How to Clean Your Railings

One of the most common assumptions we hear from customers is that glass railings are hard to maintain as it takes a lot of effort to keep them clean year round, so they avoid even considering it. Truth to be told, they do take some effort, but it is not as high maintenance as one thinks. We like to say, it takes as much effort as it does your windows, if not less.

Jack and Alice have a whole upper deck of glass railings and my mother-in-law loves her glass CLEAN (and she is Dutch), and you know what they say about Dutch people (Hahaha...just kidding, Mom!) but here's what she has to say about how to clean them, and how often they need cleaning. 

How to Clean the Glass in Your Railings
For the most part, you will find that very little cleaning is necessary. We usually only do spot cleaning and very rarely wash the glass down.

In the Spring, it is recommended that you check your glass for stains and any accumulated winter dirt, use a mild detergent, vinegar and water. Use 1 cup vinegar and a small amount of mild detergent, such as Dawn dish detergent in a 8 litre/2 gallon pail of water.  Use a cloth or a soft scrubber to clean the glass and rinse with water. A garden hose works well. We would dry the wet glass with a towel first, and then with a fresh towel, go through it again, if desired.

If you encounter tougher stains, use household vinegar directly on the stain to remove it and rinse with water.

There are also glass railings where we have our salt water pool. We have 6 grandchildren, and they often come for a swim and make some grand splashes over the summer. With a salt water pool, the salt water tends to leave some stain once the splashes get dried up by the sun. Unfortunately in terms of maintenance around the pool, you will find that there is more work to it especially if vigorous swimming is involved. We keep a spray bottle of vinegar and water around the pool area to get the glass cleaned once the children are done with the swimming. If the salt is not caked on the glass, spraying it down with a hose and scrubbing it at the same time is the fastest way to remove the salt water stains.

How to Clean Your Picket Railings
Generally speaking, there isn't much cleaning involved with picket railings unless your railings are white in colour. If you so wish, in the Spring, rinse the railings with a garden hose. If needed, wash with water and a small amount of Dawn dish detergent in an 8 litre/2 gallon pail and rinse with a garden hose. Allow it to air dry.

Feel free to contact us at 226.984.1081 or info@ontariodeckrailing.com if you have any questions about cleaning your railings and we will help you as best as we can.

​Written by,
Alice (and Grace