Doors made of glass or incorporating glass panels are a wonderful addition to a home or office. Allowing plenty of natural light to flow through and giving a feeling of space, even to small areas.
Etched glass doors add a decorative and sometimes a unique touch. Some are etched in the traditional way, either by hand engraving or more commonly sand-blasting or chemical etching techniques.
Other doors are decorated with so-called ‘faux etching’ which is where a plastic film, like a sticker, is added to the glass giving an impression of etched glass at a much reduced cost. Unlike traditional etching, faux etching does not have to be permanent.
Glass etching is also sometimes the name given to the wear and scratches that occur from everyday use or from incidents and accidents that happen to glass of all kinds, including glass doors.
This article guides you through the process of removing accidental glass door etching and faux glass door etching. However, for glass etching that has been carried out either by hand or by a chemical means, there is no way to remove it. If you really can’t get on with your etched glass door, you will simply have to replace it.
What Is Glass Etching?
- Scratches and scraping either done by accident or by deliberate defacement/vandalism.
- Decorative engraving of designs or text onto glass by hand engraving, chemical means, or sand blasting.
- Decorative embellishment of glass by the addition of a plastic film to give a look similar to actual etched glass.
Equipment Needed To Remove Glass Etching
Removing etched patterns on glass is not possible if it has been done traditionally. This is because the design is cut into the glass. Similarly, etching or scratching, if done by deliberate defacement/vandalism, is usually not possible to remove.
In order to removed faux etched glass, you will need a fresh razor blade and glass cleaner or spirit vinegar.
To remove etches or scratches on glass caused by minor scrapes and accidents, or everyday wear and tear, you will need bicarbonate of soda, toothpaste, and glass cleaner or spirit vinegar.
Steps To Remove Glass Etching From A Door
- For faux etching, first clean the area and ensure the glass is wet.
- Carefully and slowly using a new, sharp razor, scrape at the faux etching to be removed. Remove any residue and clean well with glass cleaner or vinegar.
- For minor etches and scratches on glass, mix a little bicarbonate of soda with toothpaste and rub the scratches gently with a soft cloth.
- Clean well with glass cleaner or vinegar afterwards.
How To Keep An Etched Glass Door Sparkling
Some glass doors are trickier to keep sparkling than others. Shower doors are particularly difficult to keep sparkly, as they are affected by soap build up and water, particularly in hard water areas.
Outside facing doors are also difficult to keep sparkling clean as they are facing the elements day in and day out.
Etched glass presents the difficulty of not having a level surface which means that using a squeegee is not possible.
The following tips will help keep all your glass doors sparkling beautifully, even the more problematic ones:
- Rather than shop bought glass cleaner, use a solution of either vinegar and bicarbonate of soda (best for shower doors) or vinegar and washing up liquid.
- Where possible, always rinse with distilled water (this will prevent streaking, water marks and even eliminate the need to squeegee).
- Invest in a good quality, lint free microfibre cloth to dry the glass after cleaning.
To discuss your etched glass door project, or for more information and advice on all aspects of glass engraving and etching, get in touch with us at Furnells, the engraving specialists.