Homemade Plexiglass Cleaner

Care

• The best cleaner you can use for your Plexiglas sheets is a solution of mild liquid dishwashing detergent and lukewarm water. Combine a teaspoon of detergent with a pint of water and apply a generous amount of it to a soft, clean cloth or a sponge. Rinse well. Dry with a lint-free cloth like chamois, cotton flannel or a microfiber cloth. Letting the Plexiglas air-dry will result in water spots. Highly diluted bleach is also safe to use as a cleaner. Mix 1 ounce of bleach in 1 gallon of water for a ratio of approximately 1 to 100.

Adhesives

• Grease, tar, protective film or glue from sticky price tags can be safely removed from Plexiglas by moistening the tag with lighter fluid or kerosene. Wash the residue off when you’re done and dry with a lint-free cloth. Be careful not to scratch the plastic when you’re rubbing the price tag off.

Polish

• Plexiglas can be polished with a good quality car paste wax, but don’t use a cleaner-wax combination. You can make your own paste wax by combining 1 cup of linseed oil with 4 tablespoons of carnuba wax, 2 tablespoons of beeswax and 1/2 cup of vinegar. Heat the ingredients in the top of a double boiler until the wax melts. Stir to mix and pour into a heat resistant container to let it solidify. Apply wax with a lint-free cloth and buff with clean cotton flannel.

Don'ts

• Don’t use a dry cloth to clean Plexiglas because it’ll rub dirt into the acrylic. Don’t use scrubbing pads or gritty cleansers. Don’t use alcohol or ammonia, or solvents such as acetone or dry-cleaning fluid, because they’ll make your acrylic sheets cloudy. Don’t use window cleaners that contain ammonia. Don’t use razor blades or paint scrapers because they’ll cause permanent scratches. Paper towels can also leave fine scratches or deposits of lint.