Glass cleaning.

[Drumachine09]

My brain is on its last legs trying to figure out how to clean the smudges on the outside of the glass.

I am afraid to use windex, because everyone says it leeches through the glass.

I have tried a damp rag, but that just smears it around

I have tried spraying water on the glass, Then wiping it off.

I tried one of those dry glasses cleaning cloths and that did absoloutly squat.

How do you guys clean you glass.

Any help is apreciated!

[crackatinny]

Have you tried white vinigar

[Drumachine09]

nope, not yet.

[crackatinny]

I would give it a shot, I was told to use it to get rid of calcium biuldup on a secondhand tank, and it worked a treat

[Drumachine09]

Does it stink to high hell?

[crackatinny]

At 1st it does, but it could be diluted to reduce this

[Drumachine09]

Its worth a shot

[blue fin]

do a 50-50 mix, put in a spray bottle and use like windex.. works like a charm....

[nikipate]

I am afraid to use windex, because everyone says it leeches through the glass.


Uh oh, we have been using straight Windex on the outside but we are careful not to spray it right on the tank. We always turn away and spray it on the paper towel.... what does everyone else think about it?

[jeffs99dime]

i never use any household cleaners on or near my tank. i just don't trust it

[Glasstapper]

I've never used anything other than a soft cloth and tank water (I dip my fingers in the water and then splatter it on the glass), but then again I've never had any stubborn greasy stains before. Do you know where they could have come from? Also, the vinegar may be a good idea. I have tiny little bowls of it sitting around in my apartment because I smoke in here, but you rarely smell the smoke because the vinegar absorbs the smoke smell. I never smell the vinegar, either (and people that come over don't smell it). If you're just using a small amount on a cloth, the smell will dissipate in a few minutes.

[AquaQueen]

OK you may find this hard to believe but I guess you'd have to try it to see for yourself like I did...Anyway I use water and newspaper on any glass or mirror that I clean my son has asthma so I can't use much for cleaners...I spray the surface with the water then wipe with the paper then wipe with a dry paper to clean the streaks...Let me know if you try it out...works really good on bathroom mirrors(toothpaste splats):ezpi_wink1:

[Incredulous_Ed]

Newspaper works great for cleaning glass. I use it on car windows all the time.

[kimmers318]

I simply spray the glass cleaner on the rag.....while away from the tank, and then go over and wipe the glass down. Any of the other solutions should work also, my grandmother always used the vinegar paper towel method, I am just lazy and it is easier to grab the bottle of windex. I love the new windex streak free!

[TehTANK]

I have been using windex for years. I spray it on papertowel away from the tank and then wipe the glass down. Then I take a dry cloth and go back over it just to make sure I got it all. It has never done anything to my fish that I have had and has never leaked through the glass. Just don't spray it on the tank itself. I know a lot of people say don't do that but I have never had a problem. You just have to make sure that none of it gets in the tank. That is just me though. A lot of people will say don't do this. I don't do it on my glass hoods. I only use water and a rag to clean those because they touch the water. Just my two cents.....

[Abbeys_Mom]

I don't use glass cleaner. It does leech through the glass, but it takes years of build up before you see the damage. I have a toddler who likes to leave sticky smudgie prints on my tank. I use good old human spit. Works great, even if it sounds gross. Makes me think of when my Mum used to wipe my face when I was a kid, spit in a napkin and scrub away.

[Lady Hobbs]

Spray your paper towel and wipe it down like that. I do it just as TehTank does.

Don't ya hate it when you think everything looks great then go to take a picture of your tank and here you have water streaks showing in the pictures, spots on the plants or the hood is dirty? I wonder why you don't see any of that stuff before you snap your pictures! LOL

[Scuba Guy]

Actually Windex is fine....but you have to follow the follow steps.

Take 3 or 4 sheets of paper towels and in another room, spray a light amount of windex on the folded towles. Create a light mist, damp to the touch only - no dripping.

Then go to the aquarium and beginning in firm and sweeping motions, clean the glass surfaces top to bottom side to side. Work one area at a time and then dry polish with a second set of towels. Keep using the same Windex towels for all of the glass - no need to recharge.

Your glass will sparkle and smudges will be gone.

Windex DOES NOT LEACH through the glass. Any residual evaporates quickly.

The key is not spraying any Windex near your tank.

I have been doing this lots of years. Never a problem.

AND when I used to work at an Aquarium shop in college, we did this to the rows of tanks once a week - never a problem.

[nikipate]

Don't ya hate it when you think everything looks great then go to take a picture of your tank and here you have water streaks showing in the pictures, spots on the plants or the hood is dirty? I wonder why you don't see any of that stuff before you snap your pictures! LOL

I sure do!!!! We just bought a Nikon digital SLR as an upgrade to my hubby's film SLR and we have been snapping pictures like crazy to get a feel for the settings and all. We still haven't gotten it quite right but there were a few which were okay but we saw several drip marks down the back. We had put on a solid blue background which just highlighted everything so we had to get those taken care of... it's always something. :ezpi_wink1:

[Lady Hobbs]

There is also glass cleaner made for just aquariums if you feel you want to spend more money. Also, you could use glass wipes and just wipe dry afterwards.

I guess you will faint if I told you how I clean the glass on the hood then! LOL I put the hood in the tub, pour a couple drops of LimeAway or Snobowel on a sponge and wipe only the glass part then turn the shower on and let it rinse well for about 3 or 4 minutes. Those babies sparkle with no scrapping to remove the lime.

[Sasquatch]

Just use vinegar to clean the glass, it's a lot less dangerous than chemical stuff like windex and goes just as good a job.

Dampen a cloth or paper towels, wipe and then wipe off any residues with a dry cloth/paper towel.

[Lady Hobbs]

Thanks. Never gave the vinegar a thought but will try it. Heck. I use it to clean lime from my coffee pot and it works. Thanks

[Scuba Guy]

Vinegar smells bad - unless it is in a salad.

[KneeKickLou]

I usually just use glass cleaner on a paper towel that I spray away from the tank, but I might have to give the vingar a shot see how that works.

[Sasquatch]

Vinegar smells bad - unless it is in a salad.

I also like it on fries.thumbs2:

Smells aside, it's probably the safest thing to clean your aquarium with. Except water and elbow grease of course.

[Drumachine09]

I tried the 50-50 vinegar and water in a spray bottle, and it worked like a charm, thanks for all the help guys!

[Lady Hobbs]

Did you use it on the outside of the tank or the glass in the hood? That's my problem area. Always a lime scale and it actually gets green if I don't keep it done up.

[Drumachine09]

Did you use it on the outside of the tank or the glass in the hood? That's my problem area. Always a lime scale and it actually gets green if I don't keep it done up.


I used it on the oustside, but i imagine it would work on the hood glass as well.

[blue fin]

glad to hear it....

[jeffs99dime]

i use r.o. water and newspaper on the outside of the tank. works wonders

[crackatinny]

I don't use glass cleaner. It does leech through the glass, but it takes years of build up before you see the damage. I have a toddler who likes to leave sticky smudgie prints on my tank. I use good old human spit. Works great, even if it sounds gross. Makes me think of when my Mum used to wipe my face when I was a kid, spit in a napkin and scrub away.

That must have been a worldwide tradition, I'd cringe when I seen the hanky come out followed by the remark, theres something on your face:14:

[Drumachine09]

That must have been a worldwide tradition, I'd cringe when I seen the hanky come out followed by the remark, theres something on your face:14:


Dont we all?????

[Sasquatch]

Did you use it on the outside of the tank or the glass in the hood? That's my problem area. Always a lime scale and it actually gets green if I don't keep it done up.

Vinegar should work on lime scale pretty well. Since it's acidic, it should dissolve it.

The green stuff won't like it either.

[AquaQueen]

First I want to say glad you founf something that worked for you Drumachine....

Jeff...What is RO Water?...Prolly something simple that I will say oh I knew that...lol