Glass Furniture Cleaning and Care

Glass furniture shares the need of all furniture for basic maintenance.

Specific details are provided with the product and pdf care sheets can be downloaded on the relevant product page, but here we hope that we can give a few tips on cleaning and caring for the glass specifically.

For Clear or unfrosted/treated glass surfaces we recommend Futureglass Glass Cleaner (soon to be commercially available), or other professional-grade cleaning fluid for your contemporary glass furniture. Many are available, but to get the most from the cleaning is to use clean tissue that is preferably lint-free. Being lint-free, the tissue will hold together. We prefer tissue as it is mildly abrasive (very mildly (and so it cleans nicely). The key feature that is held over a cleaning cloth is that there is no contamination. E-Cloths work well and if they are kept clean they can work well. We prefer tissue as it removes the dirt on the tissue. This is critical as if a cloth were dropped and grit were collected in the cloth, then this could very quickly scratch the glass.

Glass cleaners are used only at the very final stage of inspection at Futureglass. The reason behind this is that they often have silicone or similar that is left as a residue behind. This fills the pores of the glass slightly which makes them a little less easy to fingerprint. However, this also prevents resin paints and specialist adhesives from achieving their optimum adhesion.

Try the key steps below and you will achieve fantastic lasting results very quickly.

First ensure any grit or dirt is removed from the glass furniture using a kitchen roll (or clean cloth), then spray evenly the cleaning solution to the glass surface following the product instructions. Using circular motions, use the CLEAN, DRY tissue, paper towel or lint-free cloth to spread the cleaner and ensure that any soiling is removed. Any dirt is held in solution so it can be absorbed into the tissue as it is removed from the pores of the glass furniture.

The Futureglass Glass Cleaner contains a specials solution that goes into the pores of the glass furniture, making the safety glass surface more resistant to fingerprinting. This is a very mild version of the anti-fingerprint that is commonly applied to shower doors and frosted glass for a very easy clean with water.

The video shows how effective a RITEK coating is and how it helps keep glass clean.

Wooden legs and wood finishes can be cleaned with furniture polishes or simply a damp cloth. Although glass cleaners we use do not immediately cause damage, they are too wet and if left can damage the laquer on the wooden legs. Cleaners that have alcohol or acetones also cause damage to the laquer very quickly. It is a laquer that is considerate to the environment, and used on a small scale, but not a waterbased laquer. Instead, it is made of 3 parts, a resin, catalyst, and a hardener.

Gem Lite legs are made from rigid PVC and most household furniture cleaners work well with these.

The stainless steel used on the frames and the legs is made of a 304 grade of stainless steel. It is resistant to corrosion, but not corrosion-free. The use of fairly liquid to assemble the GEM hifi stands in assembly can lead to a rusting as the fairly liquid contains salt. we have been told!

Storage of the furniture outside, in a cold damp garage or anywhere other than an internal living environment, is going to lead to issues over time with the dampness and condensation eventually Ingress between the joint through the pores in the surface of the glass. UV bonding on glass is not waterproof and is for the internal living environment only. We repair crystal figures and objects that have been 'cleaned' in the dishwasher. If you are ever in doubt please drop us a line.