Patterns on Glass that show up when Glass is Fogged up

[Jmanm]

I have some glass that act as sliding doors that go on my bedroom wood cabinet that I have cleaned to streak free perfection. But I noticed when you breathe on them with your breath causing the surface to fog up while holding the glass in the light, that there are patterns on the surface that seem to always be there & are the same. Like as if there was chemical residue left on the glass. But after a proper clean I can't see why these patterns are there?

Is it some kind of static effect from rubbing of microfiber cloth or residue left by my cleaner which is 100% isopropyl alcohol & demineralised water? Or maybe some permanent residue left that needs to be polished off?

 

 

These patterns look a bit like random squiggly thick lines. edit: both sides of glass were cleaned.

Edited June 16, 2016 by Jmanm

[swansont]

The residue is either transparent or is made up of particles too small to see. But when water condenses on them (or fails to) the pattern shows up.

[Strange]

They could be minute scratches/imperfections in the glass that act as nucleation points. Or it could be some residue that you can't get off. Glass bonds remarkably strongly to water-based materials.

[Jmanm]

The residue is either transparent or is made up of particles too small to see. But when water condenses on them (or fails to) the pattern shows up.

 

Thanks. I did some further tests & these shapes & patterns only appear on the Glass after coming into contact with clean plastic.If the Glass is washed & cleaned & I breath on the surface no marks show, just a uniform foggy appearance.

But when some clean soft plastic rests on the surface of the clean Glass for even a few seconds firmly, I breath on the surface of Glass & the marks show up & the shapes correspond to the contours of the thin plastic as this plastic is not like a solid rigid piece.

 

So I really don't know if this is a chemical residue left or some other effect?

 

Thanks.

[Klaynos]

How do you clean the plastic?

 

Plastic films tend to have big and varying static fields so collect particles easily from the atmosphere. You are then transferring these to the glass.

[studiot]

How do you clean the plastic?

 

Plastic films tend to have big and varying static fields so collect particles easily from the atmosphere. You are then transferring these to the glass.

 

I agree this is a static electricity effect. +1

[Jmanm]

How do you clean the plastic?

 

Plastic films tend to have big and varying static fields so collect particles easily from the atmosphere. You are then transferring these to the glass.

I didn't clean the plastic as it looked clean & is food type plastic wrap. Should I be cleaning it or is cleaning it causing the static fields?

 

I agree this is a static electricity effect. +1

At first I thought, but not really sure.

I have some Glass & LCD screen surface that stayed in contact with this plastic in an almost air tight dry environment for a few months & these shapes & patterns were difficult to get off & I needed to use alcohol & rub hard, simply running water did nothing. After a year or more on some plastic surfaces in an air tight environment these marks are permanent with only an abrasive polish removing them & some areas of the surface the patterns are actually visible like dried up faint water marks. There is very little air & dust if any when these items were stored in contact with plastic.

 

Not sure what all this means & really wan't to know.

 

Thanks

Edited July 7, 2016 by Jmanm

[Klaynos]

I didn't clean the plastic as it looked clean & is food type plastic wrap. Should I be cleaning it or is cleaning it causing the static fields?

 

Then it's not perfectly clean. The static field you generate on that kind of thing will be massive. That field will also add dust onto the plastic film as you move it towards the window.

 

Even in a high class clean room you'd collect dust from the atmosphere with cling film.

[Jmanm]

Then it's not perfectly clean. The static field you generate on that kind of thing will be massive. That field will also add dust onto the plastic film as you move it towards the window.

 

Even in a high class clean room you'd collect dust from the atmosphere with cling film.

 

The plastic is pretty clean & leaves no visible anything on clean surfaces in short term, something has to be actually coming from within the plastic, but all my reading online tells me that the amount of chemicals would be minuscule.

The static field explanation doesn't hold up, it could not explain how this plastic leaves behind an imprint that if left over times gets harder to get off. Dust & stuff doesn't do that, I had glass sheets in a room for 2 years & they accumulated a hard layer of dust that came off with paper towls & water. And the space between the plastic & glass is mirco & there is virtually nothing but a bit of air.

 

I believe the patterns are caused by the static & shape of the plastic while the actual stains are continually coming from within the plastic.

Edited July 11, 2016 by Jmanm

[studiot]

How about some pictures of these patterns?