Never use chemicals to clean acrylic – they will damage it. Here are ones to avoid:
The method you choose will depend on the state of your acrylic. Dirty acrylic, which looks a bit dull, will benefit from everyday cleaning. Really dirty or damaged acrylic will need more intensive cleaning. Learn more about both ways and how to do them below.
Everyday Cleaning
Start off by wearing cotton gloves and sweep a soft cotton cloth over both sides of your acrylic to wipe away any loose dust or dirt.If your acrylic is large, it might help to prop it against a wall to do this. Smaller pieces of acrylic can rest on a clean, lint-free surface.Your choice of cloth is very important for cleaning acrylic as any rough surfaces can do further damage to the plastic.
The type of cleaner is also important. Ammonia-based chemicals and products can cause damage to acrylic and cause it to become cloudy in appearance. We recommend sticking to warm, soapy water, or opting to use a plastic polish for a professional shine. On our website you can purchase the go-to plastic polish, VuPlex, click here to find out more.
Whether you opt for hot, soapy water or an acrylic cleaner, be gentle and only use light pressure as you wipe. Too much pressure can actually cause scratching. Use a dry soft cotton cloth to dry off the acrylic. Give it a little buff or polish with this cloth too.
Following your cleaning process, we recommend treating the acrylic with an anti-static cleaner. Acrylic can build up static quite easily, and this encourages more dirt/debris to stick to the material. In order to avoid this, regularly use an anti-static spray such as Ambersil.
Intensive Cleaning
If your acrylic needs some more advanced cleaning to restore it back to nearly new, there are a few effective ways. Thetechniques we use in our plastic business for restoring acrylic everyday are:scraping, sanding/buffing, and flame polishing. The downside is they are not especially suited to beginners because they can cause damage in their process. With a bit of know-how, they work well – here’s a bit more about them.
Scraping
Scraping is a good way to remove any machine marks or jagged edges from acrylic.It can be done with a razor blade or sharp scraping tool (a Stanley knife for example).
Scrape the acrylic by moving the razor blade or sharp tool from side to side, evenly scraping off excess and scratched acrylic.Angle your razor blade or tool at 10 degrees to avoid digging into your acrylic.The noise isn’t pleasant, but the scraping technique works and prepares acrylic for sanding, buffing and polishing.
Polishing
You can restore the glossy look of your acrylic by flame polishing thin sheets of acrylic (4mm thick and under) and sanding/buffing thicker acrylic sheets.Flame polishing is a fast, steady process. It is a great way to produce those smooth, glossy edges that acrylic is so famous for.
You will need a hydrogen-oxygen torch with either a number 4 or 5 tip. Guide the flame over your acrylic edges, heating them with a swift motion. Getting this right can be tricky – moving too slowly or closely to the acrylic will make it stress and you’ll see bubbles appear in the acrylic.
Also watch out for overheating the acrylic which will melt it.Producing clean, glossy edges is an amazing result – if your edges still look matt after you’ve flame polished you may have gone too fast. Wait for your acrylic to cool down and give it another go.
For highly polished, shiny edges there are products you can use to help. If you are considering using a wax or paste, be sure to use one that is suitable for acrylic. We'd recommend Vuplex and Xerapol which are readily available online here;we have tried and tested on acrylic to the satisfaction of our plastic experts.If you are looking for a less labour-intensive wayVuPlex polish isgreat for at home use because in minutes one use provides safe cleaning and protection from break down of clarityas well as restoring that high shine.
Sanding & Buffing
You can remove scratches in acrylic by sanding and buffing. Try buffing first – the scratches may come out and no need to sand your acrylic unnecessarily. If you are sanding, then sand acrylic like a piece of wood, working across its surface area.You’ll definitely need a mask for this job as it is a dusty one!
Choose threetypes of sandpaper: a coarse one (180 grit), a medium one (320 grit) and a light one (600 grit). Start with the coarse sandpaper and work up to the finest.If your acrylic has deep scratches start off with the coarse 180 sandpaper. If your acrylic has only very light scratches start with the medium 320 grit.
Keep your sander moving at all times to avoid heat build-up.As you work use a soft cotton cloth to remove debris to prevent any scratching.Acrylic starts to soften at 80 degrees, so it is important to keep it cool while you work. Water, water mist or soluble oils (oil in water emulsions) are good for this job.
You will notice the sanding process leaves your acrylic with a matt finish.You can bring back the glossy shine by buffing. If you’re giving it a go, clamp your acrylic so it doesn’t move. Choose an acrylic polish to help as you buff (Vuplex for example). Buff until the polish clears on the acrylic.
Any Questions?
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or queries about polishing acrylic Perspex. The amount of finishing needed to get your smooth, shiny edge depends on the quality of the cut/machined acrylic to start with.
If you require acrylic Perspex material which is polished ready for use, we provide a cut to size polished service using our 'chip-free saw' - you can find more information on our site here. You can also see us at work polishing on our range of videos, The Plastic People At Work.
For any further help or advice, our friendly team of plastic experts are only a call or email away.
