trb (04/07/83)
People have been noticing that I don't post enough gratuitous crap to netnews, so in an effort to keep the customers satisfied, I have a question: I have been cleaning my crt screen with "3M Brand Desk and Office Cleaner" for some time now and it seems to do a fine job. (Yes, I clean my screen often, dusty screens drive me nuts, you can call me the Howard Hughes of USENET.) I just read the label on the spray can and it says: Not recommended for glass or surfaces which could be damaged by water. What would the reason to not use it on glass be? Do they want me to buy "3M Brand Window Cleaner?" Will my crt implode one day? There is no list of ingredients on the can, but it's a white foamy aerosol spray cleaner. I would be less curious if the stuff had an ill effect on my screen but it seems to work fine. Glass is usually pretty inert stuff, so I would think that you could clean it with any old solvent that didn't leave a residue. I could call 3M but it would probably take a while before I could find the person to answer my question. Andy Tannenbaum Bell Labs Whippany, NJ (201) 386-6491
leichter (04/08/83)
It's hard to imagine any kind of a solvent that would harm glass - at least nothing you are likely to see around. There are two reasons why something might be "not recommended" for use on glass that I can think of: 1. It leaves a film. Anything with a wax in it, for example, is in this catagory. I've found that stuff like Fantastic is in this class; the soap in it is hard to get off the glass. 2. It contains an abrasive. Most abrasives are hard enough to scratch glass. If you've been using the stuff for a while, and are satisfied with the results, it's hard to imagine what kind of harm you are doing. -- Jerry decvax!yale-comix!leichter leichter@yale
lab (04/08/83)
I'm not Mr. Wizard, but one would guess that the reason for not using Desk and Office Cleaner on glass is the same reason one should not use Fantastik or 409 or whatever or glass. The residue from these tend to hold water, whereas the ammonia cleaners evaporate away cleanly. The most obvious effect is on your windshield. If you wipe the inside with almost anything, watch out when moisture condenses on it - you'll know EXACTLY where you used it. I have found this to be true too often on my own windshield. That is also why I would recommend using paper towel rather than cloth for such cleaning - virtually no residue. Learning the hard way so you won't have to Larry Bickford decvax!decwrl!qubix!lab
adams (04/08/83)
A few years ago my husband learned a trick for cleaning glass without any streaks or residue: rubbing alcohol applied with newspaper. He was told of this by some folks in a picture framing shop, where they have to clean plate glass all the time. Apparently the alcohol is supposed to react to the chemicals in the newsprint and form an effective solvent, and the paper stock is absorbent enough to clean without lint. The one time I used it on my car windshield ity worked fine.
wa146 (04/10/83)
The best thing I have ever seen for cleaning glass is vinegar and newsapaper. It will eat away the thickest grime imaginable. Brian Sutin philabs!sdcsvax!sdcattb!wa146
daemery (04/14/83)
If that stuff people place on food won't get grime off, bleach.....(I don't recommend it for your oak desk.)