Tempered glass: The dos and don'ts of maintaining your glass furniture

Glass furnishings impart an elegant, sophisticated touch to your home but require care in maintaining clarity, cleanliness and safety.

Tempered glass may be classified as safety glass, and is thrice to five times durable than normal annealed glass but it's not altogether indestructible.

There has been recent news of tempered glass suddenly shattering, which can result in severe lacerations and bleeding.

While shocking when it happens, however, tempered glass is actually designed to shatter into many small fragmented pieces in the event of breakage.

This safety component helps diminish the risk of injury, since it doesn't break into large jagged shards like anneale glass does. Here's how to care for your glass furniture to keep it safe and last for years to come.

DOS

• Handle with care and be gentle.
• Avoid impacting the side or edges of the glass, as this is where it is most vulnerable.
• Clean it regularly. Spraying a mixture of ordinary dish soap and water will suffice, with a soft sponge, followed by a soft, non-abrasive cleaning cloth to buff it dry.
• Remove stubborn stains with a glass-cleaner and a damp cloth.
• Consider installing a film on glass windows or barriers at home that can hold broken glass together if it breaks.

DON'TS

• Place very hot or cold items in direct contact with the glass surface. Extreme temperatures can cause thermal shock, which can in turn lead to stress and shattering. Use tablecloths, placemats or coasters to protect it.
• Sit or stand on glass surfaces
• Ignore chips and small cracks. A chip or even a scratched surface can weaken the glass and subsequently cause the entire piece to shatter.
• Do not strike the glass with hard or pointed items.
• Use the glass as a chopping surface.
• Use washing powder or cleaning solutions with abrasives as these can scratch and damage the glass surface.
• Expose it to prolonged periods of sunlight. It's possible for fluctuating temperatures in your home (when it heats up in the day or cools down at night, for example) to cause spontaneous shattering.
• Drag heavy or rough items over the glass top.

This article was first published in Home & Decor.