cleaning polycarbonate

13 years ago

While working on putting 2 10X12 HFGH together I desided to clean the calcium off the old HF. What I came up with was Easy Off Bam, Power Cleaner (Grime, Lime & Soap Scum). It's in the purple and orange bottle. After it dried I sprayed it with Brillianize. Makes it nice and shiny, also anit-static. So I hope this helps someone.

Carol

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Comments (13)

mudhouse_gw
13 years ago
That is good to know.

I have read so many good things about Brillianize here...I'll need to track some down. My panels attract our NM dust like a magnet, so anti-static sounds good to me. Thanks Carol.
jbest123
13 years ago
I wouder if those cleaners do anything to the UV coating? John
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pcan-z9
13 years ago
Before I got my water filters installed I had a big problem with mineral buildup on the poly from my overhead watering system. It just looked horrible. I cleaned this off spotless with half white vinegar and half water and a soft sponge. I followed with a good rinse (pump up sprayer) of water collected from my house AC (basically distilled water). It dried perfectly clear. I want to look into the Brillianize too. Thanks funnygirl!
mudhouse_gw
13 years ago
I think Brillianze is quite safe, and Charley's Greenhouse recommends it for polycarbonate:

"To clean Twin Wall Panels rinse sheet with lukewarm water. Wash sheet with a mild soap (Freon T.F., Joy, Palmolive Liquid, Top Job, VM&P Grade Naptha, Windex with Ammonia, or Charley's Brillianize #1657) and lukewarm water. Use a soft cloth or sponge and gently wash to loosen remaining dirt and grime. Do not scrub or use brushes or squeegees. Repeat rinse and dry with a soft cloth to prevent water spotting. Here is a list of cleaning products NOT to use on polycarbonate: Lysol, Pinesol, Butyl Cellosolve, Isopropanol, and Formula 409."

I don't know about the other cleaner...I'm not sure the recommended cleaners listed in the above paragraph would do much to remove calcium deposits...we have hard water too, and I know that's a tough challenge.
mudhouse_gw
13 years ago
Pat, I was typing while you were...good to know about the vinegar solution too! Thanks.
Sheri
funnylady
Original Author
13 years ago
Pat
What type water filter do you use? The little inline ones don't help here. I live in Belleview, FL just outside of Ocala.
buyorsell888
13 years ago
I have algae in the cells for several inches up on my panels. I could shoot DH for not letting me tape them before putting the GH together.

Not sure what to do about it?
pcan-z9
13 years ago
Hi funnygirl! Back when I moved my plants into my GH it didn't take me long at all to see what a number my hard water was doing to the poly. If you ran your fingers across the water stains it really felt like fine sand. It was HORRIBLE!! I knew that couldn't be a good thing for the plants either. The filter I bought **greatly improved** my water and greatly reduced the water stains. It didn't get rid of the stains completely, but it's done a great job at reducing them to a level that is very easy to clean up from time to time. The line running to the misters is run through this filter and through an inline filter as well. "Misting" was impossible before I got the filters, I spent WAY to much time unclogging mister heads. At first I was dissapointed because they didn't seem to help much. Then someone told me they would perform better once they had been used enought to clog a little. It's true, and these fliter are 7 or 8 months old. I haven't had to change them yet and thats with daily use. All in all I am very pleased.
housing.......
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=89374-43568-WHCF-DWH&lpage=none
filter............
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100094268&N=10000003+90401&marketID=401&locStoreNum=8125

BorS it seems to me there is a post here somewhere dealing with aglae between the panels.....how someone cleaned it up - I think....maybe a search would turn it up.....
mudhouse_gw
13 years ago
Here is a long thread about cleaning the algae out of polycarbonate.
Polycarbonate maintenance

There is a product called Physan 20 that is mentioned in this thread, and I know a person in Florida who uses it to clean the algae off her greenhouse benches and walls every year. I haven't used it personally, but she says it's quite safe.
Tankaoz
7 years ago
Hi,
The twit/moron who previously owned our house decided to "paint" the clear polycarbonate roofing with external paint. Most of the paint has blown off, but since I'm fixing a lot of the stuffups they made while building the pergola, timber wise, I've taken the sheets down and have used a pressure cleaner on them to try and remove rest of paint. Some came off but not all. My questions is:- is there a cleaning product I could use to remove rest of paint without ruining sheet?
Thanks in advance
cole_robbie
7 years ago
Rubbing alcohol is a solvent that won't degrade the UV coating. It comes in different % strengths. Farm stores will sell it by the gallon with the medical supplies for horses.
oakhill (zone 9A, Calif.)
7 years ago
Isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) is NOT recommended for use on polycarbonate. Acetic acid (vinegar) IS "considered safe"

Here is a link that might be useful: cleaning polycabonate
cole_robbie
7 years ago
I think the information in that link is inaccurate. The manufacturers of poly panels actually recommend rubbing alcohol as a cleaner; the instructions will say to use it to clean off any sticker residue from the new panels.

If there is any doubt, just call the manufacturer of the material and ask them.

cleaning polycarbonate

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funnyladyOriginal Author

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