Plastic cleaning products such as Novus Plastic Polisher can also be used.
DO NOT USE ketones, aromatics, esters, halogens, window cleaning sprays, alcohol, kitchen scouring compounds, or solvents (such as acetone, benzene, gasoline, carbon tetrachloride, or thinners). Do not use ammonia based cleaning solutions on the acrylic as it will eat into the sheet and cause it to craze.
How do you get scratches out of Acrylic? For light scratches, use a buffing compound such as Novus Plastic Scratch Remover or car wax, using the buffer provided lightly buff the sheet until scratches disappear.
DO NOT USE traditional window cleaning products such as Windex.
The type of polishing cloth you use will make a difference. Novus Polish Mates are recommended for use with Novus products. The ideal cloth is nonabrasive, absorbent and lint free. To eliminate any chance of scratching, use only disposable cloths. Reusable cloths can retain abrasive particles, but you won't know for sure until the damage is done. Use a soft cotton cloth (such as a diaper), avoid using polyester or rayon wipes which can scratch unprotected plastics. You can order Novus Cleaning products in my Etsy Store .
Novus Plastic Clean & Shine Gently cleans all plastics without scratching. Leaves a lustrous shine that resists fogging, repels dust and eliminates static. Resists finger print marks, contains no abrasives or harsh chemicals and leaves a smooth clean, greaseless shine.
- If the surface is extremely dirty, apply NOVUS No. 1 liberally and wipe using long, sweeping strokes. Do not use pressure at this time or large dirt particles may scratch the plastic.
- Re-apply NOVUS No. 1. Polish using short, circular strokes with a clean portion of the cloth.
- When surface is thoroughly clean and uniformly covered, buff to a slippery glaze with a clean portion of the cloth. Surfaces buffed to a high glaze are more resistant to dust and future scratching.
- Reapply NOVUS No. 1 regularly to maintain the anti-static, smudge and scratch resistant properties.
Novus Fine Scratch Remover. Removes fine scratches, haziness and abrasions from most plastics. With related use, Novus No. 2 restores faded and discolored plastics. Removes the damages instead of filling it in. Buffs out quickly. Not recommended for use on coated plastics (not to worry, none of my acrylic is coated).
- Observe condition of the surface to be treated. The deeper the scratches, the greater the pressure required to remove them. If the surface is dirty, clean with NOVUS No.1 before applying NOVUS No. 2.
- Shake well. Test in an inconspicuous area.
- Apply NOVUS No. 2 liberally. Using a clean, soft cloth, polish with a firm back-and-forth motion at right angles to the scratches. Keep the cloth saturated with polish at all times.
- When the worst scratches have been polished out, reapply NOVUS No.2 uniformly in a circular motion to the entire surface using short, circular strokes and light pressure. Allow to dry to a light haze.
- Using a clean portion of the cloth, buff the surface to a slippery glaze using firm, short strokes. This procedure is imperative in achieving the best results.
- For heavy scratches, multiple applications of NOVUS No. 2 or application of NOVUS No. 3 may be required.
- Follow with NOVUS No. 1 for best results.
Novus Heavy Scratch Remover. Removes heavy scratches and abrasions from most acrylic surfaces. Use when damage is too sever to be restore with Novus No. 2 polish. Requires us of Novus No. 2 for final finishing. Not recommended for use on coated plastics (not to worry, none of my acrylic is coated).
- Shake well. Test in an inconspicuous area.
- Apply NOVUS No. 3 liberally. Using a clean, soft cloth, polish with a firm back-and-forth motion at right angles to the scratches. Keep the cloth saturated with polish at all times.
- Continue polishing until only fine scratches remain. Using cloth, remove all remaining polish, this is very important!
- Using a clean cloth, apply NOVUS No. 2 in a circular motion uniformly to entire surface. Polish using light pressure until NOVUS No. 2 dries to a light haze.
- Using a clean portion of the cloth, buff the surface clean. Follow with NOVUS No. 1 for best results.
Before attempting to clean or remove scratches, always make sure the plastic is cool to the touch. Use a liberal amount plastic cleaner to safely remove surface dust and dirt. In addition test scratch removers in a small, inconspicuous area for compatibility. Some plastics (not mine) are coated with a thin film which may be damaged by the abrasives in the polish. Novus No. 2 and No. 3 are not recommended for use on eyeglass lenses.
For best results, use Novus Polish Mates or a clean Microfiber cloth. The ideal cloth is nonabrasive, absorbent, lint free and disposable. (Reusable cloths can retain abrasive particles and cause damage.) Avoid using polyester or rayon wipes. If Novus Polish Mates are not available, use a soft cloth, such as a cloth diaper or a clean Microfiber Cloth.
If the damage is fairly large or badly damaged, a power buffer may be used with Novus No. 2 and No. 3. Use a clean wool or cotton bonnet and operate the buffer at low speed, approximately 1000 ROM, to avoid overheating the plastic. Each polish should be applied with a separated, clean bonnet.