The Stained Leaded Glass Company Ltd - Stained Glass Specialist in Greater Manchester
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How to Clean Old Stained Glass Windows


Cleaning, Conservation and Restoration of Domestic and Historic Stained Glass
 Domestic Stained Glass Cleaning and Encapsulation into Double and Triple Glazed Units
 
This secret behind really effective cleaning of old stained glass with one hundred years of grime and dirt that is etched into the glass and lead? The secret is to rub the glass very hard for a long time!  There is just no substitute for elbow grease, sorry.
We will only use this method for glass that is not painted. Painted stained glass windows must never be scrubbed as this can result in irreversible damage to the window.

We do clean painted stained glass church windows but we will need to survey of the condition of the painting on the glass before a cleaning strategy can be established.
Some times our recommendation is to not clean the window. The paint on the glass can become very loose over the years and cleaning will remove the paint!
We recommend that church windows are never cleaned by members of the church without expert guidance.
Picture
Picture
This old leaded light panel has been removed from the old window frame and is being prepared for encapsulation into a triple glazed unit. The old corroded border lead has been removed and a new one soldered on.
We use our special formula glass cleaner and a stiff brush. Each lead is cleaned around to scrape off any moss and dirt that grows and builds up. All the leads are then polished using carbon black polish and finally the whole panel is blown free of dust using high pressure compressed air. The result is to return the stained glass window back to its former glory. After cleaning the stained glass or leaded light window is ready for fitting back into the frame or encapsulating into a double or triple glazed unit.
Church window Cleaning, Conservation and Restoration

War Memorial Window, Rivington and Blackrod School Chapel
We recently cleaned the West End window in the Chapel at Rivington and Blackrod School for the Association of Old Rivingtonians.
The beautiful painted glass window is a memorial to pupils and staff killed in the two world wars and was very dirty.
The outside of the window was 'protected' using thick plate glass glazed against the stained glass and pointed around to seal it to the stone.
The result was that debris had built up in tight space between the two layers of glass and was obscuring the bottom section of the window.
Also green algae had grown in the humid space as no ventilation gap had been allowed.
The inside painted surface of the stained glass window had a layer of black soot and dirt from decades of church services in the Chapel.
Picture
Picture
Polycarbonate Protection after Window Restoration
 We removed the plate glass and cleaned both inside and outside faces of the window.
The window was then protected using polycarbonate plastic mounted away from the window on stainless steel brakets to allow ventilation.
 
 
To learn more about our church window projects, click here.
 
For more about triple glazing, click here.
 
To Contact Us, click here.
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  • Home
  • About Us
  • Our Services
    • Domestic Stained Glass
    • Stained Glass Repair & Restoration
    • Church Stained Glass >
      • Friesthorpe Church, Lincolnshire
      • Fernhead Rd Methodist Church, London
      • Christ's Church, Harwood
      • Emmanuel Church, Bolton
      • Sacred Heart & St Francis R C Parish, Gorton, Manchester
      • Stacksteads Methodist Church, Bacup
      • St Augustine's Church, Bolton
      • Deane Church, Bolton
      • St Patrick's RC Church, Rochdale
      • The Church House, Manchester Diocese
    • Church Stained Glass Protection >
      • Polycarbonate Glazing
      • Wire Guards Protection
      • Laminated Glass Protection
    • School Projects >
      • Tushingham-with-Grindley CE Primary School, Whitchurch
      • SS Simon & Jude CE Primary School, Bolton
      • Elveden C of E Primary Academy, Suffolk
      • All Hallows RC High School
      • Sacred Heart RC School
      • St Luke's CE School
      • Newman College, Oldham
      • St Patrick's RC School, Eccles
      • St Ambrose Barlow RC School, Swinton
      • Conservation Skills and Interpretation Project
      • St. Brigid's RC Primary School, Manchester
      • Bolton School, Bolton
      • Dovers Green School, Reigate
      • Kettleshulme St James CE Primary School
      • St William OF York RC Primary School, Bolton
      • Cheadle Hulme School, Cheshire
      • Leverhulme Community Primary School, Bolton
      • Rivington And Blackrod High School, Bolton
      • Mount St Josephs RC School, Farnworth
      • Ambrose Barlow RC High School, Manchester
    • Encapsulated Stained Glass Double Triple Glazing
    • Etched & Engraved Glass
    • Commercial & Public Buildings >
      • The Mechanics Institute, Manchester
  • Contact Us
  • Latest News
  • Reviews
  • Gallery
    • Gallery - Bespoke Designs
    • Gallery - Doors
    • Gallery - Church
  • How to Order Stained Glass
  • How to Clean Stained Glass
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Links
  • The History of Stained Glass
    • Bolton Stained Glass
    • Manchester Stained Glass
    • Lancashire Stained Glass
    • Cheshire Stained Glass
    • Bury Stained Glass
    • Salford Stained Glass
    • Stockport Stained Glass
    • London Stained Glass
    • Archive >
      • Gallery - Encapsulated Stained Glass
      • Latest News
      • Andrew's Blog