Whether you are an office, a retail store, a school, a restaurant, or any other public-facing business, you’ve likely installed some sort of acrylic sneeze guard in the past year. And while you know they are valuable to both employees and customers, you also know they require cleaning to stay shiny and new.
Unfortunately, when it comes to cleaning acrylic sneeze guards, many people are doing it wrong. Why? ost of us are used to cleaning glass surfaces, but the methods and products we use to do so will ruin acrylic and polycarbonate surfaces in a hurry.
To help keep your sneeze guards looking and performing like new, we’ve broken down the five things you need to clean them properly.
1. Choose the right cleaning products for acrylic sneeze guards
A question we often hear is “Can acrylic be cleaned with alcohol?” and the answer is no. It can result in microfractures or cracks. Additionally, the most common household cleaning products such as scouring powders, window cleaners and ammonia mixtures are also big no-nos as they can damage acrylic and polycarbonate. Beware. Even cleaning products that are labeled gentle, organic or environmentally friendly can be detrimental to acrylic.
To properly clean your acrylic sneeze guard, a simple mixture of water and mild dish soap, applied with a very soft, damp cloth (think microfiber), is all you need to keep your sneeze guards clean.
Be sure to reserve your cleaning cloth solely for cleaning your sneeze guards so you don’t inadvertently drag dirt, grit or chemical residues onto your surface from elsewhere. No one wants scratches.
2. Eliminate the static that attracts dirt
In addition to good-old soap and water, there are cleaning products on the market specifically formulated to help acrylic surfaces repel dust and resist fogging. While more work-intensive, if used regularly they will ensure your sneeze guards maintain their antistatic, smudge and scratch-resistant properties.
We recommend the Novus product line, which cleans all acrylic and polycarbonate surfaces without scratching.
3. Get rid of scratches easily
Even the most well-taken-care-of acrylic surfaces will encounter a scratch or two over time. Fortunately, it’s very easy to remove them, and if you’re concerned about keeping your sneeze guards germ-free, it’s imperative that you do so (scratches can create ideal hideaways for bacteria and viruses).
In addition to its everyday cleaning product, Novus offers formulas for getting rid of fine and heavy scratches and the steps are easy.
- Saturate a clean, soft cloth (sense a theme there?) with the appropriate product
- Polish the surface with a firm back-and-forth motion at right angles to the scratches.
- Once the worst scratches have been polished out, reapply the product uniformly in a circular motion to the entire surface using short, circular strokes and light pressure.
- Allow to dry to a light haze.
- Finally, using a clean portion of the cloth (or a new cloth altogether), buff the surface to a slippery glaze using firm, short strokes.
Et voila! A fully restored, scratch-free surface in minutes.
4. Take labels off safely
If you find a price tag, sticker or piece of tape attached to your sneeze guard, don’t worry, the same soap and water you use to clean it will remove any sticky residue with ease. Apply it, allow it to soak for about five minutes, then wipe the residue off with a clean cloth.
With a little care and the right choice of cleaning products, your sneeze guards will last as long as you need them to.
5. Don’t overclean
A common misconception is that sneeze guards need to be cleaned daily. Like anything else, one size does not fit all.
If you work in a restaurant and customers are touching the barriers all day long, then you might need to clean them more frequently, perhaps even between seatings. However, if you work in an office space and there were no visitors to your office that day, cleaning may not be necessary.
Barriers and sneeze guards are there to protect against germs and the frequency of cleaning should be based on both exposure and general need.
How to order acrylic sneeze guards
shopPOPdisplays offers one of the largest selections of high-quality protective barriers, shields, and other products. Every shopPOPdisplays personal protection product is designed by craftsmen to exact standards for clarity, strength, and usability in break-resistant acrylic. Many barriers are also available in polycarbonate. All barriers, shields, and guards are made in the U.S.A., in stock, and shipped in 1-2 business days directly from our New Jersey warehouse. Volume (quantity) discounts are available.
If you don’t find what you need in our catalog, we’ll create it for you in any shape or size, in small or large quantities. We’ve been doing this for more than 40 years, and our designers, engineers, and craftsmen are the best in the industry. They’ll make sure your order is done right, with attention to detail, modern manufacturing processes, and precision technologies.