AGC Glass Europe

Quick Facts

Brand at a Glance

Product Range

Why This System

Step 1 of 2: Manufacturer Recommendations

Official Care Guidance

Glass (all products)

• ✓Wash with plenty of clean water or a pH-neutral glass cleaner and a soft sponge or rubber squeegee.
• ✓Apply cleaning solution generously across the whole surface before squeegeeing.
• ✕Do not clean glass in direct sunlight or near a strong heat source - the solution dries too quickly and leaves residue.
• ✓Rinse thoroughly with clean water after cleaning.

Coated Glass (iplus, Stopray, Sunergy, Stopsol)

• ✓Use only pH-neutral cleaning products.
• ✕Do not use products containing hydrofluoric acid, fluorine, chlorine, or ammonia derivatives - these damage coatings permanently.
• ✓Do not use highly acidic or highly alkaline products - they abrade the glass surface.
• ✓Do not apply excessive pressure during cleaning - pressure causes scratches or stains on coated surfaces.
• ✓When using a squeegee, do not allow the metal squeegee handle to contact the glass surface - use the rubber blade only.

Planibel Easy Self-Cleaning Glass

• ✕Do not use products containing wax, polish, or film-forming agents - these block the photocatalytic coating.
• ✓Do not use products containing strong solvents.
• ✓Wait at least one week after installation before first cleaning to allow sealants to fully cure.
• ✓Never clean a specific mark without wetting the full surface first with water.
• ✓The self-cleaning function requires UV light - glass on north-facing elevations or in deep shadows will see reduced self-cleaning effect.

Decorative and Acid-Etched Glass (Lacobel, Matelux)

• ✓Always wet-clean the entire surface - never spot-clean dry.
• ✓Do not use abrasive cleaners on etched surfaces.
• ✓Do not use strong alkalis on etched surfaces.
• ✕Do not use razor blades, steel wool, or similar abrasive items.

Step 2 of 2: The Orloffs Protocol

The Orloffs Protocol

Pro Tools

My daily tool list. This is what I carry to every job.

Follow these steps in order. Each one builds on the last. This is the same sequence I use on every AGC Glass Europe installation.

1. 1

   Detail the frame before touching the glass

   Wipe the frame edges with a damp microfibre cloth before you apply any solution to the glass. Dust, pollen, and debris on the frame edge will be picked up by the squeegee and dragged across the clean glass as a streak.

   This is especially important on windows where the outer glass surface has a Sunergy or Stopray pyrolytic or coated surface. Any grit carried across the glass by the squeegee leaves micro-scratches you cannot reverse.

2. 2

   Agitate the glass fully

   Dip the T-bar applicator and apply soapy water across the full glass surface with overlapping strokes. The goal is to dissolve and float the dirt off the glass so the squeegee can remove it cleanly.

   Skipping proper agitation means the squeegee encounters dirt that has not been fully released from the glass. That remaining grit gets dragged across the surface. On coated glass, this is where micro-scratching happens.

   Never clean in direct sunlight. The solution evaporates before you can squeegee it away, leaving a film of dried mineral deposits and soap residue that is harder to remove than the original dirt.

3. 3

   Wipe frame edges dry before squeegeeing

   After agitating the glass, run a dry corner of your cotton rag along the top edge and side edges of the frame. This removes pooled soap solution sitting on the frame.

   When your squeegee reaches those edges, it will not pick up residue and pull it back across the glass as a streak. Ten seconds of work that prevents most problems.

4. 4

   The three squeegee turns

   Side to side: start at the top left corner with a dry rubber. Draw the squeegee horizontally across the glass, tilting so water falls to one side. Wipe the rubber dry after each pass. Overlap slightly into the next pass down. Repeat to the bottom.

   Top to bottom: the same principle in vertical lines. Start top left, draw down, tilt to direct water to one side, wipe dry, overlap into the next line, repeat across.

   The J turn: the professional continuous motion - from the top to the bottom of the glass in one smooth, unbroken movement. Your thumb guides the rotation: as you reach the end of a horizontal pass, rotate your wrist so the squeegee turns and continues downward. This is the fastest and most consistent turn for large-format AGC glass panels and floor-to-ceiling glazing.

5. 5

   Edge detailing

   After squeegeeing, a thin line of water remains along the bottom edge and at the sides. Fold a dry cotton rag to a clean corner and detail these edges in one smooth pass.

   Get a finger into the glass-to-frame joint and remove any pooled solution sitting there. If this dries in the joint it leaves a white mineral line that shows up as soon as sunlight hits the glass at an angle.

   Rotate to a fresh dry section of rag every few windows. A wet rag smears rather than removes.

6. 6

   Planibel Easy self-cleaning glass

   If you are cleaning Planibel Easy self-cleaning glass, use plain water only. No soap, no glass cleaner, no product of any kind. The photocatalytic coating breaks down organic dirt on its own. Your job is to rinse, not to clean.

Pro Tips

• ★ Identify the AGC product in the frame before cleaning - check the spacer bar for iplus, Stopray, Sunergy, or Planibel Easy markings. Each requires a different product approach.
• ★ On Planibel Easy self-cleaning glass, use plain water only - no soap. Any wax or film-forming agent deactivates the photocatalytic coating.
• ★ On iplus and Stopray coated glass, never allow the metal squeegee body to contact the glass - only the rubber blade.
• ★ pH-neutral products only on all coated AGC glass. Ammonia, fluorine, chlorine, acids, and alkalis are all explicitly prohibited.
• ★ On large-format facade panels, consistent controlled pressure prevents tracking and streaking. Do not bear down at the edges.

What NOT To Do

Bundle Kits and Tool Recommendations

Cleaning Frequency

Glass (all AGC products): 2x per year minimum (Spring and autumn at minimum. Quarterly in urban or high-traffic locations.). Urban and industrial locations: Quarterly (Prevents contamination building up on coated surfaces.). Coastal locations: Every 6-8 weeks on exposed elevations (Salt spray degrades coated surfaces faster than inland locations.). Planibel Easy self-cleaning glass: Plain water rinse as needed (Typically when no rain has fallen for several weeks.). After construction or renovation work: Immediate cleaning (Cement dust, silicone splatter, and paint bond to coated glass quickly. Leave too long and removal becomes a specialist job.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Field Notes

“AGC glass is inside most European high-performance windows - check the spacer bar before cleaning to know which product you have. iplus, Stopray, and Sunergy coated glass: pH-neutral products only. No ammonia, no fluorine, no chlorine, no acids. Planibel Easy self-cleaning glass: plain water rinse only. No soap, no cleaners, no wax products of any kind. Coastal and urban locations need more frequent cleaning - contamination builds on coated surfaces faster than plain float glass.”

Justin Orloff