mr. Burklestein,
If the holiday paint and snow is water soluble, wet the surface well with your strip washer and usual cleaning solution, and then carefully scrape the paint off with whatever type of scraping tool you normally use. Test in an inconspicuous area first, and be sure that your blade is new and sharp to avoid scratching the glass. Scrape the paint into large globs, which you then deposit in a bucket or plastic bag and dispose of according to environmental regulations in your area. Then wash the window as usual. Any missed spots can be scraped again, or removed (carefully!) with ultra fine steel wool. A degreaser often works well on spray snow. Apply it directly to the strip washer wand, then scrape if needed. If the paint is not water soluble, or just plain stubborn, try a gel type paint remover (check with local hardware stores or janitorial supplier). Smear the gel on (wear gloves for this) let it dwell a bit, then scrape with a razor scraper. Wash the window as usual afterwards.
As for the cold weather work, my best advice is take the winter off! But if you can't, or are a workaholic like me, then the old solution was to add pure alcohol to your water, and maybe a bit of glycerin. However, products have improved so much over the last few years that it's best to just contact a janitorial or window cleaner supplier and see what they have. Or you might call these companies, two of the premiere manufacturers of window cleaning chemicals:
Titan Laboratories, 1-800-475-3300 (408-734-2200) or
Winsol Laboratories, 1-800-782-5501.
Keep it Clean
Wm R. Griffin
