Re: [ATM] Nylon brushes and Aluminum Hydroxide

[Guy Brandenburg <gfbrandenburg@yahoo.com>]

I would advise against using any strong base/alkali on glass mirrors. I have seen something as mild as ammonia totally destroy the surface of a mirror. 

"Francis J. O'Reilly" <foreilly@bestweb.net> wrote: To clean my mirrors of Cerium oxide and Aluminum Oxide, I generally try a stiff nylon brush that I purchase at a local autoparts store to remove the mess. The brush is sold in a set looking like a couple of oversized toothbrushes, the other is copper. (See my pitch lap video on You Tube to see proof that I actually undertake the procedure.) Nylon does not scratch glass and it cleans it pretty well, if you are patient. 

You might also want to try soaking the mirror in Aluminum Hydroxide, a caustic substance that is the active ingredient in most drain cleaners. It also works well when you need to remove an aluminum coating. 

Make sure that you allow the mirror to soak for at least half hour, use gloves and don't let the kids near the stuff. When you are done, rinse well and pour it down the drain, It will clear out the drain. 

Aluminum Hydroxide is in granular form and can be purchased from Ace Hardware stores. It doesn't take much to clean the mirror, use a fairly dilute mixture, try a tablespoon per quart to start. The hardware store may not admit to having Aluminum hydroxide, but they generally do. You can find it on the shelves by the commercial drain cleaners.

Francis J. O'ReillyTo clean my mirrors of Cerium oxide and Aluminum Oxide, I generally try a stiff nylon brush that I purchase at a local autoparts store to remove the mess. The brush is sold in a set looking like a couple of oversized toothbrushes, the other is copper. (See my pitch lap video on You Tube to see proof that I actually undertake the procedure.) Nylon does not scratch glass and it cleans it pretty well, if you are patient. 

You might also want to try soaking the mirror in Aluminum Hydroxide, a caustic substance that is the active ingredient in most drain cleaners. It also works well when you need to remove an aluminum coating. 

Make sure that you allow the mirror to soak for at least half hour, use gloves and don't let the kids near the stuff. When you are done, rinse well and pour it down the drain, It will clear out the drain. 

Aluminum Hydroxide is in granular form and can be purchased from Ace Hardware stores. It doesn't take much to clean the mirror, use a fairly dilute mixture, try a tablespoon per quart to start. The hardware store may not admit to having Aluminum hydroxide, but they generally do. You can find it on the shelves by the commercial drain cleaners.

Francis J. O'Reilly
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Guy Brandenburg, Washington, DC
My home page on astronomy, mathematics, education:
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