How To Keep Glass Garden Railings Beautiful
Installing a little Japanese footbridge in your garden? Perhaps you are putting it over a koi pond? That will be lovely, but then you should make sure that your footbridge has some railings to keep you and guests to your garden from falling into the pond! Glass railings are ideal since they are clear enough to allow a full view of the koi in the pond and not obscure the view of the rest of the garden either. If you do have these glass railings installed, here is how to keep them clean and beautiful:
Avoid Touching the Glass Railings as Much as Possible
It goes without saying that glass railings are not kid-friendly. Even adults should avoid touching the glass to reduce the frequency with which the glass needs to be cleaned. Despite all of that, glass railings are perfect for the garden because few fingers will touch them in the course of a day or week.
Clean with a Harmless Natural Glass Cleaner
A harmless, natural glass cleaner prevents your koi fish from being accidentally poisoned while keeping the glass railings clear. You should be able to find such a cleaner in your natural/organic cleaning supplies aisle at the grocery store. Also, consult with a pet fish expert to make sure nothing in the cleaner will harm the koi.
Avoid Scrubbing the Glass with Abrasive Sponges
Glass should never be scrubbed with a really abrasive sponge. You should definitely never use steel wool on glass, either! If you do, you will scratch the glass, which then becomes more occluded, ruining the views in your garden. If you have something very hard and sticky on the glass, such as bird feces (which is very common!), use a pressure washer on a low setting instead. It will blast the stuck substance off into the koi pond, and the water is the only thing that will touch your koi fish.
Replace the Panels If They Become Cracked
In the event that your glass railing panels become cracked, replace them right away. Not only do the ugly cracks make this area of your garden look unkempt, but the bits of glass that may shake loose into the koi pond could kill your fish! Koi are members of the goldfish family, which means that they will attempt to eat and swallow just about anything, including glass, as it falls into the water. Remove the danger to the fish as well as the ugly cracked panels, in one simultaneous repair and replace movement.