How to remove hard water stains from windows.
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
- Equipment needed.
1. #0000 steel wool. Anything rated as more abrasive will scratch your glass.
2. The works toilet bowl cleaner.
3. Applicator or sponge.
4. PPE
5. Old squeegee (it will get corroded)
6. Spray bottle with soap and water
Please note: The steel wool is 0000#. Anything else will scratch your glass.
This article is now a year old, have you noticed any etching or deterioration of the glass over time by using such a strong acid as The Works?
@@leonardbreau8928 just use 0000 steel or bronze wool. The toilet bowl cleaner is more risk than worth when it comes to paint and window sills
@@D-blaze Thanks for the feedback!
What apart cheap apartment windows that are cheap tempered glass? We can’t use steel wool #0000 on them because they scratch immediately. What would you recommend for those types of windows?
Thank you for this!!! I can't tell you how much it helped me. If I saw one more Google result for using vinegar and baking soda, I was going to give up forever on getting rid of these stains 🤦🏼♀️
@lolabloo i’m right there with you. I live in the Dallas, Texas area and my western facing windows gave me a little hope of ever being cleaned. I just don’t understand how people can suggest a solution of soapy water and vinegar, which can be useful in some instances, and tout it as the solution for all sun-baked water stains. It simply don’t work.
But this video solved my problem. I’m so grateful. And it’s pretty easy.
And though I am from Texas, I don’t sound as much like a Texan as my message suggested. My brand new progressive lenses are keeping me from proofreading as effectively as I used to.
Limescale remover spray viakal or flash will do the same thing you won’t need stupid wire wool
Vinegar would work, as it is an acid, although extremely weak compared to this Hydrochloric Acid solution. But its no longer an acid if you put sodium carbinate in it.
@@falsedragon33Childhood rocket fuel. 😅
Thank you SO much for posting this!!! We have an irrigation system in our yard and add that with the wind that is often present, hard water stains have been a part of my window cleaning frustration for 10 years now. I've tried numerous things, all with LOTS of scrubbing, but none have ever removed all of the stains. This was SO easy!! I followed your directions and without much scrubbing all of the hard water stains are completely gone for the first time ever!! I can't thank you enough!!
Did you have any issues with the cleaner on your siding? I have one window with really bad water spots but I’m worried about the stucco around it getting ruined!
Same here, hard water stains on windows that were probably caused by overspray/wind drift from our irrigation system (extremely hard well water), This worked like magic! Our nearby Lowes didn't carry The Works but they had Zep Acidic Toilet Bowl Cleaner, which worked perfectly!
Great idea. I went ahead and hosed down the window and seals after treatment then proceeded to do a normal window wash. It's time consuming but I didn't want the acid damaging the customers paint
AWESOME. Worked 100% on truck with water spotted windows built up over the years. Thanks for the Pro-tip👍
Amazing! I've tried every tip to rid my shower doors of hard water stains to no avail. This worked great. Thank you so much!
....and wash off the siding as well! Ha ha ha ha! Been struggling with this. Have YEARS of hard water buildup on windows from watering the lawn. I used Soft Scrub but I ended up using an electric Finishing Sander with a ScotchBrite scrub pad & it still didn't take it off. So I'm definitely going to try this! Thx!
Did it work?
Yo same and we can’t afford a new window. Did it work??!
We were doing a major remodel and I decided I was finally going to tackle my hard water-stained windows. (It was really bad). Walmart was out of The Works, so I used Lysol Bowl cleaner instead. It works just as well! You can literally see the deposits sizzle while as it is dissolving. Thank you again!
I've been scouring for car detailing videos on how to remove water stains and I literally never thought to look up window cleaning videos for windows on buildings lol thank you so much for this.
Glad I could help!
You get this on the paint on your car and you will be sorry.
@@bonnielayfield1406 it does nothing to paint
Wow! I can't believe how this works! A little elbow grease and voila! Much cheaper than replacing my windows! Thank you so much.
This is a great idea. I had some on my living room windows and used stovetop glass cleaner. Worked really well. But this is cheaper and just as effective.
Thanks!! This is the best how to video on this category. Quick to the point
Not a good video. He failed to show how good it worked. Makes you feel he’s hiding something.
Skipped the toilet cleaner, used dish soap, water and them #0000 steel wool on a window that hasn't been cleaned in 10 years. The medium level of hard water deposit fogging came off after cleaning the surface 8-12 times. There are still some light deposits, but most are gone and the window looks dang near new. I've been waiting 20 years for this hack (I guess my Google skills are lacking... )!
Now to tackle my shower door!
I’ve found that soapy water + the 0000 steel wool is perfectly fine for most applications. I have precisely one really bad window that the above formula isn’t strong enough to cut through, so I’m going to try the method in the video. Hope it works! 😂
Just wanted to say that I did it exactly like you and it works perfectly.
I think the key is the steel wool, not the bowl cleaner. I tried another section with soapy water and steel wool and it worked just as good. Thanks!
Triple zero steel wool ?
@@jackson4861 0000
@@D-blaze the name of ur steel?
@@alexandrevelado3253 any 0000 wool will work. I buy in bulk but I can't think of the name off hand.
If you didn't know already... steel wool will scratch tint, window film, paint and will rust over time. When used properly, it's the best price point. (I have a construction cleaning company so we use it daily)
Safer/more expensive alternatives to wool would be walnut pads, magic erasers, or even 0000 bronze wool.
Thanks Falcon, I tried using a Brillo pad on my glass shower doors and it worked perfectly. Now I don't have to buy The Works and put all those toxins in my house.
This video is great. I tried everything when I moved into my new home. Probably 20 or more years since the windows were cleaned and were caked with pine sap as well. Now they glow!
I followed your method and the windows looked great. The customer is pleased. I never rinsed the siding ( not suggested in the video ), and now they want me to replace the courses of siding below the windows that were damaged by the toilet bowl cleaner.
Common sense, sorry.
@@dogrescuer1321 when I went to replace the siding, the windows fell out. Now I'm sitting on the toilet thinking about all the money you cost me and guess what? The toilet is filthy but I can't clean it because I'm out of toilet bowl cleaner. The irony, am I right?
@@ridethepace6005 ok, " use common sense
@@dogrescuer1321 No , I used Clorox brand toilet bowl cleaner. Never heard of that brand, Common Sense.
He did say to rinse the siding because the cleaner is blue and will stain it. Oh, and take some effing personal responsibility instead of blaming other people!
The final squeegee on the little window was so satisfying.
I found 00 steel wool at the paint area at lowes as well as the squeegee and the special applicator. The works toliet cleaner at dollar store. The 00 steel wool did great. Thank you so much. My windows look great. I would suggest soaking the stuff that needs to be washed...to soak in some baking soda water then the washing machine
you need to use a garden hose to totally rinse off the window casing and the siding below the window where a lot of the strong cleaner ran to... Even tho you sprayed about a teaspoon of water to rinse it, that is not nearly enough to dilute the chemical... Over time, that window casing and siding will start breaking down..
The back of that bottle even tells you to RINSE WELL after use.
Yeah, i noticed he is leaving it behind…not smart
If you use Barkeepers friend or bon ami you get the cleaning of the chemical acid and the polishing /cleaning of the steel wool in one step in a safer manner ! That’s an old window and mirror makers trick !
Do you dilute the Bonami? Please
@@myfurrykid no just don’t stay in one place to long and use the swirl patterns med speed
This technique works beautifully!
This worked absolutely PERFECT! Thank you so very much!
I used "0000" steel wool on one of the windows on our home. Yes, it DID scratch. There were fine scratches on the glass and I had made sure to use plenty of soap and water.
it's likely your windows are tinted. you can't use anything but a white abrasive pad on tinted windows.
THANK YOU!!!!!! I just started to get into window cleaning business and love it!! Thanks so much
Had some glass i had accidentally stained with oxalic acid (wood bleach). I tried this, and also, "one restore" and every glass cleaner. Nothing worked and almost had to replace a lot of windows. The savior was Meguires synthetic clay pad works amazing! Saved me big time, and the glass was crystal clear!
You can do this at home with disposable everything. Even a cloth to wipe it on with. Squeegees and cleaner tools that need to be rinsed off in the yard or sink is a no go. Don’t even let it run down into the window casing. That chemical is bad for plastic as well as the ground below if rinsed out. It should not touch that many places. Cleaning the windows is not the only objective for the homeowner who cares for their property. Do it without hurting other things.
Thank you. I moved into a apartment with windows that look like that and have been wanting to get rid of it. I will try this out
Thank you for sharing this information! It's been a huge help!
what about the excess liquid on the siding below the window? shouldnt that be rinsed off ot prevent the solution discoloring hte hardieboard?
That stuff is just expensive HCl. 9.5% according to the MSDS. Just buy a gallon of muriatic acid from lowes and delude it to 9.5%, and you don't have to deal with the colorful impurities. Thats by mass, not volume. Also, keep a bucket of sodium carbinate solution (baking soda). You can then clean your tools in it, and neutralize the acid.
I’m really impressed by your tool belt honestly, especially you window cleaner holster. Where did you get that???
Thank you brother !!
I did and it works !!
I LOVE IT. This is not click bait. I will use it on my cake dome bought antique. It is covered in water spots that refuse to come off with ordinary scrubbing. Wow. I will go buy this product today.
Thanks for posting this! Can you use any brand of toilet bowl cleaner or does it have to be The Works?
You’d think that acid cleaner may wreck the siding and window panes🤔
If it drips onto it🤔
I’ve been a housekeeper for 38 years
I’d be concerned it may damage the areas around the glass😳
Thanks for the video!! I cleaned 2 windows and your instructions were perfect ! Should have taken before and after pictures. Thanks again!!
Thanks for sharing the techniques.
I’ve come across hard water stains that won’t come off if your tried to burn them off, but I’ll have to try this gives me hope. It’s just a disappointing when you try a new product you go and clean the window and the hard water spots are still there
As a homeowner use a baking soda paste to safely scrub your windows. No toilet bowl cleaner on your trim or paint. Rinse with a hose to clean the trim/siding. Then do a final window clean.
Don't worry about rinsing the toilet bowl cleaner off of the siding of the house just your tools.
Great video/information. Thank you for sharing.
Do you think that that solution would work in a spray bottle with a little bit of water,scrub it ,then rise it off, before properly cleaning the windows???
Hope you leaned that off of the siding where it ran down from the corner of the window.
Thank you I'm going to try this on my shower glass. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Well, we're still waiting...
I'e tried everything from vinegar to baking soda to polishing compund. I hope this works.
So what do all those chemicals do to the soil in the raised beds? In my experience the people I hire to do things to my house are only concerned about the house, never the plants or soil around the house. And if you ask them to protect them, they get annoyed.
I cleaned my mineral build-up on my windows with smooth-top stove cleaner. It's much less toxic but requires a bit more elbow grease.
I didn’t see any thing hit the ground or plants. If you that concerned cover them and the mulch layer assuming mulch is used
That’s why fish have 3 heads
@@caseG80 I'm talking about the soil, not only the parts of the plant above the ground. Once in the soil you can't get it out and the chemicals may well kill the whole plant then as well as any other thing you plant there. If you cover the bushes, then the chemicals get washed into the soil next to the plants. Where do the chemicals go if they don't "hit the ground or plants"? They have to go somewhere. It's so easy to just think "elsewhere"; it's why we are now stuck in rapid global warming and the landfills are overflowing and toxic.
Thanks, but concerned that you mentioned to wash the acid cleaner off the wipes and gloves. Would the wash damage the vinyl or wood window frame?
Many thanks
Would this product work inside the shower screens ?
awesome! any ideas for windows with a gap in between the window panes?
Is there a muriatic acid dilution that would be the equivalent of the toilet bowl cleaner? I'm more concerned about the other chemicals that come with the cleaner. Also, a gallon of pool acid costs about the same as one bottle of works
If you don't want to deal with harsh chemicals, try combining white vinegar and dawn, 1 to 1. Scrub that on with a brilo pad and let it sit, scrub it up again and then rinse off. Check for spots. Do it again u til the spots are gone.
Ok? But no close up of the glass after you cleaned. It was clear in the beginning. There's not a similar shot like the before shot after cleaning.
thanks for the video. We have aluminum screens on our windows, and over the years oxidized aluminum has deposited on our glass exteriors. Any suggestions? Some comes off with normal glass cleaner but not all.
Thanks for the video! I can't get this product by my home. The main ingredient is Hydrochloric Acid so I am going to try Sno Bowl which has similar ingredients.
Loved this. Trying it ! Curious what you use to make the soap water? Thanks for the share.
Super! Thank you
My glass shower has hard water stains. Using all the safety precautions you suggest - can I do this for my shower window? Nothing else has worked.
Would this work for water etching that forms on the inside of double windows? Im not really into spending 300 dollars to replace the glass for some water stains
Smart home cleaners dump a bucket of water in the toilet to drop the water level completely before using and thus avoid diluting toilet bowl cleaners.
Is there a way to remove rust stains from sprinklers off glass ?
Appreciated this! Thank you!
Is this some extra concentrated version of this product? The one I bought at HD is normal toilet bowl cleaner (9.5% HCl). Same as the Lysol cleaner I use on my toilets. I tried this technique on my shower glass and it had no effect -- even with three attempts. Our municipal water has moderate levels of calcium and magnesium. I don't understand how so many people had success with this method.
Will the cleaner damage wood windows? Even if you rinse thoroughly after?
If you rinse thoroughly right after, it will not.
@@KahunaWindowCleaningRamsey Thanks!
I did not realize the need for thorough rinsing of the wood trim and have a lot of yellow-orange streaks left!
I have storm door windows with hard water stains along the edges where the windowless the metal frame. Just painted them before realizing the stains. Will i have issues with using the works on this? Have to do 2. Also I need applicator suggestions. I don't have anything as nice as what you are using. Can i put on with heavy paper towels???
Lime away is all you need . Believe me it’s the best option less acidic than the works
How much damage is there to stucco when that toilet bowl cleaner gets on it? How about aluminum window frames?
It's always a good idea to do a small test spot in an inconspicuous area. But in our experience, there is no damage to stucco. With aluminum, you'll want to be careful it doesn't sit on the sill for more than 5 minutes. As long as you rinse and reclean right after you'll be fine.
Will other toilet bowl cleaners work? Hard to find the stuff your using
Could you do this on a shower door? Because I’ve tried barkeepers friend and the dawn/vinegar combo, CLR and even using a brush on a drill but those hard water stains are staying. And the glass is only about 10 yrs old. Previous owner wasn’t much for cleaning. 😩
My problem exactly. .... I’ve tried everything
Oven cleaner works well on shower doors in most cases
well yes but...the fumes will knock you out! This is terrible stuff for a shower door application! I couldnt stay long enough to scrub...had to rinse and run!!
You could try a paste called Elbow Greez. I buy it at my local restaurant supply store. It’s non-toxic biodegradable and works really well on a number of surfaces including glass.
thank you for the idea. i just wash my windows but the cleaner left stains on the windows that are hard to remove, unless I use a blade. Do you think a new application of teh product would help or hurt the situation?
Is this plain toilet cleaner? Or a special type? I'm from Australia. May not have that particular brand.
Me too and was going to ask the same question. It would have been handy to see what was listed on the container so we can compare the active ingredients to ours :)
I'd love to know if it's just plain toilet cleaner thanks
Plain toilet cleaner good for removing scale. Active ingredient is HCl, but this product seems to no longer be made with it. Any bowl cleaner with Hydrogen chloride ~9% will suffice, that's if you can find any. Might need to investigate products intended for other uses such as clogged pipes, concrete etcher or pool acid.
@@bigdfig6083 Thanks :)
@@bigdfig6083 thank you for the reply.
Excellent job. I can't wait to get all the products. Question, why does the steel wool need to be thrown away? Can't it be reused?
I believe it is because the pH of the solvent used in the cleaner. It can cause a chemical reaction with the steel wool, (steel is typically made from carbon and iron, and the wool is soaked in soaps), which may cause a corrosive reaction which is harmful to us
Bingo! Thanks John!
Nice trick. Can you substitute muriatic pool acid?
You also must wash down the siding and window sill or this stuff will cause damage
steel wool wont scratch the window?...and thanks!!
Make sure it is 0000 steel wool. The finest you can buy. Thanks for watching!
I think those "hard water stains " are mineral deposits. that product any many like it do nothing to hard water stains in the southwest part of the country. im curious what is your TDS where you live?
We have locations in Minneapolis and Phoenix. This is 90% effective in both locations.
What kind of soap water in spray bottle can use you use any kind?
A few drops of a dish detergent, like Dawn or Joy, would work.
Wow thank U SOOOOO MUCH. 😆 I was just trying to clean my windows N it just wouldn't come clean. So that's what's those spots R 😆
Thanks for the information
I missed the part where you rinsed off the siding so the works didn't discolor or compromise the strength of the paint
Very informative
Grain of steel wool please! In this thread i saw 00 & 0000, which one is best?
Wow Andy, I didn't know you had so many tricks up your sleeve. What is the best way to get the smoke stains off my patio door windows from after the house fire?
Sand and repaint lmao nothing removes that shit.
Straight vinegar wouldn’t take my water spots off so would this still work?
any tricks for moisture trapped between two pieces of glass??
I tried this and it didnt work at all on my windows.. any ideas as to why?
I used the toilet works, 4 times today. I had to use a razor blade also and it’s still not gone. Oh and it looks gone while it’s wet but looks white again when it’s dry.
Bummer. Sounds like you need a window restoration. Because glass is a liquid, stains will eventually become part of the glass. A restoration can remove a thin layer of glass and polish it clear again similar to scratch removal on glass.
I'm going to try this with my shower doors, I have similar stains that do not go away. I created my own cleaning solution and it is strong, but still no success yet. I will report back as soon as I try this with my shower doors.
Still waiting...
Sorry for making you wait.
I tried it the other day and it more or less worked. The glass is not perfectly clean. I will try again and report again. You may have to wait another 2 months.
@@mikeca98
Thank you!!
what is the active ingredient in the the works that makes it work?
Can I use that acid cleaner plus a scotch brute pad? Ps, thanks for the video!
is there another brand we can also use?
What the name of that? Acid cleaner?
Hi can you use this on shower doors?
Also just found you
Sure, can! Wear a mask and turn the bathroom fan on for better air circulation.
Isn't a steel wood a bit aggressive?
If you leave the works on painted or other surfaces without thoroughly rinsing it does it permanently discolor??
Probably - rinse entire window and casing thoroughly. Then rinse again!
Will steel wool scratch the window?
Imagine doing this for a customer, I just use 6 inch razor and steel wool 0000 gets hard water off perfectly
Razors work great for minor stains. We always try that first.
Will this discolor pained surfaces on a car or aluminum siding?
Wondering if this toilet cleaner can be used to clean glass doors in a travertine (sealed) tiled shower or will it eat the natural stone if it gets on it?
I wouldn't. Just use steel wool and soap
this helped a lot thank you