[outdoor restore]

New customer has orange marks along the upvc joins on the bottom frames of her conservatory.  They look like rust.  Any advice as to whether it can be cleaned, if so what with.  Tried cif but didn't move it.
Thanks for your help.

[Nathanael Jones]

It looks like limescale. Brick acid should shift it.

[Steve CM]

brick acid on plastic? are you sure?

i have seen what that stuff does to concrete, i wouldn't trust it on plastic

[Nathanael Jones]

It doesn't touch plastic,... sure doesn't it come in a plastic bottle?!!

[colley614]

I may be thinking of the wrong stuff but don't you mix the acid with an activator before use? Anyway with that picture mate I'd say there is a major issue behind the plastic. I'd recommend your customer gets in touch with a window fitter regarding that!

[Steve CM]

yeah but doesn't it react to the oxygen in the air. so once you've exposed it starts to fizz and pop. cause it doesn't do that in its plastic bottle either but it does once you pour it on summat!

[bad trippy]

Those upvc beads are removable, it would pay the custy to contact that double glazing firm that fitting the conservatory and to have those beads replaced.

[stephen s]

It doesn't touch plastic,... sure doesn't it come in a plastic bottle?!!

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[Nathanael Jones]

I have actually used it on limescale where an overflow had been dripping and splashing on a patio door.

First,.. dilute it 2:1
wear goggles, face mask, gloves etc,.. even diluted its not nice stuff.
Don't get it on any stainless steel, cement or natural stone as it will cause damage very quickly.

Use a dishwash sponge to apply it and leave for a few minutes, then clean off with 0000 wire wool. Rinse the whole area with clean water. Job done.

[Steve CM]

I have actually used it on limescale where an overflow had been dripping and splashing on a patio door.

First,.. dilute it 2:1
wear goggles, face mask, gloves etc,.. even diluted its not nice stuff.
Don't get it on any stainless steel, cement or natural stone as it will cause damage very quickly.

Use a dishwash sponge to apply it and leave for a few minutes, then clean off with 0000 wire wool. Rinse the whole area with clean water. Job done.

i have just read the label on the bottle in my garage and it says it can be used for limescale on stainless steel.

it doesn't effect plastic but it can damage stainless steel quickly? that doesn't make sense to me.

My bottle doesn't say it can be used on plastic, but it also doesn't say it can't. i'm sure if the bubbled and fizzed like i've seen it do on concrete it will strip the plastic fast and i wouldn't be surprized if damage or at least some dis colouring would appear

[Ian Lancaster]

DO NOT TOUCH

As has been said above, there is a serious problem beneath the plastic.  If you start messing with it the manufacturer may refuse to get involved because you have invalidated the guarantee.

If the installation is out of guarantee, then you may make the problem worse and then the custy might look to you to put things right.

Tell the custy it's not a window cleaning problem, it needs proper investigation by a 'suitably qualified' person.

[GWCS]

DO NOT TOUCH

As has been said above, there is a serious problem beneath the plastic.  If you start messing with it the manufacturer may refuse to get involved because you have invalidated the guarantee.

If the installation is out of guarantee, then you may make the problem worse and then the custy might look to you to put things right.

Tell the custy it's not a window cleaning problem, it needs proper investigation by a 'suitably qualified' person.

Some good advice..   

[jonnyald]

i know you said "cif didnt touch it , but  ive found that if you  use cif  each time you go to that house,suddenly it comes good . in fact i tell any new customer with grubby frames that it takes 3 cleans of  less than a minute each time to bring back the finish to good . i think cif  soaks into stains over time,weeks probably

[Murdie window cleaning]

A bit of White emoulsion, sorted  :

[outdoor restore]

Many thanks for all the help.
I will tell customer to get in touch with the installers.
Cheers

[dai]

Brick acid is hydrochloric acid, we use it to clean barnacle residues from our boats gelcoat. Does a good job on limescale

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

personnally i would touch it or get in contact with the installers and cover yourself if you going to try brick acid i would try it out on a scrap upvc frame first

[wizard]

You guys a chickenIts easy to fix ( cant you guys see money in this job!!! I wish I was there to cash in ) REmove the bead around the wlass with a palate knife place the sharp end between the bead and the frame at the top , tap the palet knife with the ball of the hand till thre bead moves from the frame and force the bead, when the two seperate put a second knife in the gap of the frame and the beading move that knife down and the beading will come off. repeat on the other side and the bottom.Then look what is making the rusty mark,Clean with the acid and spongeas said in other posting >/To put beading back slide the beading across glass till it meets the frame and bump it back with the palm of the hand.This is worth a good 30 to 45 quide income of it looks good .I do them as a extra income ojn restoring P V C.

[Roger Oakley]

From a pressure washing side point of view here,
I wouldn't go anywhere near the windows with Hydrochloric acid aka brick acid even at 8-10% as there is a very good chance you will etch the glass.
If you have to do something with this and it is rust, then try natural lemon juice on the upvc, if it is rust then it will neutralise the rust, but from the photo, there is a bigger problem then just a bit of rust IMO get the home-owner to bat the problem back to the double glazing company.

[Nathanael Jones]

Hydorchloric acid is commonly used for cleaning glass,.. the etching effects are negligible, even if you boil the glass in a 30% solution you onlu loose a few nano meters of surface at most,.. not visible to the naked eye.
http://www.ampel.ubc.ca/nanofab/sop/glass-cleaning.pdf