How to clean and look afterglass curtains

To clean glass curtains you need only water with neutral soap, a soft cloth and a rubber squeegee, out of direct sun. The bottom track matters most: vacuum it before you wet anything. Never use blades, scourers or abrasives. For the profiles, Reynaers recommends care twice a year in rural areas and four times on the coast or in cities.

Glass curtains have one real advantage when it comes to cleaning: the panels turn as they stack, so you can reach both faces from the terrace itself without leaning out. Toughened glass is strong, but it scratches like any other pane if you rub it with sand on the surface or attack it with a metal tool, and a scratch in the middle of a panel catches your eye every day.

Over the years, almost all the wear in a glass curtain system happens in the tracks and the seals rather than the panes. A good routine therefore spends as much time on the bottom track as on the panes. A few minutes a month and one service a year are usually enough to keep the panels gliding and the seals closing tightly against wind and rain.

The insulating glass manufacturer Cardinal sums up the industry guidance in its technical bulletin on cleaning glass: soak the surface with clean water and soap, remove the solution with a rubber squeegee or a cloth, and dry off any cleaner that runs onto seals and frames. It also advises testing on a small area first to make sure the product does no harm before you do a whole panel.

In practice, a bucket of warm water with a few drops of neutral soap, a sponge or microfibre applicator and a rubber squeegee leave the panes streak free. Work from top to bottom and finish the edges with a dry cloth. If your water is hard and leaves rings as it dries, a final rinse with demineralised water, the kind sold for steam irons, stops the white marks.

The Cardinal bulletin warns that scraping a pane with razor blades or other metal scrapers carries a high risk of irreparable damage, and states that its warranty does not cover those scratches. It also advises against cleaning tinted or coated glass in direct sunlight, letting water or cleaning solution dry on the surface, and using abrasive cleaners. Here is what to keep well away from your curtains:

If building dust, paint or cement will not come off with soap and water, do not reach for a blade. Soak the mark, give the water a few minutes to work and lift it off with a cloth or a plastic scraper. If it is still there, ask the fitter for help rather than risk a scratch across the middle of the panel, because a deep scratch has no simple fix.

• Razor blades, metal scrapers and spatulas
• Green scourers, steel wool and stiff brushes
• Scouring powders and abrasive creams
• Strong solvents on the seals or the aluminium coating
• A pressure washer aimed at seals and rollers
• Rubbing a dry pane that has dust or sand on it

The bottom track works harder than any other part and collects the most dirt: dust, leaves, pet hair and, near the sea, sand and salt. That dirt makes the rollers stumble, the panels drag and the seals wear out early. Keeping the track clean is the cheapest way to make sure the system keeps running smoothly for years and to put off replacing the rollers.

Vacuum first with a narrow nozzle, then run a damp cloth or a small brush along the bottom and through the drainage holes, and dry it off. Do not pour in cooking oil or smear on thick grease: both trap dust and turn into a paste that slows the rollers. If the system maker specifies a lubricant, use a little of it and only where it says. Lubricant and track routine LUNEKS recommends

The seals and brushes between panels keep out air and water, and the rollers carry the weight of each panel. They are wearing parts that can be replaced without touching the glass. There are three clear signs it is time to check them: the panels squeak or stick, air or water gets in between them, or the rubber has gone hard, flattened or cracked.

A yearly service at the change of season lets a fitter adjust the panels and replace worn parts before they damage anything else. Our seals and spare parts page explains which parts are consumables and how they are swapped, and what is covered is set out on the LUNEKS warranty page. Whether LUNEKS offers a yearly service and on what terms

It depends on where you live. The aluminium systems maker Reynaers recommends using its care product on profiles and glass twice a year in rural settings and four times a year in aggressive environments such as the coast, industrial areas and city centres, as Interempresas reported when its care manual came out. For the panes, Cardinal's rule is simple: do not leave dirt sitting on them for long.

A sensible routine for a home in Alicante: the panes every month or two, the bottom track every time you do the panes, a rinse of the profiles with water every quarter if you live near the sea, and a fitter's check once a year. If your terrace is on the seafront, read our guide to glass curtains by the sea as well, which covers wind and salt.