How to Remove Glass Etching

A great hobby that someone can get into is glass etching. It does not take much money, time or design skills to create a beautiful glass etching. Unfortunately, accidents can happen and you may want to remove a portion of the glass etching. This is possible though it is only possible with minor surface glass etching. If you used a glass etching cream, for example, and not left it on too long then this can be removed. Glass frosting as well as sand blasted glass is not suitable for this technique. A glass etching that has been scratched, marked or superficially damaged can also be repaired by having this etched removed. There are, however, several ways to remove a superficial glass etching or accidental scratches and the article that follows will show you how.

Step 1 - The Denture Tablet Method

These tabs, when put in water, foam and bubble and it's this action that causes dirt, wear and grime to be removed from the denture. This same reaction can be used to remove minor surface scratches. Fill a container with hot water and drop in a denture tablet. The more water you have means the more denture tablets you will need in order for it to work. Typically, it is 1 denture tablet for 1 cup of water. When the foaming action begins you can submerge the item you want to remove the glass etching from. Allow it to soak for 30 minutes, then begin scrubbing the area with a scrub brush. If the marks are on the inside of a glass then fill the glass will water and drop in the denture tablet.

Step 2 - Baking Soda

Baking soda is one of the chemicals found in denture tablets as well as some brands of glass etching cream. Baking soda can remove some scratches that dentures cannot which also include shallow glass etching designs. Dip your fingers under some water and put a layer of baking soda on them. Use your fingers to scrub the area you want to work on. This is particularly great for dish detergent scratches. Allow the baking soda to dry and crust over then wash it off the glass.

Step 3 - Powder Cleaner

This cleaner is very harsh so take care when using it. Wet the glass etching and sprinkle the cleaner on top of it. Allow the cleaner to sit on the glass for at least 30 minutes before washing off.

Step 4 - Metal Polish

This solution is probably the harshest of all of them. Metal polish is meant to be used on metal. By using it on glass you run the risk of damaging it more than actually helping it. For this reason it should only be used on thicker glass. Drinking glasses meant for wine, for example, is not a good idea. It is a good idea to follow the instructions on the bottle when attempting to remove a glass etching.