How to Care for Acrylic

Acrylic furnishings such as our Clear Serving Tray, Black Serving Tray, and White Serving Tray are increasingly more popular due to their timeless look and durability. If you have them in your home, office, or bar for long enough they are likely to need a cleaning. Luckily, acrylic can be cleaned easily and provide the same clarity and shine it did the moment if first became yours.

Important to Remember

• Never use ammonia-based cleaners such as Windex or other Glass Cleaners on acrylic.
• Paper towels can scratch the surface of acrylic furnishings. It is always best to use a soft cloth or microfiber towel.
• If you use a plastic cleaner, choose one that is safe for acrylics such as Novus 1.
• Use a damp cloth when cleaning acrylic surfaces to minimize the static charge.
• Scouring pads and generic chemical cleaners can scratch acrylic.
• Be gentle with acrylic. Avoid contact with abrasive items. It is best to use felt pads with heavy or metal objects on acrylic.

Best way to Clean Acrylic Products

Items Needed:

• Clean soft or microfiber cloth
• Plastic cleaning solution such as Novus 1, Brillianize, or as a last resort a simple mixture of warm soapy water
• Novus 7100 plastic polish kit (which includes Novus 1)

1. Acrylic and conventional cleaners do not play nice together

It is extremely common that we hear about “acrylic that looked beautiful until I spilled some food on it, then it started to crack.” It was most likely not the food, but the cleaner you used to clean the acrylic. The chemicals in conventional cleaners such as ammonia can cause the acrylic to discolor, crack, and become brittle. So it is important that you use a cleaner that is designed for acrylic or resort to using soap and water. Also be sure to use a cloth that is clean. A dirty cloth can carry sediment that can scratch the acrylic.

2. Apply the cleaning solution

Start by removing any dust and debris you can with the towel, compressed air, or by simply blowing on it. Then apply the cleaning solution (Novus 1 or soapy warm water) to a small section of the acrylic then gently polish the acrylic with the soft cloth. Repeat this over and over until the entire surface has been cleaned.

Most situations will need just step 1 and 2 and nothing more. But, if you have scratches you would like to remove then move to step 3.

3. Get rid of unsightly scratches

Using the Novus 2 from the  Novus 7100 plastic polish kit, you can apply the solution in a small area first. The process is similar to step 2 except you are using a different cleaner. Using a soft cloth, polish across the scratched area from right to left. Be sure to keep the cloth saturated with Novus 2 the entire time. Once the main scratches have been polished out, reapply Novus 2 in a small circular buffing motion to the entire surface. Let it then dry until a light haze appears. Then use a fresh cloth to buff the surface to a slippery surface. Then, apply Novus #1 yet again for best results.

In the event that Novus 2 does not remove your scratches then you can move on to use of Novus 3. This is used just to remove the most severe scratches. Once removed, go back to Novus 2 to complete the cycle of steps.