Often times very fine scratches aren’t noticeable unless light hits them at the right angle. It doesn’t change the integrity or strength of the glass if scratched, but there are some home owners who expect their glass to be perfect after installation AND after cleaning. That to a certain extent, IMO, is unreasonable expectations.
The real expectation of “glass scratches” should be in the conversations that we have with customers as we identify what contaminants are on the glass, and what it will take to clean the glass. If they are cool with the possibility of some very fine scratches that they will mostly have to actually look for on some of the worst windows, then everybody wins. I would imagine shower doors are harder to detect these very fine scratches than the big picture window with the bright sun hitting at just the right angle.
Lots of people think it’s safe to scrape tempered glass with a razor. Almost every window cleaner I have ever talked to thinks my belief in fabricated debris is a kin to believing that aliens live on the other side of the moon.
Actually, many live on this side. 
I was an alien once…I got better.
Are you sure about that? Haha
Hah! Well, better than before…lol
Not sure what you mean. Do you mean his chances of scratching a piece of glass today are as likely as your chances of getting hit by a bus? If so I agree.
I have agreed that it can scratch glass. And yes I am new to window cleaning. The original question was about the guys shower stall glass and in my own experience, it’s fine. And yes we check for scratches under light. I am going off experience with showers, mirrors and plate glass. We also used them on tempered commercial curtain wall. That company built the old twin towers and casinos and more and they use blades.
I can’t argue anything about fabrication debris because it seems legit. If people want to have a waiver to avoid the possibility, then go ahead. It’s always good to cover your ass.
Again, back to the original question, in my experience, we use razor blades all over the shower glass with no problems and any scrarch on the glass causes no issue. I have shelled inches off tempered glass off and the integrity stays intact.
I believe you guys there is fab debris and what not and I will be careful as I come across tempered windows. All I know is that we have no problems with our local glass manufacturers and we have extremely picky customers who are paying from 1500-3000 for shower glass. We wouldn’t do something if it was causing problems. Again, I haven’t cleaned as many windows as any of you guys so I’m headed to a new world of glass
As a general rule quality glass does not have fabricated debris on it. Based on your post sounds like your local guy does things the right way. It’s when manufacturers start taking short cuts to save money that problems arise. Some companies are famous for not having fabricated debris and others are famous for having it. It’s a quality issue even though GANA says it isn’t. Manufacturers wouldn’t have good or bad reputations amongst window cleaners if it wasn’t a quality issue.
Perhaps you only work with the good stuff? Just a thought.
No one has addressed my second question. If it is a questionable practice because of fabrication debris,and it has alsready been done a dozen times is any harm already done and it is fine to continue.
Well I guess if it is always okay, then it is fine to continute; but Iam making the asumption that FD and scratches are real, just for the sake of discussion.
Probably depends on how you look at it.
Lets say that you wear glasses - and after months or a year of cleaning them you get little scratches. Do you discontinue cleaning them over the next year or two until it’s time to replace? Or do you just accept the fact that over time there will be scratches?
Little scratches are inevitable. Big scratches and gouges are not. Inform and educate your customer.
I guess I mean that after a dozen cleanings the FD should all be removed
and no more scratches from them.
A tinny chunk of glass is sitting on the end of many scratches exactly where the last person lifted the blade off the glass. It’s my educated guess that the chunks, glass fines, are all waiting for you to move them across some more glass with a fresh razor stroke. Those tinny chunks are what makes fabricated debris scratches look different than regular scratches.
They look like comets and regular scratches don’t.
… I’m not so sure. I have razored glass with FD and even when I go over it
2-3 times that old familiar tinkling sound of FD is still there.
Scary when scraping paint or brick sealer sounds similar.
“That’s the sound of you loosing your job.” Joel Andrews the Glass Wizard
I laugh to myself every time I think of that line. The window cleaner is always surprised when the glass scatches, like how did this happen? Shocked 
Joel Andrews is the window cleaner who made the training video FiSH likes to use for training purposes. If it’s tempered glass sooner or later you’ll scratch some if you insist on using a razor. That was his experience so that’s what he taught in his video.
How many people have had the following happen:
Window glass is covered with a year, or so, of grim.
Inspect the glass and didn’t notice any scratches.
Mopped it once or twice with really soapy solution.
Squeegee it off…To fined deep scratches.
You didn’t use a blade, steel wool, etc…
I’ve had that happen a couple of times in the past.
Yeah, i have that happen. When it does on the first window i see, i stop and show the owner.
Yep, I agree.
[quote=“amber.cavanagh1, post:39, topic:43114, full:true”]
I am having this problem currently with fabricating debris. I am not a window cleaner but I had a new house built less than a year ago. We have big sliding doors in our dining/living room that need regular cleaning otherwise it looks terrible. I do not use a razor blade, just a scraper called Windowow which has a silicone blade. After cleaning my windows regularly I started noticing the scratches. I then did some research and found out about fabricating debris. I had two panes replaced by the building company which had bad scratches at eye level and then I began cleaning the windows without a blade…I just used a cloth and dried with a cloth!! However, this resulted in absolutely terrible looking windows with streaks everywhere when the sun came around. So now I am back to cleaning the windows and using the blade again, but I’m still noticing scratches and think I am still creating new ones…However, I haven’t noticed any yet on the windows that got replaced which is weird. This suggests to me it could be a glass quality problem and the new panes of glass are better quality…??? as I am using the same technique on every window. Any help would be much appreciated. These windows are large and are in our communal living/dining area so we look out of them everyday.
Any information out there on how to clean large windows well without using a blade??? I haven’t found any info online yet.
Hire a professional window cleaner, or use a squeegee.
