google.com, pub-1204140220282628, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0
6Ldv9-8ZAAAAAIPLvWlRhmEX-jJAUSOrmh9j4Gbn 6Ldv9-8ZAAAAAA40oKdSNl4Simu2MGwkSQO-5ogt pinterest-site-verification=561ff8f2839bdfbf3af28544e2dd3ffc google.com, pub-1204140220282628, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 media.net, 8CUSWIJC1, DIRECT google.com, pub-7439041255533808, RESELLER, f08c47fec0942fa0 rubiconproject.com, 19396, RESELLER, 0bfd66d529a55807 pubmatic.com, 159463, RESELLER, 5d62403b186f2ace openx.com, 537100188, RESELLER, 6a698e2ec38604c6 districtm.io, 100600, DIRECT spotxchange.com, 211156, RESELLER, 7842df1d2fe2db34 spotx.tv, 211156, RESELLER, 7842df1d2fe2db34 google.com, pub-1204140220282628, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0





Cleaning trick: Make it hydrophobic ?

by Jeremy
(France)

I'm looking for cleaning tricks and I came across sprays and waxes that can make surfaces (mirrors, windows, etc.) hydrophobic.

In theory, I think it enables it to catch dust and dirt in water drops, and to wipe it clean with a spray of water (lotus effect).

This would make cleaning of shower doors, bathroom mirror or windows almost unnecessary, but it seems too easy to be true.
Anyone knows about it? An opinion, an explanation?
Thanks :)

(Excuse my English, I'm French)

Comments for Cleaning trick: Make it hydrophobic ?

Average Rating starstarstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

Jan 19, 2017
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
by: tara

Great question! The hydrophobic sprays and waxes you’ve seen are part of an emerging field of self-cleaning coatings, and the science behind them is actually pretty solid.

How it works: The hydrophobic coating in the sprays and waxes you mention allow the surface you them to clean itself when it comes into contact with water- specifically by allowing rolling water droplets to carry away surface dirt.

So why don’t we have hydrophobic sprays and waxes readily available for all the glass surfaces in our homes? I can’t imagine how much time we could save each week on shower and window cleaning alone.

The answer is: It’s a work in progress. While hydrophobic coatings have been scientifically shown to be effective self-cleaners, they suffer from a number of drawbacks that have so far prevented their widespread use.

Batch processing a hydrophobic material is costly and time-consuming, and the coatings produced are usually hazy, precluding applications on windows and fragile material. And despite the commercialization of a hydrophilic self-cleaning coating in a number of products you’ve seen, the field is far from mature. Research into making them less expensive to produce with more effective on glass surfaces is ongoing.

In fact, since 2001, the International Commission on Glass has been trying to set up test methods for evaluation of photocatalytic self-cleaning coatings on glass. So stay tuned – cleaning some of the surfaces in our homes may soon get much easier.

Thanks for the great question, Jeremy. Nothing was lost in the translation from French to English! ☺

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Cleaning Questions and Tips.

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.