How to Clean a Glass Table

How to clean a glass table: step by step

• Remove the dust: wipe dust and crumbs off the glass with a dry microfibre cloth; grains of sand can scratch the glass as you wipe.
• Remove food and grease marks: wipe food residue and greasy marks with a cloth dampened with lukewarm water and a small amount of dishwashing liquid, then wipe with a clean damp cloth.
• Spray the product onto a cloth: spray glass cleaner onto a clean microfibre cloth rather than directly onto the glass.
• Wipe and polish: wipe the glass with the cloth, then polish it with a second dry, clean microfibre cloth.
• Do not clean in the sun: on glass in direct sunlight the product dries quickly and leaves streaks.

How to clean a glass coffee table?

Glass coffee tables are cleaned like glass tables; on tables with a lower shelf, wipe the lower glass first and then the top. For fingerprints and glass rings, spray glass cleaner onto a cloth, wipe and polish with a dry cloth. If both sides of the table glass are visible, wipe the underside the same way. For detailed glass-cleaning steps, see how to use glass cleaner.

Frosted and back-painted glass

The rough surface of frosted (sandblasted) glass holds more fingerprints and grease. Wipe frosted glass with a cloth sprayed with glass cleaner; for greasy marks, first wipe with a cloth dampened with dishwashing liquid, wipe with a clean damp cloth and then dry. On back-painted (lacquered) glass, wipe only the front; do not let the product reach the edges or the painted back. Abrasive sponges and creams can damage frosted and painted surfaces.

Stains on a glass table

• Glass rings and fingerprints: spray glass cleaner onto a cloth, wipe and polish with a dry cloth.
• Hard-water white spots: Glass cleaner is not a limescale remover; for the right method for the surface, see how to remove limescale stains.
• Pen and felt-tip pen: spray glass cleaner onto a cloth, press it onto the writing and leave it briefly, then wipe; repeat if necessary (how to clean a mirror).
• Candle wax drips: how to remove candle wax.

Table legs and frame

Wipe metal and painted legs with a damp cloth and a neutral surface cleaner added to lukewarm water at the dose on the label, then dry. According to its safety data sheet, our START all-purpose surface cleaner has a pH of 7–8. On stainless steel legs, stainless steel polish can be applied with a cloth; keep it off the glass. For wooden legs, see how to clean wooden furniture.

How to clean up a broken glass table?

• Keep children and pets away from the area.
• Wear thick work gloves and closed shoes.
• Carefully collect the large pieces of glass and put them in a thick cardboard box.
• Vacuum up small fragments and glass dust; then wipe the floor by pressing damp paper towel onto it and put the paper towel in the box too.
• Close the box, write on it that it contains broken glass and dispose of it like that.

What not to do

• Spraying the product directly onto the glass and letting it run onto the edges and painted surface.
• Using steel wool, abrasive cream or a scraper on the glass.
• Using limescale remover or hydrochloric acid on a glass table.
• Picking up broken glass with bare hands.

For cafés, restaurants and offices

In cafés and restaurants glass tables are wiped after every customer, and in offices meeting tables and coffee tables are wiped every day; removing food residue first and then polishing the glass with glass cleaner leaves no streaks. START Spray Glass Cleaner and START Vinegar Spray Glass Cleaner are produced in 1 L, and START Glass Cleaner in 1 L, 5 kg, 20 kg and 30 kg packs. For product lists, see restaurant cleaning supplies and office cleaning supplies; request a quote for bulk purchases.