Hello! I am looking for suggestions on cleaning window glass for cooler doors at a convenience store. The owner knows I clean windows, so requested me to give it a go. He’d like to have the doors taken off, plastic temporarily put in place of the 1 door at a time procedure…which we can do, but also wants the double paned door taken apart so the inside can be cleaned. My concern is that the seal may be ruined if we do so, however from the looks of most of the doors, this has already happened. Open for suggestions and approach. (We already use a lemon Joy Ultra mixed w/Rain-X windshield washer fluid and water, so it helps keep down on streaks, and produces quite a shine, I’m just wondering about the taking apart of the doors. Thanks in advance!
Sounds like a fun project ;). I think the store owner may be making it more complicated than necessary, though. First, I don’t see a need to take the doors off to clean them. If he’s worried about energy loss or contaminating products, what I would do is cut a piece of pink board insulation to fit in the door opening while the door is open. Attach some kind of handle to the middle of the pink board and you can move it around like a shield. Pop it in place before you clean the inside of the door, then pop it out and move on to the next.
As far as cleaning between the panes, it would be quite an undertaking (unless the panels are designed to come out, kinda like pella storms or something). Some people on the forum have had success with window “Defogging” by drilling small holes in the glass and flushing out the unit with cleaning agents. That may be an option for this situation.
What an awesome thought! The reason why he wants the inner pane removed so both insides can be cleaned, is due to the watermarking, and what possibly looks to be calcium, thus etching the interiors of both glass panes and resulting in them looking really cruddy. If I had an adequate jet stream though, combined w/CLR & cleaning agents, the holes drilled in glass to flush out crud is a perfect thought!!! Thanks a bunch! This site is so extremely helpful!
I really appreciate your help Alex!!!
I think taking these doors apart is asking for disaster.
Just squeegee straight down, top to bottom. The doors not open long enough to make any difference in temp. I’ve done hundreds.
It will temporarily streak with fog, but will go away once it is closed for a few minutes.
Use methonal on freezer doors.
Taking the glass in those doors apart is more than likely not possible! And if the glasses tempered you will not be able to drill a hole in it without shattering the entire pane!
I have replaced many freezer door glasses as a glazer. they are in fact tempered so do not drill. they also have a heated band to reduce fogging. tell the owner the glass can not be cleaned in between the panes they are a sealed unit. this job requires unit replacement do not attempt to take them apart. tell him to find a good glass company to take care of the fogged unit.
Yeah- I misspoke on the Defogging. Tempered glass will shatter. Replacement is really the only option for the stained units.
Thanks so much for the input and assist! It’s very appreciated. That’s why it’s taken so long for me to give him an answer, because I def didn’t feel comfortable with doing the window glass by taking apart, and do agree, it would shatter if tempered. A whole lotta’ mess. Think I’ll suggest in and out only, or replace as suggested. Thanks to all!
Pm me!!!
