CLEANING
Congratulations, you own a piece of stained glass! With care, your piece can last generations. It doesn't take much elbow grease, nor do you need expensive cleansing products.
Always remember to handle your piece gently. There are moving parts and we want to keep them from doing so at all times. Wet glass = slippery, so latex or latex-free gloves can help you get a good grip.
Dish soap and warm water can remove grime and oils, and a simple coat of car wax applied and buffed will protect your piece and make it shine like new again.
Apply a thin coat of wax with a clean cotton rag. Let sit for 20-30 minutes or until you see the coating of wax turn a hazy white. With another clean, cotton rag carefully buff the entire piece until shiny. To get into hard-to-reach corners and edges you can wrap a toothpick or wooden skewer in your buffing rag and run it into those corners to dig out any wax build-up. It always amazes and excites me how shiny and new glass looks after a wax.
SOLDERED PIECES (frame)
Be gentle with the frame. The metal that holds the glass together is soft, and if the loops, especially, are moved they are liable to pop loose of the soldered bond and fall off. Try not to bend or put any pressure on the frame.
If a piece of soldered metal comes loose, however, drop me a message and we can talk about a solution. I want you to enjoy your glass!
BREAKAGE
Oh, no! It slipped and hit the floor. The glass cracked. It happens to the best of us, even someone that handles glass pieces every day (me.)
It's quite possible I might have the same glass in stock and can repair the piece. If not, and you loved the design, I may be able to recreate the piece in similar colors. Just contact me, we'll exchange some photos and I'll give you a quote.
MOVING
The best way to pack glass is wrapped and then sandwiched between cardboard pieces slightly larger than the edges of the piece itself. Wrap tightly in tape. Packing it in a box with your towels, pillows or blankets is ideal. UPS Store and the like will also package the piece for you for a fee, but I've found that no one cares more that your piece arrives in perfect condition than you do!
Remember while handling, the frame is made of metals that include lead. Wear gloves when handling stained glass pieces and/or wash your hands thoroughly afterward.
