Hazy Glass After Cleaning It - Picture

[Enigma869]

I checked the Harmon owners manual and it recommends glass cleaner with ammonia. So any compelling evidence against it?

I'm not sure what the theories are against ammonia, as I'm no chemical expert. That said, I was also told by two different Harman dealers that I should only use ammonia free cleaners. I never really asked why, as I only ever use a wet (with water) paper towel.

 

[slvrblkk]

They say the ammonia could etch the glass.

 

[Hdhogger]

Wipe with dry paper towel first. Then use these and wipe dry. Works for me. Glass still looks new after cleaning.

 

[Stevekng]

How about these. We can't be too careful, you know.

 

[Ctcarl]

The wet paper towel seems to me wrking fine. So I will stick with that .

 

[Hdhogger]

How about these. We can't be too careful, you know.

Well, if sensitivity is a problem I guess these would be a better choice. Though I can't find these in the wife's stash of cleaning supplies.

 

[Harvey Schneider]

It is, perhaps, rash to assume that a haze on a window is only on the surface. Whether it is glass or ceramic you could be looking at a chemically bonded layer of contaminant or even a chemically modified surface on the window.
I got curious so I did some research on the web. The most relevant things I could find were about people trying to restore antique glass that had white stains. The general recommendation is to use a mild acid like vinegar or citric acid to etch the stains off. That makes sense because most white stains that stick to a glass surface are metal oxides or carbonates (like calcium).
Being the impatient type, I reached for a bottle of CLR (calcium, lime and rust remover). This contains dilute hydrofluoric acid. I dampened a paper towel with the CLR an wiped the "permanently" hazy window or my PDVC. I spent about a minute scrubbing and turning the towel to expose clean areas to the window. Then I wiped it with a towel wet with water, and finally dried it thoroughly with another paper towel.
nearly all of the haze disappeared. It is hard to put a number on it, but I would guess that better than 95% of the haze is gone in just one cleaning.
I don't think that this is good for normal weekly cleaning. Hydrofluoric acid will etch glass and ceramics. It is suitable for a rescue operation. It will take time to know if the window is going to stay clear of just quickly haze over again.
The window on my PDVC was so bad that I could not clearly see the flame. The window was in that condition when I bought the stove, and even the abrasives that I tried couldn't cut the haze.
No pictures, so it didn't happen. You'll have to take my word for it.
YMMV

 

[Stevekng]

How about these. We can't be too careful, you know.

Well, if sensitivity is a problem I guess these would be a better choice. Though I can't find these in the wife's stash of cleaning supplies.

Well, if you can't use ammonia, CLR, or other equally toxic-to-glass cleaners, then Baby Wipes ought to do the job!