The biggest problem with Plexiglas and acrylics in general is the use of incorrect cloths and cleaners. Do not use cleaners containing ammonia. Cleaners such as Windex or 409 will harm your new piece of acrylic. First, blow the dust or dirt off. Then, use a soft cloth that won’t scratch or leave lint – never use paper towels because they will scratch. Slightly dampen the cloth before wiping the acrylic gently to clean. If the dirt isn’t coming off, you can mix a little dish detergent in some warm water, lightly ‘scrub’ the area with a soft cloth and then dry with a different soft cloth. If you wish to use a cleaning product, use only products specifically recommended for cleaning acrylic, like Brillianize which is a product you can purchase from us.
Secondly, even though it’s not glass, you still need to treat it carefully. Dropping your acrylic can cause cracking: from large cracks, to small chips that can turn into big cracks. Acrylic is incredibly resilient,but it still needs a little TLC.
And finally, acrylic can hold static electricity and that attracts dust. The best thing to fight the static electricity is a damp cloth, as mentioned above.
Acrylic is definitely the preferred ‘glass’ for most artwork. It offers a key advantage of being light weight but the main attraction is the fact that it won’t damage your artwork should it fall or be damaged in moving or shipping. It won’t shatter like glass, so your art has a much better chance of surviving intact. An important fact here in earthquake country.