Stained Glass Care:
HANGING A SUNCATCHER: I RECOMMEND THAT YOU HANG YOUR PIECE SECURELY FROM A STURDY HOOK THAT HAS BEEN SCREWED INTO A SECURE MATERIAL, LIKE A WALL STUD OR WOODEN WINDOW FRAME – SOMETHING THAT ISN’T GOING TO FALL DOWN AND GO “BOOM” ONCE IT HAS A PIECE OF WEIGHTY GLASS HANGING FROM IT. I AM NOT A HUGE FAN OF SUCTION CUP HANGERS ATTACHED TO WINDOWS UNLESS IT’S A VERY LARGE HIGH QUALITY SUCTION CUP HANGER WITH A SMALL PIECE HANGING FROM IT IN A NO-TRAFFIC AREA. (AFTER ALL THAT WORK, WOULDN’T IT BE A SHAME TO HAVE THE PIECE FALL AND SMASH JUST BECAUSE THE SUCTION CUP USED TO HANG IT UNSTUCK)
CLEANING: THE STAINED GLASS PIECE YOU HAVE PURCHASED HAS BEEN CLEANED, THEN COMPLETELY PROTECTED WITH A WAXY SEALER THAT IS APPLIED IN ITS SPRAY LIQUID FORM, IS LEFT TO DRY, AND IS THEN BUFFED AND POLISHED WITH A SOFT, DRY RAG. ASIDE FROM A GENTLE DUSTING, YOUR PIECE MAY NEVER NEED TO BE CLEANED. I DON’T RECOMMEND USING WINDOW CLEANERS OR OTHER CHEMICAL CLEANERS ON ANY PIECE OF STAINED GLASS, SINCE THEY MAY DAMAGE THE LEAD, SOLDER, GLASS AND INTEGRITY OF THE PIECE.
MOLD-LIKE CRUD: WE ARE RELENTLESS IN CLEANING THE PIECE BEFORE IT IS SEALED. HOWEVER, FROM TIME TO TIME, SOLDER OR LEAD WILL OXIDIZE AND LEAVE A WHITISH SUBSTANCE ON ITS SURFACE. AGAIN, NO PANIC IS NECESSARY. GENTLY WIPE WITH A BRUSH OR A NON-ABRASIVE PLASTIC POT SCRUBBER TO REMOVE THE “TARNISH”. (NEVER PUT ABRASIVE STUFF TO YOUR GLASS PIECE. IF YOU CAN’T GET THE “TARNISH” OFF, CONTACT US.)
ONCE A YEAR OR AS NEEDED, I RECOMMEND YOU RE-SEAL THE PIECE SO THAT IT’S PROTECTED FROM “TARNISH”. GLASS SEALER IS AVAILABLE AT STAINED GLASS SUPPLY STORES, BUT IT’S EXPENSIVE. A GOOD QUALITY SPRAY FURNITURE POLISH OR CAR WAX THAT CONTAINS CARNAUBA WAX WILL WORK JUST AS WELL. I SPRAY THE WAX ON A SOFT RAG AND THEN POLISH THE METAL AND GLASS SURFACES FOLLOWED BY A SOFT DRY RAG TO BUFF IT.
TOUCHING YOUR GLASS PIECE: STAINED GLASS PIECES ARE PUT TOGETHER WITH SOLDER THAT CONTAINS LEAD, AND OUR PIECES ALSO USE LEAD CAME IN THE CONSTRUCTION. EVEN THOUGH EACH PIECE IS SEALED WHEN IT’S FINISHED, I ALWAYS SUGGEST THAT YOU DO WHAT I DO AND WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER HANDLING IT IS CONSIDERED SUFFICIENT PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT UNWANTED EXPOSURE.
Read Stories on my blog about what inspired me to make these Stained Glass arts and paintings. These stories are either based on things that I have witnessed during my childhood in my country, Guinea West Africa. Or My beliefs on social issues.